The Sports Page Weekly

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I N S I D E September 23-29, 2011 www.sportspagedfw.com FREE

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A Dallas/Ft Worth weekly Sports publication.

Transcript of The Sports Page Weekly

I N S I D E

September 23-29, 2011 www . s p o r t s p aged fw . c om F R E E

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Copyright 2011 Sports Page Weekly, Inc. All rights reserved. The Sports PageWeekly is published every week on Thursdays. Views expressed in TheSports Page Weekly are not necessarily the opinion of The Sports PageWeekly, its staff or advertisers. The Sports Page Weekly does not knowinglyaccept false or misleading editorial content or advertising, nor is The SportsPage Weekly responsible for the content or claims of any advertising or edito-rial in this publication. No content (articles, photographs, graphics) in TheSports Page Weekly may be used for reproduction without permission fromthe publisher.

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AROUND THE AREAAIRHOGS WIN AA CHAMPIONSHIP

QUICK HITSSPORTS NEWS AND NUGGETS

FISHERDONNIE NELSON STILL GOING AT FULL SPEED

RANGERSPLANNING FOR THE PLAYOFFS

GOLF TURN AND BURN

COVER STORYWOUNDED COWBOYS FACE REDSKINS

ROTATION

THE TICKET WINDOWMICHAEL LOMBARDI WITH THE MUSERS

BAR/TUBE

September 23-29, 2011Volume 10, Issue 4

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To advertise in The Sports Page, Call the contacts above or 214.683.1469For editorial comments/suggestions, [email protected]

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Contributing WritersKate Delaney, Mike Fisher, Dic Humphrey, Tom Ward

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Contact UsMain Number (214) 683-1469P.O. Box 820813Dallas, Tx. 75382

LOCAL HAPPENINGSAROUND THE AREA

AirHogs win championship

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Grand Prairie AirHogs pitcher Jason Jennings holds the American Association trophy afterhis team defeated the St. Paul Saints in Game 5 of the American Association finals, 8-5,last Monday, giving the AirHogs the series 3-2. Jennings was the NL Rookie of the Year in2002 with Colorado after a great career at Baylor where he was the College Player of theYear. Jennings, who attended Mesquite Poteet High School, also played in the Majors withthe Astros and Rangers.

It's the first championship for the AirHogs since they began play in 2008.

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Dallas Stars icon Mike Modano retiresNO. 9 HANGS ‘EM UPFormer Dallas Stars and Detroit Red Wings forward

Mike Modano, the NHL's all-time points leader amongU.S.-born players, officially announced his retirementWednesday.

The 41-year-old decided it was time to end his playingcareer after 21 years in the NHL, making the announce-ment on his Facebook page Wednesday, saying: "I'vecome to the decision that it's time to retire as a player fromthe NHL."

Modano confirmed the retirement to ESPNDallas.comshortly after that.

"I think I knew in my heart I was done after last sea-son," Modano said. "I had a harder time coming to gripswith it than I thought I would. Part of me wanted to playit out and see if anybody had called in July. When that did-n't happen, I figured that's pretty much it."

Modano told The Associated Press Wednesday that herecently declined a tryout with the Vancouver Canucks.

"I wasn't working out much. I wasn't skating," he said."There wasn't motivation to do much. I was traveling andat that point, I said, 'Let's pick a day here and get the thingon the calendar.' "

A news conference announcing Modano's retirement isslated for Friday morning at the Ritz-Carlton in Dallas.

Modano leaves as a soon-to-be Hall of Famer, holdingthe mark as the all-time points leader and goal scoreramong U.S.-born players. The Michigan native was draft-ed first overall in 1988 by the Minnesota North Stars and

became the face of hockey in Dallas when the organizationmoved to Texas in 1993.

He played his final home game with the Stars on April8, 2010, scoring the tying and winning goals in an emo-tional game. He considers it one of his greatest memoriesof his hockey career.

Modano said he will do some pre-game work for theNHL Network in the coming weeks and hopes to do moreas the season progresses. He's already slated to be on thepre-game show for a handful of Stars games on FoxSportsSouthwest, and he'd like to work for the Stars' organiza-tion once the ownership situation is resolved.

"Maybe in the PR or marketing side of it," Modanosaid. "I could maybe help talk to sponsors and work ongetting the season tickets back up. When you have a newowner and a new direction and you get the money to dothings, you can help build that support back. I'd like tohelp with that."

Modano wasn't ready to retire last year and signed aone-year deal with the Red Wings. But a wrist injury costhim half of the season and when it was over, he said he hada feeling his career was over.

"I think I'll miss playoff hockey the most," Modanosaid. "There's just no other high than the playoff experi-ence and being in the finals or being in those eliminationgames or knowing the Stanley Cup was in the building. I'llmiss the guys, the locker room, the traveling. It's like asecond family. You did a lot with them and accomplisheda lot with them and you certainly will remember thosegreat memories with those guys."

ESPN.com

Special to The Sports Page Weekly

Quick HitsI had a harder time coming to grips with it than I thought I would. Part of mewanted to play it out and see if anybody had called in July. When that didn'thappen, I figured that's pretty much it.”-Former Stars legend Mike Modano on his decision to retire.

SOURCE: BOARD TO TALK BIG 12'S FUTUREThe Big 12 board of directors are planning to meet in

the coming days and will address the leadership status ofcommissioner Dan Beebe and a way to get the remainingmembers to make a long-term commitment to the confer-ence, a source told ESPN.com.

The source said no decision has been made on Beebe'sstatus at this point. Another source, however, describedBeebe's status as tenuous at best.

A presidential teleconference will take place Thursdayto discuss how to secure longer-term stabilization in theconference, sources told ESPN's Joe Schad.

"The Big 12 is moving toward stabilization," one Big 12athletic director told ESPN Wednesday afternoon.

The teleconference and the board's planned meetingcomes after the Pac-12 decided against expansion Tuesdaynight. The source said the school presidents will discussthe parameters going forward that would create long-termstability, not just a short-term solution after a secondstraight season of enduring potential upheaval.

Before the Pac-12's announcement, The Oklahomanreported that the University of Oklahoma would onlycommit to staying in the Big 12 if the conference addedregulations on ESPN's Longhorn Network and oustedBeebe as commissioner.

According to the Big 12 bylaws, a simple majority voteamong the member schools is needed to oust the commis-

sioner.Beebe received an extension through June 2015 from

the Big 12 in November 2010. University of Missourichancellor Brady Deaton, chairman of the league's boardof directors, said Beebe had been "an outstanding leader"during challenging times.

Beebe received a raise from $661,000 to $997,000 in2009 before the Big 12's first near-breakup, whenColorado joined the Pac-12 and Nebraska jumped to theBig Ten.

Revenue sharing will be a primary topic of conversa-tion, something that according to a Pac-12 source was adeal-breaker in adding Texas because the university hasthe Longhorn Network, run by ESPN, and enjoys a differ-ent revenue-sharing plan in the Big 12. The Pac-12 wasn'tgoing to adjust the equal revenue-sharing plan with its cur-rent 12 members.

Texas president William Powers told reporters in Austinon Wednesday that staying in the Big 12 was the top pri-

ority and was open to a new revenue-sharing plan. Powerssaid that reworking media contracts was a way to createstability.

"There are methods of doing that, including the waymedia deals are structured and we'll be working with ourpartners in the Big 12 and our media partners to structuresomething that has stability," Powers said.

But Texas athletic director DeLoss Dodds says Texasdoesn't want to share the money from its LonghornNetwork, a 20-year, $300 million deal with ESPN.

Expansion also will be on the table for the presidents,the source said, with the three likely candidates -- BYU(independent in football/West Coast Conference in othersports) and Big East schools Louisville and West Virginia.Those were three of the five schools that the Big 12 athlet-ic directors were charged to call when Texas A&Mannounced it was leaving.

The source also said the presidents may at least inquireto see if Texas A&M would be willing to stay under newconditions. That would seem like a reach, based on theAggies' public desire to join the SEC and the SEC's voteto accept the Aggies as a 13th member.

Something similar is occurring in the Mountain West,where the league is seeing if TCU would be willing to stayif the Big East doesn't remain together as a football con-ference.

ESPN.com

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NBA lockout isn'tcramping his style

By Mike FisherF I S [email protected]

Donnie Nelson is behind the wheel of aDodge Charger HEMI with 100,000 mileson it. He reminds me to buckle up, unneces-sary even before the GM of the world cham-pion Dallas Mavericks hoots, “It's a suicidemachine!”

So how did Donnie go from riding in avictory parade to riding in a vehicle morebefitting Bo and Luke Duke? As alwayswith Donnie, there is a story. Read on…

The whirlwind summer of the DallasMavericks has been under-documented, Imight argue, because the labor dispute hascreated a fog of the gorgeous picture and amuzzle on the lovely sound. But there hasbeen beauty-pageant judging and moneyed-sponsorship touring and first-pitch throwingand camera-mug appearing everywherefrom ESPN to CNN.

And then there is the unassuming Nelson,certainly a co-architect of 11X50-to-titlebut perpetually happy one step beyond theklieg light.

“I assume,'' I tell him, “you get that fromyour mother.''

Donnie's two best-known bosses are, ofcourse, his father, the legendary basketballman Don Nelson, and Mark Cuban, thehigh-profile owner of the Mavs. Donnie is asimilarly larger-than-life personality. (Hisgreatest accomplishment, I think, topping alengthy list: Avoiding becoming the humantug-of-war rope between the two power-houses.) But he makes his impact in waysthat don't require cameras. He does it withhandshakes, hugs and hustle.

“I used to tell the guys down in SanAntonio, with all their championships, 'All Iwant is one!''' Donnie says as he carefullyputs the car in gear. “I guess I lied. I wantmore.''

STILL PLENTY TO OCCUPY HIS TIMENelson is prohibited from making con-

tact with any Mavs players, of course, thepenny-wise offshoot of the NBA labor dis-pute. But he's quite likely the most connect-

ed man in basketball - and maybe beyondthat. Many seek his counsel. His businessinterests are extensive. He hasn't an enemy.So he's got plenty of people to talk to andplenty to do.

“I've got to occupy myself somehow,'' hejokes when I mention a 24-hour period lastmonth during which he attended aRoughRiders baseball game, took in anevent at the Mesquite Rodeo, hitched a rideon country singer Danny Griego's 18-wheeler tour bus, met with Mavs coachRick Carlisle, sipped a beer at Gilley's,orchestrated plans for a tryout camp for theD-League Legends team he owns, oversawa Firemen-vs.-Policemen charity basketballgame, packed for a scouting trip to Europeand heard from Bruce Pearl, who decided todecline Donnie's invitation to him to coachthe Texas Legends.

Oh, and Donnie Nelson is a father andhe's mixing in time to do that, too. In fact,he just made an executive decision regard-ing his son, D.J., who is technically theowner of this shiny black race car … eventhough the 17-year-old has yet to actuallydrive the beast.

A MEAN MACHINE “I made a deal with D.J.,'' Donnie says as

he guides the auto down a suburban street.“I told him he could buy a car, and weagreed to a budget. We agreed it had to beused, it had to be American-made, stuff likethat. So he really goes to work on it. He getson Craigslist, finds the car, shows me aphoto - but just a head-on photo, and it waskind of blurry.

“So I arrange for a one-way trip to theOzarks to go get the car. Now, I'm not real-ly a car guy. It doesn't occur to me what wehave here until I'm actually on my way backto Dallas. And man, this car doesn't knowhow to not go 80. You think you're going 20miles-per-hour and you're going 80.

“And you think I'm going to put a 16-,17-year-old boy behind the wheel of thismonster?''

So, if D.J.'s year in high school goeswell, he'll get his car. For now, the kid isdriving Dad's pickup truck. And Donnie isin control of “the suicide machine.''

And in a basketball summer that seemslike it's plodding along at 20 mph, somehowDonnie Nelson keeps speeding along at 80mph.

Follow the Fish on twitter at FishSportsand at www.DallasBasketball.com.

SPORTS TALK WITH MIKE FISHERTHE FISH

Donnie Nelson isn't slowing down at all

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We don't have real pro basket-ball. We do, however, have myTop 10 Fictional BasketballPlayers of All Time

Air Bud - He didn't have oppos-able thumbs. But hey, thatnever stopped Erick Dampier.

Chip Hilton - The boy yourgrandfather wishes your dadcould've been.

Jesus Shuttlesworth - RayAllen can act a little andDenzel Washington can ball alittle.

Saleh - “The Air Up There,'' inwhich Kevin Bacon thinksSaleh is the next DikembeMutombo when in fact he's thenext Moussa Seck.

Teen Wolf - Michael J. Foxplays big. And hairy.

Calvin Cambridge - “LikeMike?'' Like, call ChildProtective Services!

Billy Hoyle - White men canjump. And Rosie Perez is smartenough to play on “Jeopardy.''

Jimmy Chitwood - A dreamworld in which white kids winstate titles and BarbaraHershey can't get a date.

Will Smith - If Bel Air is sowealthy, why can they onlyafford a basketball court that's40 feet long?

Lola Bunny - She made “SpaceJam.'' Basically NancyLieberman with fluffier ears.

spor tspagedfw.com | The Sports Page | September 23-29, 2011 7

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TICKETMAX

West looks won, so time to lookat postseason lineup

By Dic HumphreyCO R R E S PO N D E [email protected]

The Ranger s r e tu rn F r idaynight for the final regular seasonhome games th i s weekend ; athree-game ser ies with Seat t le . Aweek ago, there was concern overmaking the playoffs as Texas helda th ree -game l ead ove r LosAngeles with 13 to play. By themiddle of this week, the divis ionrace was al l but mathematical lywrapped up. The cl inching gamewil l l ikely happen this weekend,i f i t hasn ' t a l ready happened bythe t ime you read this ar t ic le . TheRangers ' a t tent ion now turns todifferent areas .

As for the playoff roster, thes tar t ing ro ta t ion wi l l be shor t -ened to four pi tchers , creat ing anaddi t ional roster spot for a posi-t i on p l aye r. I t ' s poss ib l e , bu tun l ike ly, tha t the bu l lpen ge t sreduced from seven to s ix to cre-ate a 15th posi t ion player rosterspot .

WHO SITS?Select ing the odd man out of

the s tar t ing rotat ion wil l be diffi -cul t , and at this point is anyone 'sguess . All five s tar t ing pi tchershave done we l l , ev idenced byeach hav ing a t l ea s t 13 wins .Based pu re ly on pe r fo rmanceover the en t i r e s eason , Co lbyLewis should be the s tar ter that isnot in the playoff rotat ion. He hasthe highest ERA. There is specu-lat ion that he has been playingthrough a hip injury.

Alexi Ogando is the other mostl ikely candidate to be deleted. Hehas equaled Lewis ' win total andhas an ERA almost a run lower.However, he has s t rugg led fo rmost of the second half af ter hisremarkable fi rs t three months thatlanded him on the All-Star team.Exhaust ion as his innings totalhas mounted to a career high andth rowing mechan ics tha t a r eamiss are blamed for the lesserperformance.

Manager Ron Washington usu-al ly prefers veterans, so he l ikelyop t s fo r Lewis ove r Ogando .However, Lewis was espec ia l lyd i sappo in t ing in h i s s t a r t l a s tSaturday in Seat t le , where he sur-rendered s ix runs in a p i tcherf r i end ly ba l lpa rk . Ogando wasvery good in his las t s tar t .

Idea l ly, C . J . Wi l son s t a r t sGame One . Derek Ho l l and i sclear ly the second best s tar ter a tthis point . He turned in his fi f thconsecut ive qual i ty s tar t Tuesdaynigh t , which dropped h i s ERAbelow 4.00. His rotat ion spot wasdefini te ly in jeopardy when hehad a d i sa s t rous s t a r t aga ins tFlor ida on July 2, throwing 46pi tches and ret i r ing just two bat-ters . Since that date , Holland is9-1 in 14 s tar ts to improve to 15-5 on the season. Matt Harr isonseemingly has re turned to formaf te r ge t t ing sk ipped for ex t rarest ear l ier this month and proba-bly has secured a spot .

The exac t o rde r fo r t heDivis ion Series , though, wil l bedependen t on how much thestar ters are needed over the finalgames of the season, as wel l asmatchups with the opposing team.

The re wi l l de f in i t e ly be asc ramble fo r t he s ix o r s even

bu l lpen spo t s . C lose r Nef t a l iFel iz , setup man Mike Adams andle f thande r Dar ren Ol ive r a reclear ly in . The odd man out of therotat ion l ikely gets another spot .That leaves three bul lpen spotsfor Koji Uehara, Mike Gonzalez,Sco t t Fe ldman , Dar ren O 'Day,Mark Lowe, Yoshi Tatayama andpossibly Michael Kirkman.

CANT KEEP HIM OUTAs fo r t he l i neup , Dav id

Murphy has p layed so wel l inNelson Cruz 's absence that he hasstaked a c la im to a s tar t ing out-fie ld spot , a t least against r ight-handed pi tchers . Josh Hamil tonwi l l s l ide f rom le f t to cen te r,Murphy wil l take over in lef t , andCruz wi l l be in r igh t f i e ld .Against lef t ies , Murphy may s i tin favor of Craig Gentry in centerfie ld with Hamil ton moving backto lef t .

Ano the r i n t e re s t ing dec i s ionwi l l be a t ca t che r. Yorv i tTorrealba throws bet ter than MikeNapoli , while Napol i has a s tar-t l ing catcher 's ERA. Both havehi t wel l , though Napoli has beenthe bet ter hi t ter with more power.When the opponents s tar t a lef t -handed p i t che r, bo th can p l aywith one at catcher, and the othera t DH, wi th Michael Young a tf i r s t . Aga ins t r i gh t i e s , Mi tchMore land p robab ly p l ays f i r s t ,moving Young to DH and withei ther Torrealba or Napol i behindthe plate . Napol i probably getsthe nod as he is hi t t ing .389 s incethe All-Star break.

As for the addi t ional posi t ionplayer that gets added, one possi-b i l i ty i s ca tcher Mat t Treanor,whose inclusion would give theRangers a backup i f both Napol i

and Torrealba play with one atDH. The Rangers would not haveto give up the DH if their catcherwas injured.

The most l ike ly p layoff sce-nar io for Texas is e i ther openingat home against the Red Sox orRays or opening on the road inNew York. The deciding factor isthe be t t e r r eco rd be tween theRangers and Tigers , with a t iego ing to the Tige r s . I f LosAngeles miraculously s l ips pastboth Tampa Bay and Boston forthe Wild Card, New York playsthe Ange l s and Texas p l aysDetroi t .

The Rangers , then, s t i l l haveincent ive to win games even af tercl inching the West as they chaseDetroi t for home fie ld advantage.Both teams had ident ical recordsWednesday morning. This couldput the Rangers in a s t icky posi-t i on nex t week in Anahe im.Assuming the d iv i s ion i s won,they wi l l want to jugg le the i rs ta r t ing ro ta t ion to se t up theop t imum fo r the p layoff s . Bu tthey probably wil l need wins totop Detroi t . Also, i f the Angelsare s t i l l in the Wild Card race,the Rangers wil l need to put theirbest l ineup forward in fai rness tothe other teams chasing that spot .

Texas wil l again fai l to reachthe 3 mi l l ion a t t endance markthis season, but wil l exceed 2.9mil l ion with a good chance ofset t ing a new at tendance record.The team is about 125,000 shorto f t he f r anch i se r eco rd se t i n1997, so i t needs a l i t t le less than42,000 per game this weekend tobreak that record.

See more of Dic Humphrey's TexasRanger notes at www.rangerrap.com.

RANGERSMLB

Rangers begin their planning for playoffs

How to get a dynamic, powerful swing

By Tom WardI N STR U CTO R EXTRAO R D I NAI R [email protected]

This week's tip involves the artistry ofpicking the club off the ground prior toswinging it. Many golfers are guilty ofdragging the clubhead across the surfaceof the grass when they make their back-swing. There is nothing inherently wrongwith that move unless is effects the flowand the swing path of your club. This drillwill help rectify many mistakes thatgolfers make, dealing with everythingfrom takeaway issues to posture problems.

Everyone wants more distance and con-trol on their shots; I highly recommendyou give this drill a try because it embod-ies both elements. I'm not going to lie toyou; the drill is difficult. But if you put insome time the benefits far outweigh theinitial frustration you may encounter.

First, set up over the ball like you'reabout to make a swing. After you havegotten into your stance, bring the clubupward from the ground to about waist-level high, similar to the photo of thegolfer on the left side of the frame. Thekey is to make sure you stay in the sameexact posture as at address. You can't devi-ate from this position because it will affectyour overall chances of making any typeof decent contact with the ball. When theclub is brought up from the ground thegolfer has established the correct spineangle relative to his height. Also, I can'tover-emphasize the importance of keepinggood knee flex in your swing from start tofinish.

PUT YOUR SHOULDERS INTO IT, MANNext, once you've brought your club up

you're ready to make your backswing.Here's where you will come to appreciatethe feeling of how the shoulders work inthe golf swing. Too many times I seegolfers with a rocking (lateral) motion intheir shoulders as they proceed to maketheir backswings. This is commonlycalled “swaying.” This type of motion willnot only throw your swing off balance, itwill also disrupt its flow. That move iswhat causes golfers to come out of theirstance and posture. Your playing partnersmight comment it looked like you liftedyour head. You didn't mean to lift yourhead, but your body actions placed you ina no-win situation because you're battlingthe law of physics.

Instead, once your club is up off theground and your body has maintained itscorrect posture, all you have to do to startback from this position is to let your leftshoulder (for right handed golfers) turnslightly downward toward the. This movecreates a perfect chain reaction in yourswing. When you do this with your leftshoulder instead of your hands pulling theclub back, you've empowered yourselftremendously to make a terrific back-swing. That move will take the hands outof the equation so they can't manipulatethe clubhead.

Once you've placed your hands on theclub, it's time for them to just go for theride and not to be involved in any aspect ofhitting your shot. The motion created bythis outstanding drill will automaticallyplace the club on the correct swing pathwithout any guidance. When you've takenthe hands out of the equation by using thebig muscles of your body to control theclub instead of the small ones, this willmake a big impact on your shots.

WORDS TO THE WISEOnce you've gotten the momentum of

the club going back, all you have to do is

stay in your braced stance and maintainyour posture. Let the laws of centrifugalforce work to your advantage. “ Feel theforce, don't force the feel” is what I tell mystudents.

This is evident when you look at themiddle photo. As you allow the club to goback against your solid foundation, yourflexed right knee will act as a fulcrum andshock absorber to handle all the torqueyou're placing on your body. In essence,you've become a human spring that iswinding up and storing power. It's criticalthat your right leg (for right handedgolfers) remains flexed and braced - notbuckling as you reach the top of yourbackswing. If your right knee/leg straight-ens, this will negate your ability to remainproperly coiled, which translates into apower leakage on the downswing.

Think of a baseball pitcher. As he'swinding up he's pivoting against hisbraced leg to stabilize his balance. Also,he's coiling up to create a powerful chainreaction so his body will unwind in thecorrect sequence and release the ball witha lot of velocity. The principles apply to agolf swing.

Take a good look at the middle photo, asyou can really see the fantastic “windingup” effect the golfer has created. If you

look at all three photos you'll see one cen-tral theme and that is the golfer hasremained bent over from the waist fromthe start of his swing all the way to the topof his backswing. What that translates to ismaximizing the ultimate spring-like effectin your golf swing.

Finally, the photo on the far right is thepayoff. At impact the golfer can unload allthe power he's stored up back into the ball.All your diligent efforts will be hand-somely rewarded with a screaming driveflying down the fairway. Once you'vedone this exercise a few times you'll createa powerful golf swing that will re-energizeyour game. After awhile drop the clubdown a notch, lowering it after each swinguntil you've brought the club all the wayback down to the ground. This will helpyou morph the drill into your actualswing; it's a simple process that requiresvery little effort.

Ultimately, this exercise is going to helpyou create a smooth, dynamic and power-ful swing requiring only a few simplemovements. So give it a try - and whoknows what you might “pick up” nexttime you're out playing, It may be moredistance and control, and a winning edgeover your competitors.

Tom Ward can be reached atwww.TeeTimewithTom.com.

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WITH TOM WARDGOLF

“Pick it up and turn” is a great golf drill

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The “pick it up and turn” drill can add power to your drives.

spor tspagedfw.com | The Sports Page | September 23-29, 2011 9

Notre Dame (-6 .5) at Pit tsburgh

Arkansas at Alabama (-11.5)

Oklahoma State at Texas A&M (-3 .5)

Flor ida State at Clemson (-2)

Missouri at Oklahoma (-22)

LSU (-6) at West Virginia

Oregon (-16) at Ar izona

USC at Ar izona State ( -2 .5)

Houston at New Orleans ( -4)

Miami at Cleveland ( -2 .5)

New England ( -8 .5) at Buffalo

Detroit ( -3 .5) at Minnesota

NY Jets ( -3) at Oakland

Atlanta at Tampa Bay ( -1 .5)

Green Bay ( -3 .5) at Chicago

Pittsburgh ( -10.5) at Indianapol is

DAN MCVICKER

SCOTT BOYTER

THE REDROOT

VANCEGONZALES

ROGEREMRICH

TRAVISPRICE

RK TEAM RECORD1 Oklahoma 2-02 LSU 3-03 Alabama 3-04 Boise State 2-05 Stanford 3-06 Wisconsin 3-07 Oklahoma St. 3-08 Texas A&M 2-09 Florida State 2-110 Oregon 2-111 Arkansas 3-012 Nebraska 3-013 S. Carolina 3-014 Virginia Tech 3-015 Florida 3-016 West Virginia 3-017 South Florida 3-018 Baylor 2-019 Texas 3-020 Michigan 3-021 USC 3-022 Clemson 3-023 TCU 2-124 Illinois 3-025 Georgia Tech 3-0

Pittsburgh

Arkansas

Texas A&M

Florida State

Missouri

LSU

Oregon

USC

Houston

Cleveland

New England

Minnesota

Oakland

Atlanta

Green Bay

Indianapolis

Pittsburgh

Alabama

Oklahoma State

Clemson

Oklahoma

West Virginia

Arizona

Arizona State

Houston

Cleveland

Buffalo

Detroit

Oakland

Tampa Bay

Chicago

Pittsburgh

Notre Dame

Arkansas

Oklahoma State

Florida State

Oklahoma

LSU

Oregon

Arizona State

Houston

Cleveland

New England

Detroit

Oakland

Tampa Bay

Green Bay

Pittsburgh

Notre Dame

Alabama

Texas A&M

Clemson

Oklahoma

LSU

Oregon

Arizona State

New Orleans

Cleveland

New England

Detroit

NY Jets

Tampa Bay

Green Bay

Pittsburgh

Notre Dame

Alabama

Texas A&M

Florida State

Oklahoma

LSU

Oregon

USC

Houston

Miami

Buffalo

Detroit

Oakland

Atlanta

Green Bay

Indianapolis

4-12 9-7 11-5 9-7 9-7 4-1215-16 (.483) 15-16 (.483) 18-13 (.581) 14-17 (.452) 13-18 (.419) 16-15 (.516) RECORD TO DATE

LAST WEEK

GAMES - 9/22- 9/26

Each week, we’ll ask some area mediamembers to put their forecasting skills tothe test. This season, TSPW publisher DanMcVicker, Scott Boyter, editor of TSPW, Themysterious Red Root, TSPW columnist VanceGonzales and Roger Emrich, KRLD-AM Sportsand oilman and former Texas Tech widereceiver Travis Price will pick vs. the line.

25THE SPORTS PAGE WEEKLY’S PIGSKIN PROGNOSTICATORS

TOP

Notre Dame

Arkansas

Oklahoma State

Florida State

Missouri

LSU

Oregon

Arizona State

New Orleans

Miami

New England

Detroit

NY Jets

Atlanta

Green Bay

Indianapolis

10 September 23-29, 2011 | The Sports Page | spor tspagedfw.com

Dallas tries to stay afloat,Washington looks for 3-0

Special toTH E S PO RTS PAG E WE E K LY

The Dal las Cowboys have yet towin a home opener in their newstadium, and could be in for amajor chal lenge to t ry to changethat .

The banged-up Cowboys expectTony Romo to be ava i l ab leMonday night when they host thesurpris ing Washington Redskins .

Dal las (1-1) has opened the fi rs ttwo seasons at Cowboys Stadiumwi th lo s ses to the Gian t s twoyears ago and Chicago las t year.Romo has two touchdowns andfive intercept ions in those games.

The much-maligned former ProBowler was cr i t ic ized af ter twolate cr i t ical turnovers in a season-opening 27-24 loss to the Jets . Hesi lenced some of those detractorsby returning despi te a f racturedrib and evidence of having a col-lapsed lung to ra l ly Dal las to a27-24 ove r t ime win a t SanFrancisco las t Sunday.

Romo was hi t hard on the game'sopening dr ive. He lef t before half-t ime fo r t r ea tmen t and wasrep laced by Jon Ki tna be fo rereturning in the final minute ofthe third quarter, throwing for 201yards in the fourth quarter andovert ime.

I think he 's doing fine," coachJason Gar re t t s a id . "He go tknocked a round a l i t t l e b i t onSunday, but he 's get t ing his rehaband hopeful ly he ' l l be ready toplay for this bal lgame. We' l l takei t day to day, the next few days."

The Cowboys may be forced tosurround Romo with some back-ups. Miles Aust in reaggravated ahams t r ing in ju ry a f t e r t h reetouchdown catches Sunday, run-ning back Fel ix Jones sustained ashoulder injury and s tar t ing cen-ter Phi l Costa re injured his r ightknee.

Redskins cornerback DeAngeloHall is eager for the opportuni tyto add to the pain and discomfortRomo and Jones a l r eady a reenduring.

Abso lu te ly. I wan t t o ge t achance to put my helmet on what-ever 's hurt ," Hal l said. "Romo'sr ibs - - I 'm going to be asking forsome corner b l i tzes . I f I knowFelix Jones ' shoulder 's hurt , I 'mnot going to cut him. I 'm defini te-ly going to t ry to hi t him up high,so that ' s just par t of i t .

"If you know something 's wrongwith an opponent , you ' re going tot ry to ta rge t in on tha t . We ' regoing to t ry to defini te ly get asmany hats on that team as possi-ble ."

Dez Bryant was inact ive againstSan Francisco af ter not pract ic inglast week because of a bruisedthigh.

Garret t refused to be specificabout the extent of the injur iesand is giving his team an extraday off this week to get ready forMonday.

Washington has opened 2-0 forthe f i r s t t ime s ince 2007 . TheRedskins ral l ied from an eight-point defic i t in the final 5:17 for a22-21 win ove r Ar i zona l a s tSunday.

"A year or two, we would havetaken an 'L ' because we d idn ' tknow how to finish," l inebackerBrian Orakpo told the Redskins 'offic ia l websi te . "This year, we ' regrowing as a team, guys are play-ing together. Guys don ' t want togive up on each other, and every-body has each other 's back."

This t r ip to Dal las wil l br ingback some good memories for RexGrossman, who replaced DonovanMcNabb as Redskins s tar ter las tyear for a 33-30 loss Dec. 19.Grossman comple t ed 25 o f 43passes for 322 yards - - his sec-ond-h ighes t ca ree r t o t a l a t t het ime -- and four touchdowns toral ly Washington from a 20-pointdefic i t .

"I t ' s going to feel pret ty s imilarto me," Grossman said. "That wasa pret ty important game for me, asis this ."

The Redskins have lost four oftheir las t five meet ings with theCowboys, and Grossman is exci t -ed about his second s tar t in thisNFC East r ivalry af ter he went 3-1 against Green Bay as a s tar terfor Chicago.

Any t ime you are in a r ivalrygame k ind o f l i ke the Bea r s -Packers , Cowboys-Redskins , i t ' sone of the biggest r ivalr ies in theNFL," Grossman said. "I t ' s a veryimportant game for both teams soi t adds a l i t t le bi t more adrena-l ine, a l i t t le bi t more exci tement ,Monday n igh t foo tba l l , so i t ' sgoing to be a fun day."

Grossman wil l be t rying toavoid DeMarcus Ware, who leadsthe NFL with four sacks af ter thel inebacker led the league with 151/2 in 2010. Ware had two of theCowboys ' five sacks of Grossmanin the las t meet ing.

Da l l a s co rne rback Te renceNewman has yet to see act ion thisyear due to a groin injury.

Washington 's las t 3-0 s tar t wasin 2005, also the las t year i t won aplayoff game.

To be able to get off to a 3-0star t would be huge," Grossmansaid.Stats LLC

LARON LANDRY ANTICIPATES PLAYINGLaRon Landry is ready to be a

beast again.The Washington Redskins safety

sa id Wednesday he an t i c ipa t e sre tu rn ing f rom h i s hams t r inginjury for Monday night ' s gameagainst the Dal las Cowboys.

Don' t calm me down. Let me

go," Landry said. "Un-tame thisbeast , man. I t ' s been a while ."

Landry hasn ' t p layed s ince Nov.15 when his season ended ear lybecause o f an Ach i l l e s t endoninjury. At the t ime, he was havinghis best year and appeared on theverge of becoming one of the topsafet ies in the NFL.

The Achi l les tendon healed dur-ing t ra ining camp, but the fi f th-year veteran pul led his hamstr ingwarming up before the exhibi t iongame aga ins t Ind ianapo l i s onAug. 19.

He had another setback the weekbefore the regular-season opener,but he said the leg now feels com-fortable and ready to go. He plansto tes t i t ful ly Fr iday or Saturdayto make sure , then wil l leave thedec i s ion up to coach MikeShanahan." The only thing I 'm ant ic ipat ingis me playing on Monday night ,"Landry said. "Everything else isout of my control . I can ' t speakfor him. I can ' t rush God. I f i ta in ' t ready, i t a in ' t ready. . . . Ihaven ' t had any hiccups or anysetbacks, so I 'm looking forwardto playing this Monday night ."

Teammates say Landry was sopumped that he was running ful lspeed du r ing the wa lk th roughWednesday morning, to the pointthey had to te l l him to s low down.He was l is ted as l imited for theaf ternoon pract ice , and his s ta tusremains a caut ious "day by day"in Shanahan 's book.

Hopefu l ly he ' l l be r eady, "Shanahan said. "But I thought thatmaybe l a s t week , bu t i t d idn ' twork out that way. You've got tofind out i f somebody's in footbal lshape. I don ' t want to br ing himback too quick."

Landry 's re turn would sol idify adefense tha t ' s a l ready off to agood s ta r t . The Redsk ins (2 -0)lead the NFC East headed into theshowdown aga ins t t he d iv i s ionrival .

"I was ta lking to ( rookie l ine-backe r ) Ryan Ker r igan abou tLaRon the other day and just toldhim the game's going to changewhen LaRon's out there ," corner-back DeAngelo Hal l said. "Justthe intensi ty he br ings, the speedhe br ings, the reckless abandon hebrings to the table is just amaz-ing . You s i t in awe somet imeswatching him while you ' re on thef i e ld . I f he ' s ou t t he re , we ' r ego ing to be tha t much be t t e r,fas ter, cr isper."

ESPN.com

COWBOYSCOVER STORY

Hurt Cowboys take on surprising 'Skins

spor tspagedfw.com | The Sports Page | September 23-29, 2011 11

12 September 23-29, 2011 | The Sports Page | spor tspagedfw.com

Rangers close in on a division title

By Kate DelaneyS PE C IAL CO NTR I BUTO [email protected]

“ Time heals all wounds,”, or so we'vebeen told. The problem is if we are apply-ing this in the physical sense, is thereenough time before Monday night'sCowboy game against the Redskins tohelp Tony Romo? Nothing but praise haspoured in since the quarterback led theDallas to a 27-24 overtime win lastSunday playing with a fractured rib and apunctured lung. All week long the sports talk radio shows

have been speculating on whether Romo'spunctured lung will heal enough for himto take on Washington. The Cowboysaren't releasing too much informationother than to say they'll keep evaluatinghim probably right up to game time. Iwouldn't count Romo out as he answeredthe nay-sayers with a gutsy performancethat earned him the Fed Ex Air NFL

Player of the Week. If Romo does returnlet's hope the offensive line comes togeth-er to give him the protection he'll need.Already he's been sacked five times in thefirst two games and now he can hardlyafford to end up on the ground.

More bad news from the Cowboys' MashUnit on wide receiver Miles Austin, whocould miss two games with a strainedhamstring.

The other wideout, Dez Bryant, is strug-gling with a quad injury and missed lastweek's game. To cover their bases theCowboys re-signed Laurent Robinson anddumped corner Bryan McCann.

Felix Jones, who dislocated his shoulderduring the Week 2 overtime win in SanFrancisco, should be in the line-up but willhe be effective? The Cowboys are strug-gling on the ground and could use somehelp from their starting running back.Needless to say, this season betweeninjuries, new players and less time to pre-pare for the season the Cowboys will beunpredictable. Really, what else is new?

PREPPING FOR THE PLAYOFFS?Meanwhile, just across the road in

Arlington, the Rangers are close to clinch-ing a spot in the playoffs. Let's hope theteam wraps up the division this weekendagainst the Mariners before they have tohead to Los Angeles for a three-gameseries against the Angels. If they are ableto do it, not only would it give the teampiece of mind, but a shot at passing Detroitfor the No. 2 playoff spot and home-fieldadvantage for the AL Division Series.

Winning the West could mean some all-important rest for a few guys to gethealthy, a fact not lost on RonWashington. In his words, “If we clinch,“I'm going to have to get some guys a dayor so off... the most important thing is wehave these guys healthy.”

Not to put the cart before the horse, but“what do you think the postseason startingrotation will look like” was the conversa-tion last night at my poker game. Without a doubt C.J. Wilson will start the

first game. Nobody can touch him as theace in order. Besides, should the series gofive he would be the guy for the decisivegame.

While he has blown a few, I would putDerek Holland in as the No. 2 starter. He'spitched four complete game shutouts andfinally his ERA is starting to shrink sittingcomfortably at 3.25.

Matt Harrison goes three and then yourun into problems, but I'm betting thatColby Lewis, who has had an up and downyear, gets the nod.

What about Alexi Ogando? This is atough one. Out of the gate he was great butsince the All-Star break he is just 3-4 withan ERA closer to 5.25 then the 2.92 hesported in the beginning of the season.

Of course, we can speculate all day longbut first things first - the Rangers have toclinch and see who the opponent will be(probably either the Yankees or the RedSox). And then do they have home-field orare they on the road?

These are questions that should beanswered by this time next week - wehope!

Kate Delaney hosts "America Tonight,"which airs from 11p.m. - 2a.m. on KKGM1630AM.

WITH KATE DELANEYSPORTS SHORTS

Can Romo suck it up for Monday match-up?

13 September 23-29, 2011 | The Sports Page | spor tspagedfw.com

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spor tspagedfw.com | The Sports Page | September 23-29, 2011 14

COLLEGE & NFL GAMES SEPTMEBER - 22-26THE SPREAD

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22COLLEGE FOOTBALL 301 NC STATE7:00PM302 CINCINNATI -7

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23 303 CENTRAL FLORIDA7:00PM304 BYU -3

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 24COLLEGE FOOTBALL 305 COLORADO2:30PM306 OHIO STATE -15

307 TULANE2:30PM308 DUKE -10

309 TOLEDO11:00AM 310 SYRACUSE -2.5

311 UAB2:30PM 312 EAST CAROLINA -12.5

313 UTEP6:00PM 314 SOUTH FLORIDA -29

315 WESTERN MICHIGAN2:30PM 316 ILLINOIS -13

317 OHIO1:00PM 318 RUTGERS -4.5

319 EASTERN MICHIGAN11:00AM 320 PENN STATE -29

321 KANSAS STATE2:30PM322 MIAMI FLORIDA -13

323 SMU -2211:00AM324 MEMPHIS

325 TEMPLE11:30AM 326 MARYLAND -9.5

327 CENTRAL MICHIGAN11:00AM328 MICHIGAN STATE -23.5

329 GEORGIA -9.511:20AM 330 MISSISSIPPI

331 BOWLING GREEN12:00PM 332 MIAMI OHIO -4.5

333 ARMY -41:00PM 334 BALL STATE335 VIRGINIA TECH -20.52:30PM336 MARSHALL337 ARKANSAS2:30PM338 ALABAMA -12

339 CALIFORNIA2:30PM340 WASHINGTON -2341 LSU -67:00PM342 WEST VIRGINIA

343 SAN DIEGO STATE11:00AM344 MICHIGAN -10

345 NORTH CAROLINA11:00AM346 GEORGIA TECH -6.5

347 FLORIDA -19.56:00PM348 KENTUCKY349 NOTRE DAME -6.511:00AM 350 PITTSBURGH

351 FLORIDA STATE2:30PM352 CLEMSON -2

353 NEW MEXICO STATE3:00PM 354 SAN JOSE STATE -10.5

355 FRESNO STATE -3.54:00PM 356 IDAHO

357 CONNECTICUT -95:00PM 358 BUFFALO

359 UCLA2:30PM360 OREGON STATE -4

361 NEVADA6:00PM 362 TEXAS TECH -20

363 VANDERBILT6:00PM364 SOUTH CAROLINA -16

365 LOUISIANA TECH6:00PM366 MISSISSIPPI STATE -20

367 RICE6:00PM 368 BAYLOR -20.5

369 SOUTHERN MISS2:30PM 370 VIRGINIA -3

371 OKLAHOMA STATE2:30PM372 TEXAS A&M -4

373 NEBRASKA -23.56:30PM374 WYOMING

375 MISSOURI7:00PM376 OKLAHOMA -21

377 COLORADO STATE7:00PM 378 UTAH STATE -9

379 TULSA7:00PM380 BOISE STATE -29.5

381 OREGON -169:15PM382 ARIZONA

383 USC9:15PM384 ARIZONA STATE -2.5

385 FLORIDA ATLANTIC6:00PM386 AUBURN -33.5

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 25 NFL FOOTBALL395 SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS12:00PM 40.5396 CINCINNATI BENGALS -2.5

397 NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS -8.512:00PM 53398 BUFFALO BILLS

399 HOUSTON TEXANS12:00PM 53400 NEW ORLEANS SAINTS -4

401 NEW YORK GIANTS NL12:00PM 402 PHILADELPHIA EAGLES

403 MIAMI DOLPHINS12:00PM 41404 CLEVELAND BROWNS -2.5

405 DENVER BRONCOS12:00PM 42406 TENNESSEE TITANS -7

407 DETROIT LIONS -3.512:00PM 45408 MINNESOTA VIKINGS

409 JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS12:00PM 43410 CAROLINA PANTHERS -3.5411 KANSAS CITY CHIEFS3:05PM 45412 SAN DIEGO CHARGERS -14.5413 NEW YORK JETS -33:05PM 41414 OAKLAND RAIDERS415 BALTIMORE RAVENS -43:05PM 41.5416 ST. LOUIS RAMS417 ATLANTA FALCONS3:15PM 45.5418 TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS -1.5419 ARIZONA CARDINALS -33:15PM 43420 SEATTLE SEAHAWKS421 GREEN BAY PACKERS -3.53:15PM 46422 CHICAGO BEARS423 PITTSBURGH STEELERS -10.57:25PM 39.5424 INDIANAPOLIS COLTSMONDAY, SEPTEMBER 26NFL FOOTBALL 425 WASHINGTON REDSKINS NL7:35PM 426 DALLAS COWBOYS

OPEN CLOSE SCORE OPEN CLOSE SCORE OPEN CLOSE SCORE OPEN CLOSE SCORE

Lines as of Wednesday, Sept. 21.

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Tiebreaker (Final score)17. Indianapolis Colts at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

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spor tspagedfw.com | The Sports Page | September 23-29, 2011 P1

TICKET WINDOWMichael Lombardi talks with The Musers

A much better feeling after Week 2

Dunham & MillerWeekdays, 5:30-10 a.m.

NFL Network's Michael Lombardi onwith the Musers Tuesday morning. Here'ssome of how it went.

George: It's a lot better around theseparts after the heartbreak against the Jetsin Week 1. Sunday was one of TonyRomo's good games despite the fact thathe was fighting through injuries…

Lombardi: It's a painful injury, and toplay the way he played and to protecthimself really defines a courageous play-

er. He had the look in him that sometimeshe doesn't always have. That commit-ment to just be great, and that's the key tothe Cowboys' success. Often times,teams that are in transition are in transi-tion because their quarterback is gone.Now the Cowboys are in transition, butthey still have their quarterback, whichmeans they still have a chance to win.

Craig: How do you think they aregoing to weather the next three gamesagainst good opponents like Washington,Detroit, and New England with all theirmounting injuries?

Lombardi: Weathering the stormwould be relative in terms of winningone of the three. I think it's going to betough to beat a good New England teamwith a really beat-up secondary. A lot ofthe burden will be on Demarcus Wareand his ability to create pressure and rushthe passer.

George: There's a little bit of panicaround here because the Cowboyshaven't been able to run the football realwell. Some of that is their opponents,don't you think?

Lombardi: I think the 49ers are waymore physical than the Cowboys upfront. They gave the Cowboys a beatingup front. I hate to keep using the word'transition,' but the Cowboy offensiveline is in transition, and they aren't wherethey need to be yet. They've got too manyyoung players trying to play together,and it's going to be very difficult to runthe ball effectively against teams. TheCowboys don't have a running back thatthey can feature. Felix Jones has ability,but he doesn't have durability.

Craig: Your pick to win the NFC East,the Redskins, are out of the gate 2-0 andcurrently in first place in the division.That's the next opponent for theCowboys, how do these two teams matchup?

Lombardi: The secondary for theCowboys is going to struggle. AnthonyArmstrong has become a very talentedbig play receiver. The Redskins can runthe ball. Mike Shanahan knows how torun the football. I think the challenge isgoing to be the front of the Redskins.Can the Cowboys protect Romo with

Kerrigan coming off one side andOrakpo coming off the other side? Canthey make plays in the passing game?People are going to double Witten, sothey'll have to make plays somewhereelse. Can Dez Bryant play? Can he con-tribute, and focus, and know the playconsistently over 65 plays? Dez Bryant isa talent at receiver, but I'm not sure he's atalented receiver yet.

Craig: There are three other non-tra-ditional playoff teams that are off to 2-0starts in Houston, Buffalo, and Detroit. Isone of those three really legit, and isthere one that you kind of expect to fade?

Lombardi: I think Buffalo is not anoverly talented team. They are slow ondefense and they don't tackle real well.The Bills try hard and play hard, but atthe end of the day I don't expect Buffaloto be there at the end. I think Houstonhas a chance to be there at the end, andit's going to be interesting to see howthey play against the good teams. I thinkDetroit is for real. They're really good atquarterback, and their defensive line cantake over the game.

spor tspagedfw.com | The Sports Page | September 23-29, 2011 18

LAKE LEWISVILLELAKE RAY HUBBARD

GRAND OPENINGMONDAY SEPT. 26 The Hardline LIVE

9/26, 3-7p.m. Happy Hour M-F 2 p.m.-10 p.m.,

Sat/Sun 11 a.m.-7 p.m.

Poke's Neighborhood Grill14831 Midway Rd.

Addison, Texas75001

972.385.7653http://www.pokesbar.com

spor tspagedfw.com | The Sports Page | September 23-29, 2011 19

COLLEGEALL COLLEGE GAMESDraft Media Sports Lounge400 N. Olive St., Dallas214-777-6524

White Rock Sports Bar & Grill718 N. Buckner Blvd. #108, Dallas214-321-6979

Arkansas1601 N. Central Expressway,Richardson972.690.4867

BaylorBig Al's McKinney Avenue Tavern2822 McKinney Avenue, Dallas214-969-1984

Humperdinks6050 Greenville Ave, Dallas214.368.6597

Florida StateBlackFinn4440 Belt Line Road., Addison469-374-7667

KansasBig Al's McKinney Avenue Tavern2822 McKinney Avenue, Dallas214-969-1984

Michigan StateBlackFinn4440 Belt Line Road., Addison469-374-7667

LSUHumperdinks6050 Greenville Ave, Dallas214.368.6597

Humperdinks3820 Beltline Road, Addison972.484.3051

Humperdinks1601 N. Central Expressway,Richardson972.690.4867

Humperdinks700 Six Flags Drive, Arlington817.640.8553

Mississippi State

Humperdinks6050 GreenvilleAve, Dallas214.368.6597

Humperdinks1601 N. CentralExpressway,Richardson972.690.4867

NebraskaHumperdinks700 Six Flags Drive,

Arlington817.640.8553

Ohio StateBig Al's McKinney Avenue Tavern2822 McKinney Avenue, Dallas214-969-1984

BlackFinn4440 Belt Line Road., Addison469-374-7667

OklahomaBig Al's McKinney Avenue Tavern2822 McKinney Avenue, Dallas214-969-1984

Humperdinks6050 Greenville Ave, Dallas214.368.6597

Humperdinks3820 Beltline Road, Addison972.484.3051

Humperdinks2208 W. NW Highway, Dallas214.358.4159

Humperdinks1601 N. Central Expressway,Richardson972.690.4867

Humperdinks700 Six Flags Drive, Arlington817.640.8553

Jake’s5505 Belt Line Rd., Dallas972.503.5253www.jakesburger.net

Jake’s2702 McKinney Avenue, Dallas214.754.8001www.jakesburgers.net

PurdueBlackFinn4440 Belt Line Road., Addison469-374-7667

SMUHumperdinks

6050 Greenville Ave, Dallas214.368.6597

South FloridaBlackFinn4440 Belt Line Road., Addison469-374-7667

TexasDraft Picks Sports Bar & Grill703 McKinney Avenue Suite 101,Dallas972.993.3636

Humperdinks6050 Greenville Ave, Dallas,214.368.6597

Humperdinks1601 N. Central Expressway,Richardson972.690.4867

Reetz Pub & Grub1411 E Campbell Road, Richardson 972-437-6216reetzpubandgrub.com

St Pete's Dancing Marlin2730 Commerce Street, Dallas214.698.1511

Jake’s5505 Belt Line Rd., Dallas972.503.5253www.jakesburger.net

Jake’s2702 McKinney Avenue, Dallas214.754.8001www.jakesburgers.net

Jake’s515 Main Street, Ft. Worthwww.jakesburgers.net

Jake’s6333 Camp Bowie Blvd, Ft. Worthwww.jakesburgers.net

TCUHumperdinks6050 Greenville Ave, Dallas214.368.6597

Humperdinks1601 N. Central Expressway,Richardson972.690.4867Jake’s515 Main Street, Ft. Worthwww.jakesburgers.net

Jake’s6333 Camp Bowie Blvd, Ft. Worthwww.jakesburgers.net

Texas A&MEnd Zone Sports Bar & Grill3033 W Parker Road, Plano 972-867-3400

Humperdinks6050 Greenville Ave, Dallas214.368.6597

Reetz Pub & Grub1411 E Campbell Road, Richardson 972-437-6216reetzpubandgrub.com

Texas TechEnd Zone Sports Bar & Grill3033 W Parker Road, Plano 972-867-3400

Humperdinks6050 Greenville Ave, Dallas214.368.6597

The Office18020 N. Dallas Parkway, Dallas972.250.4400

St. Pete's Dancing Marlin2730 Commerce Street, Dallas214.698.1511

Jakes5505 Belt Line Rd., Dallas972.503.5253www.jakesburger.net

Jake’s2702 McKinney Avenue, Dallas214.754.8001www.jakesburgers.net

Jake’s515 Main Street, Ft. Worthwww.jakesburgers.net

Jake’s6333 Camp Bowie Blvd, Ft. Worthwww.jakesburgers.net

Reetz Pub & Grub1411 E Campbell Road, Richardson 972-437-6216reetzpubandgrub.com

West VirginiaThe Office18020 N. Dallas Parkway, Dallas972.250.4400

NFLALL NFL GAMESDraft Media Sports Lounge400 N. Olive St., Dallas214-777-6524

St. Pete’s Dancing Marlin2730 Commerce St., Dallas214-698-1511

White Rock Sports Bar & Grill718 N. Buckner Blvd. #108, Dallas214-321-6979

Chicago BearsBig Al's McKinney Avenue Tavern2822 McKinney Avenue, Dallas214-969-1984

Dallas CowboysBig Al's McKinney Avenue Tavern2822 McKinney Avenue, Dallas214-969-1984

Draft Picks Sports Bar & Grill703 McKinney Avenue Suite 101,Dallas972.993.3636

End Zone Sports Bar & Grill3033 W Parker Road, Plano 972-867-3400

Humperdinks6050 Greenville Ave, Dallas214.368.6597

Humperdinks3820 Beltline Road, Addison972.484.3051

Humperdinks2208 W. NW Highway, Dallas214.358.4159

Humperdinks1601 N. Central Expressway,Richardson972.690.4867

Humperdinks700 Six Flags Drive, Arlington817.640.8553

Jake’s5505 Belt Line Rd., Dallas972.503.5253www.jakesburger.net

Jake’s2702 McKinney Avenue, Dallas214.754.8001www.jakesburgers.net

Jake’s515 Main Street, Ft. Worthwww.jakesburgers.net

Jake’s6333 Camp Bowie Blvd, Ft. Worthwww.jakesburgers.net

St Pete's Dancing Marlin2730 Commerce Street, Dallas214.698.1511

Kansas City ChiefsThe Office18020 N. Dallas Parkway, Dallas972.250.4400

Miami DolphinsBig Al's McKinney Avenue Tavern2822 McKinney Avenue, Dallas214-969-1984

New Orleans SaintsBig Al's McKinney Avenue Tavern2822 McKinney Avenue, Dallas214-969-1984

W H E R E T O W A T C H Y O U RF A V O R I T E T E A M

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tHEon

tHE

1003 Collins St., Arlington

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20 September 23-29, 2011 | The Sports Page | spor tspagedfw.com