The Bullpen

Classic Cowboys Stadium Saturday Quadrupleheader

Friday's Games

Denton Ryan                 38

Arlington Heights       13     F

Raiders advance to play El Paso Chapin - Saturday - 730 - Midland

Texas Tech bound Ryan QB Scotty Young has 48 TD passes

Denton Guyer               42

Mansfield Legacy        21    F

Guyer advances to play Abilene Cooper - Saturday - 2pm - Abilene

Guyer junior QB J.W. Walsh has 20 TD runs, 24 TD passes

Arlington                   70

Odessa                        42   F

Colts advance to play Coppell - Saturday - 1pm - Birdville Stadium

Texas A&M bound Arlington QB Matt Joeckel has 33 TD passes in 9 games

Tyler John Tyler       53

Lake Highlands         46    F

Tyler features dual threat QB Jeremy Johnson, an SMU recruit

South Garland           24

Belton                         14     F

Colonels advance to play Klein - Friday - 4pm - Waco

South Garland's John Lacour approaches a 1000 yard rushing season

Carrollton Newman Smith   49

Dallas Carter                          27    F

Trojans advance to play Longview - Saturday - 2pm - Corsicana

Newman Smith's Randall Joyner has rushed for 1312 yards and 19 TDs

Highland Park            56

Bill Jones - http://twitter.com/cbsdollarbill

TICKETS TO HISTORIC 2010 NBA ALL-STAR GAME ON SALE NOV.17

– Baseline Plaza Tickets Provide Fans Opportunity to be Part of the
Record-Breaking Crowd in Cowboys Stadium on Feb. 14 –

NEW YORK -- EMBARGOED - Nov. 16, 2009 – NBA fans will have the opportunity to reserve their place as part of the largest crowd ever to witness a basketball game when an additional round of  tickets go on sale Tuesday, Nov. 17, at 11 a.m. ET (10 a.m. CT) for the 2010 NBA All-Star Game. Baseline Plaza tickets for the historic game, which will be played before a crowd of more than 80,000 at Cowboys Stadium, will be $30.

A limited number of standing-room-only Baseline Plaza tickets for the 2010 NBA All-Star Game will be available at Ticketmaster.com, Ticketmaster outlets, the American Airlines Center, Cowboys Stadium, or by calling 800-4-NBA-TIX.

“The 2010 NBA All-Star Game will be a special kind of experience for NBA fans,” said Executive Vice President, NBA Events and Attractions, Ski Austin. “Through the hard work and cooperation of the Dallas Mavericks and the Dallas Cowboys, we are able to offer fans the opportunity to say that they were part of one of the most historic events in NBA history.”

The Baseline Plaza was created to accommodate additional fans following the extraordinary fan response through pre-sales and the initial general public sale. The additional three levels located at either end of the stadium will provide fans a special setting to experience the sights, sounds and energy of the 2010 NBA All-Star Game.

The largest crowd ever to watch an NBA All-Star Game was in 1989 when the Western Conference posted a 143-134 victory at the Houston Astrodome in front of 44,735 fans.

About NBA All-Star 2010
NBA All-Star 2010 in Dallas will bring together some of the most talented and passionate players in the league’s history for a global celebration of the game. Among the many events that will reach fans in more than 200 countries and territories in more than 40 languages are the T-Mobile Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam, NBA All-Star Celebrity Game, and NBA All-Star Jam Session presented by adidas.  American Airlines Center will host All-Star Saturday Night, featuring the Sprite Slam Dunk contest, Foot Locker Three-Point Shootout, Taco Bell Skills Challenge, and Haier Shooting Stars.  The 59th NBA All-Star Game will be played on Sunday, Feb. 14 at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, before an expected crowd of more than 80,000 – the largest group ever to witness a live basketball game.  TNT will televise the All-Star Game for an eighth consecutive year, marking Turner Sports' 25th season of All-Star coverage.  This will be the second NBA All-Star in Dallas.  The city also hosted the event in 1986.

Next Week's Matchups

Class 5A - Division I

Martin vs. Odessa Permian - 1 - Sat - Abilene

Plano vs. Trinity - 5 - Sat -Cowboys Stadium

Arlington vs. Odessa - 730 - Fri - Odessa

Coppell vs. Plano East - 11 - Sat - Cowboys Stadium

Skyline vs. DeSoto - 6 - Sat - SMU

Garland vs. Tyler Lee - 2 - Sat - Corsicana

Class 5A - Division II

Cedar Hill vs. Marcus - 2 - Sat - Cowboys Stadium

Bowie vs. EP Montwood - 1 - Sat - Odessa

Carroll vs. Allen - 8 - Sat - Cowboys Stadium

Tyler John Tyler at Lake Highlands - 730 - Fri

South Garland vs. Belton - 730 - Fri - Waco

Class 4A - Division I

Ryan vs. Arlington Heights - 6 - Thur - Cowboys Stadium

Guyer vs. Mansfield Legacy - 7 - Thur - Birdville

Newman Smith vs. Carter - 730 - Fri - Irving

Highland Park vs. South Oak Cliff - 730 - Fri - Kincaide Stadium

Waxahachie vs. Texarkana - 730 - Fri - Royce City

Class 4A - Division II

Lake Dallas vs. Everman - 730 - Fri - Bedford

Aledo vs. Stephenville - 730 - Fri - Cowboys Stadium

Denison vs. Conrad - 730 - Fri - Mesquite Hanby

Corsicana vs. Marshall - 730 - Fri - Tyler

Frisco Liberty vs. Lincoln - 730 - Fri - Mesquite Memorial

Class 3A - Division I

Prosper vs. Alvarado - 730 - Fri - Grand Prairie

Lovejoy vs. Liberty Eylau - 730 - Fri - Hallsville

Argyle vs. Lake Worth - 730 - Thur - Justin

Farmersville vs. Pleasant Grove - 730 - Fri - Mt. Pleasant

Celina vs. Kennedale - 730 - Fri - Justin

Class 5A

Arlington Bowie 42 Richland 30

Arlington Martin 50 Haltom 6

South Garland 31 Richardson 7

Class 4A

Denton Ryan 48 Saginaw 7 

Denton Guyer 59 Saginaw Boswell 28

Stephenville 62 FW Poly 17

Dallas Lincoln 28 Dallas Adamson 20

Class 3A

Argyle 52 Paris 14

Friday, November 13

Class 5A

Abilene 42 Arlington Lamar 10

Plano 28 Duncanville 17

Arlington 38 Burleson 12

DeSoto 40 Bryan 0

Garland 38 Richardson Berkner 16

Cedar Hill 31 Plano West 22

Dallas Skyline 38 Rowlett 0 

Lake Highlands 49 North Garland 22

                (Tape Delayed – 11pm – TXA 21)

Belton 45 Mesquite Horn 38 - 2ot

Class 4A

FW Arlington Heights 20 Arlington Seguin 13 - ot

Mansfield Legacy 42 FW Eastern Hills 21

Newman Smith 56 Sherman 35

Dallas Carter 30 Dallas Samuell 19

Highland Park 56 McKinney 38

South Oak Cliff 35 Woodrow Wilson 21

Waxahachie 35 Forney 12

Lake Dallas 35 Birdville 27

Everman 57 FW Dunbar 6

Aledo 41 Little Elm 7

Denison 61 Richardson Pearce 28

Dallas Conrad 24 Dallas Pinkston 19

Corsicana 32 West Mesquite 21

Frisco Liberty 49 Rockwall Heath 35

The Bowling Crew

Focusing on the D.  Again and Again and Again.

That’s what the Mavericks are doing.  So much so that they’re almost blowing off great shooting nights like Saturday’s in which they shot a season-high 62% against Toronto. 

Dirk Nowitzki didn’t spend too much time on it.  He credited it to the Raptors lethargy citing the fact they were playing on the second night of a back to back and the Mavericks had two days off.

The Mavericks didn’t shoot the ball particularly well in the games prior to Saturday.  They were averaging right around 41.6%, a little lower than what they would like.  

While they want that to improve they don’t want it to compromise their defensive focus.  “As our offense gets better, we don't want to take steps defensively back,” Nowitzki said.  “You know our defense was pretty solid the first couple of games.  We want to keep the defensive intensity at the same level and just get better offensively.  We don't want to trade defense for offense.”

Don’t focus on how Josh Howard shoots the ball.

“I think when someone comes back from injury you don't look at how he shoots the ball.  You look at how he's moving, how he's attacking,” Nowitzki said Monday.  “To me, he did both of those things and he looked pretty good (against Toronto).” 

Howard made his first appearance of the season Saturday night, finishing with 16 points (13 in the first half), three steals, two assists and four rebounds.

New Look Rockets Look Pretty Good

The Rockets have impressed the heck out of a lot of people with their 4-2 start despite not having Yao Ming or Tracy McGrady.  New forward Trevor Ariza has integrated wonderfully and is their leading scorer, putting up 20 points a game.  Head coach Rick Adelman has his team playing at a high level that has surprised a lot of people.

That’s not lost on the Big German.   “They're pretty impressive, I got to admit,” Nowitzki conceded.  “He’s (Adelman) got the boys playing hard, attacking, rim running, shooting the ball well. I think Ariza really fits in well with them, kind of long, moving on the go shooting the three's, driving. They're a tough team.”

D Harp’s Optimism

“If they stay healthy, they’re going to be tough to beat.”

That’s what Derek Harper kept saying over and over after Saturday’s game between the Mavericks and Raptors, in which Dallas beat Toronto 129-101.  He thinks they can hang with the elite teams: the Lakers, the Cavs of the NBA. 

I might not go quite that far, yet, but the Mavericks depth combined with their renewed commitment to defense has been impressive.

Rick Carlisle’s Dedication 

I was uber-impressed with your Mavericks head coach last week.  He, along with Billy Joe Dupree, Robert Newhouse, Preston Pearson, Kurt Busch, yours truly and a slew of others, participated in Sam Hornish Jr’s bowling tournament last Thursday night in Grapevine that benefited Speedway Children’s Charities.  The event raised $101,480 for SCC.

Why was Carlisle’s presence such a big deal?   The Mavericks had lost, in overtime, to the Hornets the night before.  Granted a flight back to Dallas from New Orleans isn’t that tough but it’s still one that lands after midnight.

Carlisle showed up (with his own bowling ball, mind you!) and bowled three games that went well after 10:30pm and then had a 30-minute drive home.  He could have easily blown the event off, citing the fact he was tired, had to work or just flat out didn’t want to go.  But he didn’t.  He stayed.  He bowled (pretty well) and he made some local fans quite happy.

And Speaking of Nascar and Texas Motor Speedway

A big shoutout to TMS President and CEO Eddie Gossage and his staff.   They are simply the best.  We worked with them quite a bit leading up to the race and they are professional, pleasant and wonderful to work with.  Broadcast Media Relations Manager Dawn Gardin helped Tracy Kornet and me with a story at the TMS spa (betcha didn’t know they had one!).  She also helped coordinate our TXA21 broadcast from TMS on Friday night.  This was in addition to fielding requests from dozens of media outlets from across the region.  Not an easy task but one that lesser talented and professional pr staffs would be complaining about from start to finish. 

Thanks again for a fun race season in North Texas.

Gina Miller

twitter.com/thatsportsgirl

The Cowboys are sending a message to the ladies out there, come learn about football Tuesday at Cowboys Stadium. 

Check out information for Cowboys Football 101.

ESPN College GameDay will make its first-ever visit to TCU and Fort Worth Saturday when the fourth-ranked Horned Frogs host No. 14 Utah. Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. at Amon G. Carter Stadium.

ESPN's popular show, featuring hosts Chris Fowler, Lee Corso, Kirk Herbstreit and Desmond Howard, will set up in the Campus Commons. Air time is 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.

TCU will be playing at the site of GameDay for the second time in four weeks. GameDay was in Provo, Utah, on Oct. 24 when TCU defeated BYU 38-7.

With GameDay's visit to Air Force this past weekend, this will be the third time in four weeks the show has taken place at a Mountain West Conference member.

TCU 55, San Diego State 12

Team Notes

*TCU (9-0, 5-0) has won 11 in a row. The Horned Frogs have their longest winning streak since a 13-game run over the final 10 contests in 2005 and the opening three games in 2006. At the time, it was the nation's longest winning streak.

*The Horned Frogs are 9-0 for the first time since 2003, when they won their opening 10 games. TCU is 9-0 for the second time since its 1938 national championship season and the sixth time in its history.

*In its last four games, TCU has outscored its opponents 178-25 while allowing just two touchdowns.

*The Horned Frogs improved to 60-1 under head coach Gary Patterson when allowing 17 points or less.

*TCU has not allowed its opponent to enter the red zone in the last 10 quarters.

*The TCU senior class picked up their 39th win, tying them for third in most victories over a four-year period at TCU. The record is 41 wins by last year's senior class (2005-08).

*TCU was plus-4 in turnover margin. Since 2005, the Horned Frogs are 43-1 when ahead (31-1) or even (12-0) in that category. The Horned Frogs were on the plus side in turnover margin for just the second time this season.

*TCU had 312 yards rushing to top 300 yards on the ground in consecutive games for the first time since 2000 (LaDainian Tomlinson's senior season), when the Frogs totaled 313 yards versus UTEP (Nov. 18) and 307 at SMU (Nov. 24). The Frogs ran for 390 yards last week against UNLV.

*TCU had 551 yards of total offense. It's the first time since 2006 (624 vs. San Diego State, 606 vs. Colorado State) the Horned Frogs have topped 500 yards in total offense in back-to-back games.

*Since 2005, the Horned Frogs are 23-1 in day games and 44-4 when playing on a Saturday.

*TCU opened with a lead of at least 10-0 for the fifth time this season and 16th time in its last 22 contests.

*The Horned Frogs led at halftime (31-6) for the eighth time in nine games this season.

*TCU scored in its 212th consecutive game, the third-longest current streak in the nation and 14th-longest all-time.

*The TCU swimming and diving team, in competition in San Diego, was in attendance.

Individual Notes

*Andy Dalton had two touchdown passes, the sixth time in the last seven games he threw for at least two scores.

*Dalton's 13- and 7-yard first half touchdown runs marked his first rushing scores of the season. He now has 15 in his career. He had eight rushing touchdowns last year.

*With 44 yards rushing, Dalton went over the 1,000 mark for his career. He's now at 1,003 yards.

*Dalton extended his streak of pass attempts without an interception to 111, a new career best. His previous long streak of 108 was set last season. Dalton's last interception was on Oct. 10 at Air Force.

*Ryan Christian had 106 yards receiving on three catches, including touchdowns of 44 and 29 yards. It was the first two receiving scores of Christian's career and his first 100-yard receiving game. His 106 yards receiving surpassed the 57 yards he had on nine catches for the season entering the game. Christian's 44-yard touchdown reception was the longest catch of his career. Two of the three-longest receptions of his career came Saturday. He had a 33-yard grab in the first quarter.

*Bart Johnson had a 5-yard reception to extend his team-best streak to 18 consecutive games with at least one catch.

*Cornerback Greg McCoy and tailback Ed Wesley made their first collegiate starts. McCoy started in place of Rafael Priest (injury). Priest's streak of 47 consecutive starts, representing every game in his collegiate career, came to an end. It was tied for the nation's second-longest current streak of consecutive starts.

*Tyler Luttrell made his fourth start of the year, and first since Sept. 26 at Clemson, at strong safety, replacing Colin Jones (injury) in the lineup. Luttrell's second-quarter interception marked his first career pick.

*McCoy had a third-quarter pick for his second career interception.

*Wesley's 5-yard first-quarter touchdown carry was his third rushing score on the year.

*Joseph Turner's 4-yard third-quarter scoring run was his team-high ninth touchdown of the season. He has 27 career rushing touchdowns, one shy of tying Jim Swink (1954-56) for fifth on TCU's career list. Swink was the runner-up for the 1955 Heisman Trophy.

*Ross Evans had a season-long 48-yard field goal and a 25-yard effort. He is 11-of-12 on the season and 27-of-32 in his career.

*Matthew Tucker's 30-yard third-quarter scoring run was his fourth rushing touchdown of the season.

*Daryl Washington led the Horned Frog defense with eight tackles.

Here are the CoSIDA//ESPN Academic All-District honorees from our region:

QB - Sam Bradford - Oklahoma - 3.94 - Finance - OKC Putnam North HS

OL - Adam Ulatoski - Texas - 3.53 - MA/Adv - Southlake Carroll

OL - Mitch Enright - SMU - 3.90 - MBA/Business - Southlake Carroll

WR - Bart Johnson - TCU - Marketing - Brownwood

DL - Sam Acho - Texas - 3.62 - Honors Business - Dallas St. Mark's

DL - Jason Lamb - Baylor - 3.32 - Management - Richardson

LB - Joe Pawelek - Baylor - 3.71 - Finance - Smithson Valley

DB - Cody Davis - Texas Tech - 3.61 - Business - Stephenville

P - Derek Epperson - Baylor - 3.47 - Management - Keller

Bill Jones - http://twitter.com/cbsdollarbill

From the “I Don’t Have a Life Department”:  

The Mavericks are 28^th in the NBA field goal shooting percentage, hitting just 41% of their shots, yet have won their last two games.  What’s been impressive is what they’re doing defensively to opponents, holding them to around 43% shooting.  Take out the Wizards game, one in which Dallas admittedly didn’t show up, and the Mavericks have held their last two opponents, the Lakers and Clippers to just 41% from the field.

“I’m mindful of not overreacting to a 3-game set of stat data,” warned Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle.

True enough, but at least the Mavericks have shown they can play the kind of defense they’ve told us their capable of playing.   They still want that to improve and they definitely need those shots to start falling.  Everyone I spoke with said it’s just a matter of time before they do.  They’re just hoping it’s sooner rather than later.

It’s the Difference

This stunned me.  The 4-0 Celtics look great.  Just how great you ask? They’re beating opponents by an average of just over 19 points per game!  Talk about playing defense, they’re limiting opponents to around 81 points a game.  The Mavericks, by comparison, are beating opponents by four points per game.

Back to Backs are Beautiful

You hear it time and again that back to back games on the road in the NBA are just one of the toughest tests in pro sports.  Not according to the Mavericks.  Guard Jason Terry loves them.  “I love back to backs because that means there’s no practice,” he told me on Monday.

JJ Barea concurred, “You don’t have to practice in the mornings, you get a good breakfast and you get to sleep in.”

Dallas has 20 this season.  They swept the Lakers and Clippers in their first one of the season.  They have another set coming up Tuesday and Wednesday against the Jazz and Hornets, respectively.

Let’s just see if they feel the same way about them in March.

Gina Miller

twitter.com/thatsportsgirl