Mavs Food For Thought: A Leaner Luka Doncic; Our Bill Russell & Vin Scully

Our Russell and Scully, Mavs' skinny Luka, Cowboys' high "Barr", a Rangers' "revival" and the law of consequences, all that and more in this week's DFW sports notebook.

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

*Bill Russell won 11 NBA championships with the Boston Celtics. Vin Scully was behind the microphone for the Los Angeles Dodgers so long (67 years) that the first run he described was scored by Jackie Robinson.

In DFW, we have nothing approaching either of these two icons that passed away this week. Nor do any other sports cities.

Our closest thing to Russell: Gotta be Roger Staubach. Granted the 80-year-old only won two Super Bowls, but he never threw a pass for anyone other than the Dallas Cowboys and is the elder statesman of local sports who helped bring a Super Bowl to North Texas.

But let’s be honest, to match Russell’s success (11 rings) and loyalty (all 963 NBA games with Boston) and versatility (coached the Celtics for three seasons) and media presence (analyst for CBS, ABC and TBS) and civil rights activism (Presidential Medal of Freedom), DFW would have to combine Staubach, Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith, Michael Irvin, Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Kidd and John Wiley Price.

Our closest match to Scully: How about "Eric Brad Sham Nadel''? Both Sham (who started with the Cowboys in 1976) and Nadel (1979 with the Texas Rangers) have long been the signature voices of their franchises. 

Combine them and - I bet they'll agree - we might have something approaching Scully, who not only called his first Dodgers game in Brooklyn in 1950, but was also CBS’ play-by-play voice of “The Catch” in 1982.

*If the NBA was like the NFL when it comes to tampering, the investigation into the New York Knicks’ signing of free agent Jalen Brunson might be interesting for Dallas Mavericks fans. Alas, it isn’t. And it won’t be. 

While the NFL docked the Miami Dolphins two high draft picks and levied a fine/suspension against their owner, we all know how the NBA’s investigation into the Knicks will turn out: Air. Ball.

*It was a year ago during Hall-of-Fame weekend in Canton – on national TV, no less – that Jerry Jones promised to put Jimmy Johnson in the Cowboys’ Ring of Honor. 

Quipped Jimmy, “While I’m alive?!” 

The punchline has been replaced by a gut punch. Jimmy still isn’t in, and Jerry recently shrugged at a potential timeline. Now one man is accusing the other of “sniveling.” The other is denying sulking, while being understandably flabbergasted at the delay. 

It’d be funny, if it weren’t so sad. 

The greatest owner-coach couple in DFW history is still embroiled in a divorce/reconciliation that’s going on 30 years. My take: Jerry thought he’d win multiple Super Bowls without Jimmy. He hasn’t, and – although he’s admitted fault in the break-up – can’t stomach giving oxygen to long-time critics claiming the only three championships of his ownership “belong” to Jimmy. 

It’s ego. It’s credit. It’s stubbornness. At this point, it’s pathetic.

*The Texas Rangers’ home at Globe Life Field shouldn’t feature a retractable roof, but more so a revival tent. The only team in Major League Baseball that refuses to even acknowledge Pride Month is now putting religious advertising on the back of its pitching mound in Arlington. Separation of church and state … and sports? (To be fair, the St. Louis Cardinals are also running ads for the He Gets Us website that is launching a $100 million campaign.) 

But the Rangers’ desired demographic rings loud and clear: They cater to fans who are heterosexual and Christian. Diversity and inclusion are merely foul balls. 

Considering their imploding bullpen, however, maybe handing the ball to Jesus isn't such a bad idea after all. Jesus take the ... mound?

Rangers are either announcing details of their weirdest deadline trade ever, or ... putting religious advertising on their pitching mound? #StraightUpTX pic.twitter.com/NuE2YIsFqm

— Richie Whitt (@richiewhitt) August 3, 2022

*All I ever needed to know about life I learned in 1979 from Duncanville High School basketball coach James Cagle. The treasured, timeless lesson: Consequences.

At the time my idols were – don’t judge – Bjorn Borg and Ted Nugent. The only thing I wanted more than long, flowing hair was to play basketball. Unfortunately, coach Cagle notified me in no uncertain terms that the two didn’t jive.

When I initially balked at cutting my hair during freshman tryouts, he explained: “I’m not going to make you cut your hair. You can keep it as long as you want. Grow it down the middle of your back. But … you cannot have long hair and play on my basketball team.”

Freedom of choice? Yep. Consequences for my actions? You betcha.

More than 40 years after grudgingly trimming my locks and playing on a Cagle-coached team that won a district championship, I’m reminded of that lesson constantly. 

This week, for example, in the cases of Britney Griner and Alex Jones.

The right-wing media mouthpiece constantly spread lies about the Sandy Hook shooting being fake and labeled the families involved not victims, but rather actors. A jury in Houston awarded one of the families $4 million from Jones for their mental anguish.

Can Jones say what he wants to play to his followers? Yes, but not without you-know-what.

Meanwhile in Moscow, WNBA star Britney Griner was sentenced to nine years in prison for smuggling drugs into Russia. She admits to having the drugs in her luggage, but blames it on packing in a rush and “I didn’t mean to break the law.”

Next time you get pulled over for speeding try those two: “I was in a hurry” and/or “Oopsie.”

Can Griner be sloppy in entering a country long known for its inherent dangers, human-rights violations and unprovoked invasions? Sure. Can Jones spew preposterous lies and unfounded conspiracies about families suffering unimaginable tragedies? Of course.

But, eventually … consequences.

*Hot.

*Not.

*Truth be told, the Cowboys probably would have traded James Washington for Anthony Barr. 

While the injury to the receiver certainly dents an already depleted receiving corps at training camp in Oxnard, Barr is a four-time Pro Bowl linebacker being reunited with his former defensive coordinator in Minnesota, now-Cowboys linebackers coach George Edwards. Dallas expects similar production from Barr as it does from Leighton Vander Esch. 

Out of Washington, it anticipated a receiver who by season’s end would likely be buried behind CeeDee Lamb, a healthy Michael Gallup and a blossoming Jalen Tolbert.

*Glass half-empty Texan: It’s been 100+ degrees for 30 straight days! Glass half-full Texan: Gas prices have decreased for 50 straight days!

*Speaking of Cowboys linebackers, Jaylon Smith remains a free agent. Ring a bell?

*Instant karma, on steroids. Guy in Dallas this week shot a woman in the neck then … died when the bullet somehow ricocheted out of her body and back into him. Boomerang bullet.

*Speaking of Cowboys receivers, Odell Beckham Jr. may be the best available free agent but he’s suggesting Dallas sign one of its own former stars to take up the slack left by Washington’s injury and the departures of Amari Cooper and Cedrick Wilson. 

No, not 48-year-old Terrell Owens. 

But how about 33-year-old Dez Bryant?

*Wait, what’s the correct saying: The grass – is or isn’t – always greener on the other side of the fence? I feel like I’ve heard ’em both, though one feels sarcastic and the other like a warning.

*When you put a cotton swab on the end of a tiny stick to clean out your ear, where’s the Q in Q-tip come from? Can’t be something as simple as “quality” can it? Dangit.

*Can it be any sort of a successful season if you get swept by the Baltimore Orioles? The Rangers went 0-6 against the long-time laughingstock this season. Things have so deteriorated that their flagship TV network got excited Wednesday when the Rangers simply got a single base-runner. Embarrassing.

.@josh_smith8 gets on base 👏👏👏@Rangers | #StraightUpTX | 📺: BSSW pic.twitter.com/iG5Umu6GJg

— Bally Sports Southwest (@BallySportsSW) August 3, 2022

*Apparently you can rent your pool to strangers, by the hour. Swimply is genius, and quite popular in DFW.

*If Luka Doncic gets off to a slow start next season we won’t be able to blame his conditioning. Then: Pudgy. Now: Skinny?!

*Things I don’t get: Coffee. Dogs. Naps. Fishing. Insurance deductibles.

*The best TV character since Seinfeld’s “Cosmo Kramer” is What We Do In The Shadows’ 300-year-old vampire “Laszlo Cravensworth.”

*Good idea: Mavs trading for LeBron James. 

Bad idea: Mark Cuban building a Jurassic Park in Texas. Um, that place already exists. Perhaps the owner should visit Glen Rose. I mean, it features authentic prehistoric footprints and is literally called Dinosaur Valley State Park.

*There’s a silver, er, dusty lining to our sweltering summer. A massive swath of dust from Africa – called “Saharan Dust” – has settled over the Caribbean and is preventing hurricanes from forming. Although at this rate, we might welcome rain even from a Category 2 storm.

*Juxtaposed Jerry. On winning: “I need to win a Super Bowl, now. I don’t have time to have a bad time. 

On trading for a receiver: “No urgency.”

*Why does our great state have any homeless, hungry or – for that matter – potholes? Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar said last week that our “general revenue-related funds” – i.e. budget – will by November have a surplus of almost $30 billion. With a b. That includes almost $14 billion in a “Rainy Day Fund”, created in 1988 and annually bloated by oil and gas excess revenue. I guess a state-wide drought isn’t technically a “rainy day,” but surely we can think of something to spend that money on. 

Like, I dunno, start with enhanced security at schools to prevent another Uvalde. Work our down to potholes?

*This Weekend? Friday let’s play some outdoor tennis before heading to indoor happy hour. Saturday let’s go bowling with Big Brothers Big Sisters lil’ Bro Ja. Sunday let’s visit dear ol’ Mom on her 81st birthday. As always, don’t be a stranger.