Lean Luka: Mavs' Star Fueling Slovenia With Fewer Pounds, More Passion?

Mavs' leaner Luka Doncic, Cowboys' Jerry Jones vs. Jimmy Johnson endures, Rangers' bullpen blow-ups, and an international taste test, all in this week's DFW sports notebook.

WHITT'S END 8.25.23:

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

*Two things to watch for as the FIBA World Cup tips-off this weekend in Japan: 1. Look at Luka Doncic’s slim, trim body, as the Dallas Mavericks’ star has dedicated this offseason to improving his fitness with a trainer and a travelling nutritionist; 2. Watch the passion and sheer joy he plays with on his Slovenian team, compared to a regular-season game with the Mavs. Understandable, yet drastic.

*As a guy who has been reading between Jerry Jones’ lines since 1989, let me translate Wednesday’s eyebrow-raising announcement at The Star in Frisco: The owner – who is a committee of one – is not going to let Jimmy Johnson into the Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor before he puts in, yep, Jerry Jones.

Jerry, who will induct slam-dunk DeMarcus Ware in November, promised on national TV in 2021 that the former coach would be enshrined.

Asked a bemused Jimmy, “While I’m still alive?!”

It was all a joke, until it wasn’t funny. Now it’s petty, awkward and beyond uncomfortable.

Explains Jerry of Jimmy’s elongated wait: “He’s the youngest 80-year-old you’ll ever meet. I’m right behind him. This thing doesn’t run on an age meter. As a matter of fact, I’d go the other way if I thought somebody was accusing us of trying to beat the clock. I’m not gonna let the old man in. … I’m talking about myself.”

For a long time we figured the ugliest pock marks on Jerry’s Hall-of-Fame resume would be the Cowboys’ current 27-year Super Bowl drought and his greed-fueled divorce with Johnson in 1994. But now? It just might be his also greed-fueled decision to lock the door on the second-greatest coach in franchise history.

*On June 6, the Texas Rangers won to improve to 40-20. Since then – including Thursday night’s 7-5 gut-punch loss to the Twins in Minnesota – they have gone 32-35. Despite the active seven-game losing streak, this isn’t a sudden choke job by a team feeling the pressure of an AL West race. It’s merely a club playing sub-.500 baseball for almost 12 weeks finally getting caught from behind by the Houston Astros and Seattle Mariners. Same ol’, same ol’. Bullpen blowups. They had a 4-1 lead early and a 5-4 edge late. But after only six pitches in the 8th inning by reliever Jason Sborz the game was tied, and two pitches afterward by closer Will Smith and, poof, down by two runs. Said Rangers’ TV analyst Mark McLemore after the loss, “I’m starting to get a little concerned. The bullpen just isn’t getting the job done.”

*Celebrated my third anniversary with Big Brothers Big Sisters lil’ bro Ja this week. Dude loves him some Fanta orange, so I brought back the Barcelona version for a little taste test. Let’s just say he’s not anxious to visit Spain any time soon.

My ⁦@BBBSGREATERDAL⁩ lil’ bro Ja loves him some ⁦@fanta⁩, so I brought him back the Barcelona, Spain version of Fanta “Naranja.” How’d the taste test go? 🤣 pic.twitter.com/plkvVokAnK

— Richie Whitt (@richiewhitt) August 21, 2023

*Hard to fathom, but the Cowboys are worth $2 billion more than any other franchise in the NFL. In a league founded on parity and revenue-sharing, that’s insanely out of whack. Say what you will about Jerry (and we do, see above), but he’s built a Cowboys’ brand that is wholly independent and immune from the team’s performance. Says NBC lead NFL analyst Cris Collinsworth, “No question the Cowboys have one of the top rosters in the league, one that can win a Super Bowl. But you know no matter what – win or lose – they’re always going to be interesting. And that’s because of Jerry Jones.”

*Hot.

*Not.

*Harder to fathom, but it’s way more dangerous to get in a car driven by Cowboys’ defensive end Sam Williams than it is to get on a plane flown by Dallas receiver Brandin Cooks. The team claims it did its due diligence on Williams, but the guy is building quite the record: Arrested for sexual battery in college; injured and ticketed after a crash while driving 100 in a 55mph zone (then lying about it) in 2022; and now an arrest for possession of drugs and a gun. At what point do the Cowboys treat the hiccups like a habit?

*Fool me once, shame on JaVale McGee. Fool me twice, shame on the Mavs. McGee has played for eight teams over 18 seasons in the NBA. He’s always been a gifted 7-foot freak of an athlete. He’s never, however, been a skilled, refined basketball player. The Mavs have been tricked by his talent twice, in 2016 and 2023. Their reward for the risk? They cut him this week, still owing him $11.7 million.

*Went to my first Rangers game of the season last Friday night. They lost, and haven’t won since. But don’t blame me. The losing streak started the game before my attendance. On a related note, lots of orange jerseys littered the crowd that night at Globe Life Field. Could it be Astros fans? No. Turns out it was leftovers from “Oklahoma State Night.” Horrible look. Way too similar to your arch rival.

*Had lunch with ol’ pal Wally Lynn last weekend in Deep Ellum. He’s back in Dallas, happily enjoying semi-retirement. In other words, he’s a lonnnnnnng way from the homeless guy who just five years ago was sleeping under a bench in the dugout of a youth baseball field in McKinney. Proud of him.

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*Not if – but when – Tony Pollard suffers an injury this season (he’s not built to be an every-down back), let me know who you wished the Cowboys had in their backfield: Rico Dowdle, Malik Davis or 2021 NFL rushing champ Jonathan Taylor? Claims Jerry, “I am very comfortable where we are with our backs right now. I feel good about our running back position if we didn’t add anybody.” Deuce Vaughn is undoubtedly a change-of-pace asset, but … ohhhhhhkaaaaaaaay.

*Two guys who think the Cowboys will play in Super Bowl LVIII next February: Jim Nantz and Rob Gronkowski.

*Explain to me again why 30-something professional football players who prepare year-round, go through OTAs, minicamps and training camp need three preseason games, but 18-year-old college players need none at all.

*New England Patriots’ rookie Christian Gonzalez grew up in The Colony with posters of Ezekiel Elliott on his wall and says it’s a “dream” to play with his childhood idol in Foxboro. Um, Gonzalez is 21; Zeke only 28. That “idol” age gap is not sufficient, sorry.

*Good news: Michael Irvin is returning to TV. God-awful news: It’s with Skip Bayless.

*Given a choice between watching the Little League World Series and a WNBA game, I’m choosing … walking the dog. And I don’t even have a dog.

*I’m not ready to prematurely label Cowboys’ first-round pick Mazi Smith a bust, but on a couple plays in Seattle last weekend he was thrown around like a 340-pound rag doll. While coach Mike McCarthy glowingly called free agent DeMarvion Overshown “the star of training camp”, he says of Smith: “You look at the way he graded out, there were some plays that he’ll definitely learn from. You got to remember, he’s still a first-year player. I think when you look at his overall camp, I think he’s had a good to solid camp. He’s like all the rookies, he needs to play, he needs time on task, and I would definitely put him in that category.” Not exactly a ringing endorsement now, is it?

*This Weekend? Friday let’s get a sneak peek at the State Fair of Texas. Saturday let’s watch Cowboys-Raiders. Sunday let’s play afternoon tennis (for one of the last times in 2023, because football). As always, don’t be a stranger.

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