Dallas Mavericks Preseason: Luka Doncic Learning in Abu Dhabi?

It's a special, spicy weekend featuring Dallas Mavericks-Minnesota Timberwolves, Dallas Cowboys-San Francisco 49ers, Texas-Oklahoma, Texas Rangers-Baltimore Orioles and Life-Death, all in this week's DFW sports notebook.

WHITT'S END 10.6.23:

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

*Welcome to War Weekend! Actually I just made that up and it’s kinda – re: very – silly. Nonetheless, it’s a special weekend in DFW where our teams and games feel downright spicy.

It’s Cowboys-49ers. It’s Texas-OU. It’s Rangers-Orioles. It’s … Mavs-Timberwolves?

A preview of the relevant rivalries:

*Mavs vs. Timberwolves:

I know, it pales in comparison to the other games but Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving are indeed on the court together playing practice games in Abu Dhabi. Luka scored 25 points in 17 minutes of Thursday’s preseason opener and – most importantly – drew zero technical fouls. Small steps.

*Cowboys vs. 49ers:

It’s rare that an October game is more important for the Cowboys than their opponent, but Sunday night’s game at San Francisco feels crucial to Dallas. For the standings, sure. But more so for the psyche.

Dak Prescott bristled earlier this week when the media dared to bring up the playoff losses to the 49ers that ended the Cowboys’ last two seasons. And coach Mike McCarthy is attempting to downplay the prime-time showdown.

“This is not walking down the street and getting in a fight with a guy and then every time you turn the corner you’re looking for him,” he said. “This is about winning the game. This is about winning the next game.”

Maybe … But if the Cowboys are to realistically consider themselves a Super Bowl contender they have to prove to the NFL – and themselves – that they can beat a 49ers team that has outright bullied them the last two Januarys.

In the 2021 playoffs, Dallas was driving for a potential game-winning touchdown when Prescott inadvertently ran – er, slid – the clock out. In the 2022 playoffs, Dak had possession for a late tying score but meekly went three-and-out.

In eight quarters and 21 possessions of playoff football against San Francisco’s defense, Prescott has managed only three touchdowns and 29 points.

“Go back and turn on that tape,” he says. “I wasn’t my best in either of those games, and wasn’t close to it.”

Prescott needs help. For a Cowboys defense to do its thing and create short fields via takeaways. And for a running game to take pressure off him to be Superman.

In the two playoff losses, the Cowboys have been outgained on the ground by the Niners, 282-153.

Dak and McCarthy might not want to admit it, but this one is much more important for the Cowboys than the Niners. Said owner Jerry Jones, “It’s substantive.”

*Texas vs. OU:

Every meeting is weighty when you’re playing a team you despise so much you work it into your fight song. But this year’s Red River Rivalry Saturday at the Cotton Bowl is probably the most vital in 15 years.

For the first time since 2008 both Texas and Oklahoma enter the game 5-0. Each boasts a Top 5 defense, and has legit national championship aspirations. It’s the most unique annual sporting event in DFW, and last year the State Fair of Texas drew a record 207,000 visitors on game day.

How close is this series? Since 1955 it’s 33-33-3.

(Aside: Which entity is totally asleep at the wheel and leaving millions of dollars on the table by not landing a naming rights sponsor for the Cotton Bowl? The actual Cotton Bowl game long ago moved to Arlington, so organizers aren’t beholden to the name. And what corporation – Dr Pepper Stadium, anyone? – wouldn’t want the 92,000 fans, almost quarter of a million on the fairgrounds and millions more watching on TV Saturday to see its name attached to this classic? For a city with budgetary shortcomings, Dallas is fumbling away a windfall of revenue.)

Luka Doncic scoring more and whining less this season for Mavs? / Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

*Hot.

*Not.

*Rangers vs. Orioles:

The Rangers made the playoffs for the first time since 2016 despite an epically horrendous bullpen that produced the worst save percentage by a postseason team since the stat became official in 1969. Then they showed us in Tampa how to win by avoiding said bullpen: Build a big enough lead that it doesn’t matter.

Backed by splendid starts from Jordan Montgomery and Nathan Eovaldi, Texas surprisingly “swept” its Wild Card series against the Rays by a combined 11-1, taking leads of 4-0 and 7-1 in the 9th inning. (Another aside: Why do we watch sports? Because on April 3, you might have thought a Rangers’ playoff win would be started by Jacob deGrom. On August 3, you might have guessed Max Scherzer. But only on October 3, would you have believed it would be Montgomery.)

Starting Saturday, they face the Baltimore Orioles in a shocking American League Divisional Series pitting teams that just two years ago were a combined 100 games under .500 (112-212).

Corey Seager, Adolis Garcia, Evan Carter and the streaky Rangers are impossible to predict. But here’s betting that if they duplicate their 2007 historic feat at Baltimore’s Camden Yards, they at least won’t get swept. Anyone else remember the night they trailed 3-0 after three innings and then … scored 30 unanswered runs?!

*Ticket vs. Fan:

The Ticket’s stranglehold on the local sports talk radio ratings continues, just with a slightly looser grip. With the onset of football season combined with a baseball playoff chase, The Fan (home of the Cowboys and Rangers) closed some gaps in the key demographic of Men 25-54 in the “Summer book” covering July-August-September. Bottom line: The Ticket is still winning, but for The Fan the score is more respectable.

Morning: Ticket 11.5, Fan 5.6

Midday: Ticket 7.9, Fan 7.1

Afternoon: Ticket 10.1, Fan 7.1

Overall: Ticket 9.9, Fan 6.7

*Life vs. Death:

Manifestation and the power of positive thinking took one in the kisser recently when Aaron Rodgers confidently boasted that his Jets would win the Super Bowl simply by him “putting it out there in the universe” and then … suffered a season-ending injury on his fourth snap. Look, if manifestation was a thing we’d all win the Lottery, broccoli would taste like chocolate, scrolling Tik Tok would produce six-pack abs and good people like Mark Friedman and Paul Wills wouldn’t die before they were supposed to.

I knew Paul for 30 years. He was a golf buddy. A gambling partner. A regular guest on my old Fan radio show as “Paul the Pompous Brit.” I bought his house, then rented it back to him when both our lives took surprising turns. He was a quick-witted, sharp-tongued virtuoso who loved European Ryder Cup wins, Indian food, toggling between various alcoholic nectars, and his beloved Manchester City football side. He was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, and passed away within a week.

Friedo was one of the smartest, most well-connected people in DFW radio. He launched his career in 1994 co-hosting a Fantasy Football show with Gil Brandt on KLIF, was Norm Hitzges’ long-time sidekick on The Ticket and hosted his own show on old 103.3 ESPN. In the last few years, he dove into producing podcasts, his church and helping the Special Olympics in Collin County.

In Aug. 2020 he somehow dodged COVID, but suffered from double pneumonia and mysterious heart and kidney failure that forced him to be put in a medically induced coma for six weeks. After four long months he was taken off his ventilator, survived a tracheostomy and left the hospital. He lost an absurd amount of weight that transformed his appearance. He had to re-learn how to walk, and talk. He was never really the same, and passed away last Monday.

Said Friedo in recently recounting his harrowing tale, “Don’t take anything for granted because life can change … in an instant.”

Paul was 63; Friedo 55.

I miss them dearly. Already. Forever.

*This Weekend? Friday let’s watch Bishop Briggs at House of Blues. Saturday let’s watch Texas-OU at the Cotton Bowl. Sunday let’s watch Cowboys-49ers on our couch. As always, don’t be a stranger.

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