Cowboys Loss at Canton? History Says Playoffs Are Next

Whether you’re at the end of your coffee, your day, your week or even your rope, welcome to Whitt’s End … 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 …WHITT'S END: 8.6.21

*Need a silver (and blue) lining to take from Thursday night’s snoozefest of a Dallas Cowboys’ 16-3 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers? The Cowboys lost the Hall of Fame Game, which – according to their history – means they’re going to the playoffs. 

Dallas is now 3-4 all-time in Canton. In the three seasons they won, no playoffs. The three seasons they lost (1968, 1979 and 1999) ended with a playoff berth. Definitely a stretch. But potentially a harbinger.

*Let me guess, old Dallas Mavericks management left new Dallas Mavericks management with gag gift bag filled with … dry powder? After countless frustrating summers swinging and missing on the NBA’s biggest free agents, the Mavs this summer are at it again. Where general manager Donnie Nelson, star Dirk Nowitzki and a slew of head coaches inexplicably failed to lure primo players to Dallas, so too floundering are new general manager Nico Harrison, star Luka Doncic and head coach Jason Kidd. 

Where are Harrison’s extensive Nike player connections? 

Where are the stars desperate to play with Luka? 

Where is Kidd’s Hall-of-Fame influence? 

Heading into this week’s NBA free agency the Mavs were linked to … Kawhi Leonard, Kyle Lowry, John Collins, DeMar DeRozan, Mike Conley, Richaun Holmes, Kemba Walker and Spencer Dinwiddie. End result? The Mavs promoted Michael Finley to assistant GM, re-signed Tim Hardaway Jr., signed Reggie Bullock and Sterling Brown, and traded Josh Richardson (who cost them Seth Curry last summer) for 7-foot-2 project Moses Brown. 

In other words, they are no better today than when they walked off the court after losing Game 7 to the Los Angeles Clippers two months ago. Different band, signing the same, sad song.

*This week – Aug. 4, to be exact – was the 28th anniversary of 46-year-old Texas Rangers pitcher Nolan Ryan putting Robin Ventura in a headlock and going to town on his noggin’. Iconic moment, no doubt. But there are Rangers fans – the majority of them, sadly – who cherish this date but cannot pinpoint the exact day their team clinched a division title or won the game that advanced it to the World Series.

READ MORE: Steelers 16, Cowboys 3

*Unconventional proof that you don’t have to be successful to be profitable, I present to you the NFC East. In Forbes’ 2021 sports franchise valuations, the division dominated the NFL’s finances with all four teams in the Top 10 despite not producing a single winning record in 2020. The Cowboys – the league’s most valuable franchise 15 years running – are worth $6.5 billion, followed by the New York Giants (No. 3, $4.85), Washington Football Team (No. 5, $4.2) and Philadelphia Eagles (No. 9, $3.8). 

Jerry Jones has his critics, but in 1989 the man bought the Cowboys and Texas Stadium for $140 million. 

Not a bad little ROI of 4,542% over 32 years.

*I’ve dabbled in tennis and marathons and Spartan Races and in 2019 I completed a Tough Mudder. Next adventure? High-school buddy of mine has tricked me into “rucking”. It’s a military-style endurance event based upon walking lonnnnng distances in between grueling exercises, all while being yelled at by a cadre. Oh, and carrying a 35-pound weight in your rucksack. Went rucking for a couple hours this week at 5 p.m. in Lakewood and came home drenched in sweat to see that the Tokyo Olympics were considering trimming the women’s golf event to 54 holes because of “extreme heat conditions” with heat indexes nearing 100 degrees. 

How do I say this as politely as possible? G.T.F.O.H.

*Is it more comforting or troubling that the Luka we saw with the Mavs is the same Luka we saw playing for Slovenia in the Olympics? The 22-year-old dominates games with his vision, passing and uncanny ability to slow-motion bull his way to any rim against any defender. But he also – whether in Dallas or Tokyo – is one of the biggest whiners on the planet. 

Counseled multiple times by former head coach Rick Carlisle to channel his energy into his game and not the referees, Doncic in the Olympics picked up a technical foul in every game. And after Slovenia’s heartbreaking, one-point loss to France in the semifinals he was asked to explain the game and responded repeatedly with “FIBA happened,” insinuating that the game was somehow “fixed” by officials. 

Oh by the way, he averaged a 24-point, 10-assist, 10-rebound triple-double in the event.

*I fully expected it from Deion Sanders. But et tu, Jason Garrett? The former Cowboys coach this week stunned members of the Giants’ media by demanding they refer to him as merely “coach.” When a writer said “It’s good to finally see you in person, Jason”, Garrett responded that “We say ‘Good to see you, coach.’ That’s how we do it.” 

No, not really. Unless, that is, you want to start referring to every other human being not by name but only by their profession. "Coach'' is no more an occupation that commands respect than plumber or scientist or teacher or, sure enough, writer.

Hopefully, Garrett meant that everybody greet each other warmly, not that he be "titled.''

*Hot.

*Not.

*It’s all criticism and catcalls … until you see HBO’s official trailer for Hard Knocks. Then, it’s chills. The series spotlighting Cowboys’ camp launches Tuesday night.

*Bad news: The Rangers have 53 games remaining in this forgettable 2021 season. Good news: Only 238 days until they host the New York Yankees in Globe Life Field on Opening Day 2022.

READ MORE: Jerry Jones Confirms Jimmy Johnson Going Into Ring of Honor

*Latest reminder why – like any other group – throwing a blanket of support over the police is a bad idea. Fight breaks out in Dallas. Cops show up to keep the peace, but one officer winds up pushing a man on the ground and repeatedly punching him in the face. Back The Blue? Not blindly, no.

*NBC’s Peter King visited five NFL training camps last week and came away most impressed by one rookie. 

He writes: “I expect Micah Parsons to start opening day and play the Mike linebacker role and play big.”

*The internet’s first website went live 30 years ago. Prepare to be underwhelmed, it’s still up today.

*Wait, why is Emmitt Smith hawking his personal memorabilia on eBay? Is it a negative? No. Turns out one of Emmitt’s businesses developed some really cool software and the majority of proceeds from the sales will benefit his charity.

We've known Emmitt for a long time. We should've known from the start this was a positive.

*Are the Harlem Globetrotters still a thing? Loved ’em as a kid, but haven’t thought about them in years. They’re performing at American Airlines Center Aug. 14. This “Spread Game Tour” promises to be a “joint collaboration with award-winning Broadway professionals.” Color me skeptical.

*Why do bicycles built for boys have that extra bar? You know, the one that smashes your junk if you are forced to hop off and down too quickly. Not that hitting that bar between their legs would feel wonderful to girls, but seems like bike builders got it backward. And don’t tell me the bar isn’t on girls’ bikes because it makes it easier for them to climb onto the seat. You’re not telling me that, are you? Dangit!

*RANGERS RISK: We all think the Texas Rangers are going to be putrid this season. Our lil’ roundtable revealed predicted win totals of anywhere between 61 and 78, but no one thinks .500 is plausible. Let’s put our money where our mouth is. I’m going to bet a virtual $100 against the Rangers every game this season and, after six months and 162 games, see where I wind up. I’ll keep a running tab right there each Friday and come September I’ll (wink) disperse my profits to my most loyal readers. RECORD: 39-70 TOTAL: +$1,385.

*Toldja here last week we should be worried about Dak Prescott’s sore shoulder. Though the Cowboys immediately said it was no biggie and listed the quarterback as day-to-day, head coach Mike McCarthy now admits the team took a “step back” with his treatment. When Prescott returns, will he be on some sort of a pitch count? 

For what it’s worth, the injury is to a muscle under Prescott’s armpit is more common in baseball pitchers and the Cowboys’ medical staff this week reached out to the Rangers for advice on a treatment plan.

*This Weekend? Friday is for a trip to the DFW Golf Show at Dallas’ Market Hall. Saturday is for tennis and then hanging out by the pool with friends. Sunday is for visiting Mom on her 80th birthday. As always, don’t be a stranger.