Whitt's End: 4.8.11
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*So Nuggets coach George Karl wants some of the Mavs, huh? "If we had to pick and choose, we would probably say 55 percent Dallas and 45 percent Oklahoma City," he says of his preferred playoff opponent. "Only because Oklahoma City is athletic like we are and they have two great players," he told ESPN radio. Honestly, I don't blame him one bit. The Nuggets used their superior athleticism and speed to win three of four over Dallas this season and whipped them, 4-1, in the second round of the playoffs in 2009. I can't help but wonder know things would be different if the Mavericks hadn't lost their second-best player -- Caron Butler -- on New Year's Day. Take away any team's No. 2 and there will be a significant drop-off. Right, Miami Heat?
*After beating Colorado last night in their home finale, your Dallas Stars aren't dead. Yet. They've won three straight and yet with two games left they need some help. Can't help but think back to this gut-wrenching loss. Sorry.
*While the Rangers are off to a 6-0 start, the Boston Red Sox are 0-6 and have been outscored 38-16. Two things to keep us from pronouncing them the Dead Sox: 1. There are 156 games over six months remaining; 2. In 2007, the Mavs started 0-4 and finished an NBA-best 67-15. In other words, it's early.
*Sad day in radio. Jagger has been a fixture in this area for decades, but this was his last show as the morning host on 105.3 The Fan. Dude is a class act, very professional to the end. Come Monday, The Fan's sportsier mornings will be manned by New School with Shan and RJ.
*Tiger Woods meanders to a 1-under 71 in the opening round of The Masters. He trails leaders Rory McIroy and Alvaro Quiros by six shots. Six. Yet this morning the ESPN headline blares "Tiger in Contention!" Not that Tiger is out of the tournament by any means, but "in contention" seems a little bit pander-ish, doesn't it? It is, in fact, the reason a lot of folks root against him.
*Hot.
*Not.
*Keep seeing Southern Cal offensive tackle Tyron Smith pegged to the Cowboys with the No. 9 pick in numerous NFL mock drafts. Dallas hasn't drafted an OL in the first round since way back in 1981 with Howard Richards. Smith is a beast, but he makes me wonder what happened to previous to-the-Cowboys-trendy-pick Nebraska cornerback Prince Amukamara. He'll be at Valley Ranch for a visit next week, so maybe we'll ask him.
*I'm very conflicted. Don't like her Tea Party-ish politico views, but I really enjoy the view of Elisabeth Hasselbeck.
*Derrick Rose of the Chicago Bulls is having an MVP season. I won't argue that. But nobody carries the ball like him when dribbling. Saw one of his signature moves against the Celtics last night, and this just in: You can't -- legally, anyway -- take the ball in your left hand and move it from your left hip to outside your right foot on a cross-over. It's been a subtle, slow progression from "shuffling feet" traveling to "breaking ankles" highlghts, but I betcha old guards like Bob Cousy and even Derek Harper don't recognize the game these days.
*Had this discussion on the radio the other day: If given $1 million post-tax, could you comfortably retire? I suck at math and money, but my feeling is that of course you could. Keep a modest lifestyle, yeah. You couldn't pay off your house and buy one for mom and Jaguars for all your kids, etc. But it's doable, right?
*Good to see former Florida coach Urban Meyer spending so much time with his family. I honestly didn't realize he was related to Mack Brown.
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