There will be no Breakfast Crumbs on the table Thursday and Friday because your faithful blogger is taking a mini-vacation. We'll return on Monday.
(If you're wondering what adventurous sports writers do on their time off, this one is going to a family reunion. The in-laws' family reunion. Exciting, huh?)
The big hope is that the place we're staying has Versus so I can watch Stars-Red Wings.
-- David Thomas
Notes and thoughts compiled at the breakfast table ...
* Marty Turco's 0-7-2 record in Detroit really must be a huge monkey on his back. (Yes, I know that's a cliche, but it's there as a setup.) In Tracey Myers' story on Turco today, Mike Modano says, "I think you have to just throw that record out the door." See, it's so big that you have to throw it out the door, not the window.
* Yahoo! Sports' NHL Editor, Ross McKeon, gives five reasons why your Dallas Stars can win the Stanley Cup. But before you get too excited, realize that McKeon is giving five reasons why all four remaining teams can win it all.
* If you, like me, missed Josh Hamilton's mammoth home run in Seattle last night, it's worth a look here. Even the Mariners' announcers were impressed.
* Words I did not expect to type this season: Thank goodness for Sidney Ponson.
* In college basketball news, UTA coach Scott Cross has agreed to a contract extension and West Virginia coach Bob Huggins' new contract will bring him at least $20 million guaranteed over 10 years. Cross' contract still has to be be approved by the UT System Board of Regents, but I'm guessing that when details come out, his pay won't quite be the same as Huggins'.
* I have avoided posting this video on this blog, but now that the Daily Ticket (in item No. 3) has mentioned John Daly playing golf in Branson, Mo., without a shirt and shoes. WARNING: This is not a pretty sight.
* MLB Worst Division standings
| TEAM | W | L | PCT. | GB |
| Colorado | 12 | 21 | .364 | -- |
| San Diego | 12 | 21 | .364 | -- |
| Cincinnati | 13 | 21 | .382 | 0.5 |
| Pittsburgh | 13 | 19 | .406 | 1.5 |
| Detroit | 14 | 20 | .412 | 2.5 |
| Seattle | 14 | 20 | .412 | 2.5 |
| Texas | 14 | 20 | .412 | 2.5 |
-- David Thomas
Notes and thoughts compiled at the breakfast table ...
* A leftover from the Stars-Sharks Sunday night/Monday morning four-overtime game: Stars captain Brenden Morrow had 19 hits in 51 minutes played. By comparison, the Rangers' Ben Broussard has 13 hits in 82 at-bats since March 31.
* Potentially bad news to report this morning. Did you see our list of the 20 longest games in NHL history? The Stars were on that list five times -- more than any other team. The next two were the Detroit Red Wings and New York Rangers, at four times each. Of course, the Stars and Red Wings meet in the next round. But with six of the seven possible games on Versus, some of us won't have to worry about staying up late to watch.
* So, the North Texas Super Bowl committee, according to our story by Andrea Ahles, is looking for "a few companies and individuals to fork over $1 million each." Me, I'm looking for only one company or individual, and I'd be content with half a million dollars.
* What has happened to the NBA postseason? Every top seed advanced in the first round. Now five games into the second round, the top seeds are unbeaten and winning by an average margin of 15 points per game. Only one game has been closer than 11 points.
* It's hard to believe it has been 10 years since Kerry Wood's 20-strikeout game. These highlights of that game reminded me just how nasty Wood's pitches were that day.
* MLB Worst Division standings
| TEAM | W | L | PCT. | GB |
| Colorado | 12 | 20 | .375 | -- |
| San Diego | 12 | 20 | .375 | -- |
| Pittsburgh | 12 | 19 | .387 | 0.5 |
| Cincinnati | 13 | 20 | .394 | 0.5 |
| Texas | 13 | 20 | .394 | 0.5 |
| Detroit | 14 | 19 | .424 | 1.5 |
| Seattle | 14 | 19 | .424 | 1.5 |
-- David Thomas
Notes and thoughts compiled at the breakfast table ...
* Yawn. Boy, it's tough blogging the morning after a four-overtime playoff game. Like our print edition, the game ended well past my deadline. I think I conked out somewhere in the third overtime, so I missed Brenden Morrow's game-winner.
* Seeing that item that Papa John's will sell 23-cent pizzas to Cleveland residents to apologize for upsetting LeBron James fans probably makes this the first time I've ever wished I live in Cleveland. Maybe the local Papa John's can say something bad about Mike Modano and we can all get 9-cent pizzas.
* Not exactly inspiring to see the Rangers wearing uniforms on Sunday from the 1968 Washington Senators. That team went 65-96 and finished 10th -- last -- in the American League, 37 1/2 games out of first place. So kind of fitting that the Rangers lost in those uniforms.
* Not a lot of love flowing from the readers for Josh Howard in today's BuckShots.
* MLB Worst Division standings
| TEAM | W | L | PCT. | GB |
| Cincinnati | 12 | 20 | .375 | -- |
| San Diego | 12 | 20 | .375 | -- |
| Colorado | 12 | 19 | .387 | 0.5 |
| Pittsburgh | 12 | 19 | .387 | 0.5 |
| Seattle | 13 | 19 | .406 | 1 |
| Texas | 13 | 19 | .406 | 1 |
-- David Thomas
Notes and thoughts compiled at the breakfast table ...
* According to our man Randy Galloway, if you're interested in becoming the Mavs' next head coach you need to send your resume attention Dirk Nowitzki.
* Interested in buying Jose Canseco's foreclosed home? Here's a picture to the left.
* Quincy Carter has found another job. He has signed with the Kansas City Brigade of the Arena Football League.
* Attention all high-schoolers in the audience: Here is how NOT to ask someone to the prom.
* MLB Worst Division standings
| TEAM | W | L | PCT. | GB |
| Texas | 11 | 18 | .379 | -- |
| San Diego | 11 | 18 | .379 | -- |
| Colorado | 11 | 17 | .393 | 0.5 |
| Pittsburgh | 11 | 17 | .393 | 0.5 |
| Cincinnati | 12 | 17 | .414 | 1 |
| Toronto | 12 | 17 | .414 | 1 |
| Washington | 12 | 17 | .414 | 1 |
-- David Thomas
Notes and thoughts compiled at the breakfast table ...
* Interesting phrasing in the Mavs' "relieving" Avery Johnson of his coaching duties. I'm guessing that "relief" is probably the one of the top emotions Avery's feeling at this point. The Comments section is really hopping on that story. Last time I looked, we were on the 13th page of comments.
* The Mavs are changing coaches because of their lack of postseason success. So here's a trivia question: Who is the Mavs' all-time leader in playoff victories as a coach? (Hint: It's not Jim Cleamons, Quinn Buckner or Gar Heard.)
* After reading all that, you'll probably need some warm fuzzies. There's a short item in today's Daily Ticket that's worth going to this complete story from The Oregonian to see an example of exemplary sportsmanship from college softball.
* Here's something else you don't read about every day: Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Micah Owings hit a game-winning, pinch-hit home run in the D-backs' 8-7 win over the Houston Astros last night. Owings is 8-for-19 (.421) at the plate this season.
* Trivia answer: Avery Johnson, with a 23-24 record. The rest: Don Nelson (19-24), Dick Motta (11-17), John MacLeod (10-7) and Richie Aduboto (0-3).
* MLB Worst Division standings
| TEAM | W | L | PCT. | GB |
| Texas | 10 | 18 | .357 | -- |
| Colorado | 11 | 17 | .393 | 1 |
| San Diego | 11 | 17 | .393 | 1 |
| Toronto | 11 | 17 | .393 | 1 |
| Washington | 11 | 17 | .393 | 1 |
-- David Thomas
Notes and thoughts compiled at the breakfast table ...
* What's next for the Mavs? Here's a suggestion.
* While reflecting on the Stars' 3-0 advantage over the San Jose Sharks, keep this in mind: The Stars have trailed in all three games, including in the second period during the first two games and in the third period of Game 3.
* Looked like dearly departing Jason Botts has been checking out a few Rangers history books from the library when he said this on the way out of the clubhouse door yesterday: "There have been plenty of examples of people leaving Texas Rangers who go on to really great things,"
* MLB Worst Division standings
| TEAM | W | L | PCT. | GB |
| Texas | 9 | 18 | .333 | -- |
| Washington | 10 | 17 | .370 | 1 |
| San Diego | 10 | 17 | .370 | 1 |
| Pittsburgh | 10 | 16 | .385 | 1.5 |
| Colorado | 11 | 16 | .407 | 2 |
| Toronto | 11 | 16 | .407 | 2 |
-- David Thomas
Notes and thoughts compiled at the breakfast table ...
* Who would you rather be this morning:
a.) Avery Johnson
b.) Ron Washington
c.) This national anthem singer
* Weird night last night with no Stars, Mavs or Rangers to watch.
* This video is more than eight minutes long, but ESPN's "Outside the Lines" did a piece yesterday on Hampton University's Marcus Dixon, who went undrafted and was signed as a free agent by the Cowboys. Long, tough path he has taken in arriving at Valley Ranch.
-- David Thomas
Notes and thoughts compiled at the breakfast table ...
* Which, to you, was the biggest surprise Sunday:
1.) The Mavs' effort in sliding to the brink of elimination.
2.) The Stars go 2-0 on the road against San Jose.
3.) The Rangers get a complete-game shutout.
4.) Jerry Jones didn't draft another Arkansas Razorback.
* Well, the good news for Mavs fans out of Sunday night is that J.J. Barea got five more minutes of playoff experience. If the NBA suspends Jason Kidd for Game 5, Barea will greatly add to that.
* It took some digging, but I found some video of Josh Howard making jump shots, in case you forgot what it looks like. If Howard doesn't start hitting jumpers soon, he may wind up getting another one of these from Avery Johnson.
* Did you see our Charean Williams' NFL Draft team-by-team grades? Charean was tough, handing out one A+ (Kansas City Chiefs) and one A (Miami Dolphins). I like that kind of tough grading. (I can say that because I'm through being educated.)
* Prediction: In a short while, EDS Byron Nelson Classic fans will proudly be stating, "That's the Adam Scott who won our tournament." The guy has game and just about everything else you would want to go with it. Once he closes out a couple of tournaments (which he didn't do Sunday), he'll take off.
* MLB Worst Division standings
| TEAM | W | L | PCT. | GB |
| Texas | 9 | 17 | .346 | -- |
| Washington | 9 | 17 | .346 | -- |
| San Diego | 10 | 16 | .385 | 1 |
| Colorado | 10 | 15 | .400 | 1.5 |
| Pittsburgh | 10 | 15 | .400 | 1.5 |
-- David Thomas
Notes and thoughts compiled at the breakfast table ...
* The Rangers have broken the club record for losses in April. And there are still four games remaining this month.
* Jerry Stackhouse says New Orleans coach Byron Scott is "a sucker in my book," then adds, "but that's a whole other story." Not anymore.
* Our Tracey Myers breaks down the Stars-San Jose series and predicts the Stars will win in seven games. Mark Purdy of the San Jose Mercury-News is saying Sharks in six, and "maybe five."
* MLB Worst Division standings
| TEAM | W | L | PCT. | GB |
| Texas | 7 | 16 | .304 | -- |
| Washington | 7 | 16 | .304 | -- |
| Kansas City | 9 | 13 | .409 | 2.5 |
| LA Dodgers | 9 | 13 | .409 | 2.5 |
| Pittsburgh | 9 | 13 | .409 | 2.5 |
-- David Thomas
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