Blogs Like a Girl

BBQ conundrum

I posted this on The Fort Worth Burger BBQ Club fan page on Facebook, and if you love FW, burgers or BBQ, I highly recommend becoming a fan. I am interested in getting lots of opinions on this, though, so I throw open my question to you as well. 

"Dear FWBBC, my dad is coming to town this week and I want to take him for the perfect BBQ experience. If you could only go to one BBQ restaurant in FW for the rest of your life (yes, the rest of your life) which is it? Signed, BB?"

So far, I have been presented with Smokey's and Longoria's. What say you?

Me, and mostly my dad, thank you in advance for your participation.

-- jengel

 

Dirk On Catching JKidd And Other Nuggets From Mavs 109, Thugnuts 93

We now have a solution at point guard, to allow Roddy B. to sub in for JKidd. The Big German.

Dirk Nowitzki flashed his versatility, along with his genius, while dropping a triple-double on The Denvers Monday at The AAC. He had 34 points (not atypical) and 10 rebounds (again, we have seen this) and 10 assists (OK, not his usual deal). So now that he has two triple-doubles to his name, what are his chances of catching Jason Kidd and his 104? 

"I told him there's a chance," JKidd said.

And Dirk obviously has decided this obviously is worth pursuing. Two down, only 102 to go. 

"We said we were joking around if I get a triple-double in every single game I play for the rest of my career I have a chance to get him," he said. "I don't know if that is going to happen."

I like how he leaves it open, like there is a chance, just a small one.

Other thoughts: 

* After losing some of his minutes to Roddy B. in the second quarter, Jason Terry played the fourth on fire. He told me afterward he plays that way no matter. Any move that lights two players on fire, though, needs to be used and used often.

* Mavs coach Rick Carlisle had an agenda walking into his post-game presser Monday. Slather a little love on Shawn Marion. Nor was this undeserved love. Marion did a beastly job on Carmelo Anthony while also running and scoring. Obviously, though, Rick is smart enough to realize Marion's game has taken a back seat to what Dallas has needed him for and thus a little massaging is needed from time to time. 

* Somehow we ended up talking Steve Nash with Mavs owner Mark Cuban before Monday's game, and what he said about The two-time MVP frankly stunned me. He feigned no "what if" moments about jettisoning him. I do not know how. I have no dog in this fight, and I have had "what if" moments as in "what if Dirk and Nash had been allowed to grow together? Do we have a championship in Dallas?" More on Cuban's frustration about not having a championship to show for all of this winning and spending for a later post.

Much love,

jengel

The Over/Under On Roddy B Minutes Is 14, And Give Cuban The Over

We media types like to amuse ourselves, if nothing else. So as The DMN's Jean-Jacques Taylor, Maverick Maven and Channel 21's Gina Miller and Earl K. Snead of Maverick fame were waiting for The Rick Carlisle Pre-Nuggets Show to commence this eve, we debated how many minutes the super popular Roddy B then set the o/u at 14.

I went over at 15 joined by EKS at 20 (yikes).

JJT and Gina were both under, and Carlisle simply noted that we'd see and depends on how he played.

Mavs owner Mark Cuban was not so wishy washy when I asked him. "Definitely, the over," he said. Of course, when I asked couldn't he influence this, he got all pc and said no. Too bad. I really want to win this, and think the Mavs need me to be right. More Roddy B is the right thing to do.

So what are you: Over or under?

-- jengel

Observations From My "Staycation"

Had unused vacation time dating back to 2009. We were approaching the use-it, or lose-it neighborhood @ The Friendly S-T. So I had an unplanned vacation thust upon me, leaving no time for travel or a crazy fun experience.

Welcome to my first "staycation".

I had heard of staycations. Who hasn't in this economy? I had a rather dismal view of them, if we're being honest. The whole thing felt fakecation-ish, rather than a good use of a week of non-work time. So I am pleasantly surprised to report my week was enjoyable and refreshing. 

I started with a list, a big giant list of to-dos that had been hanging over my head waiting to be squeezed in. I realize this is not exactly fun, or enjoyable for most. I am list person. I love myself a list, daily to-dos, weekly to-dos, monthly to-dos, yearly to-dos and even a "Top 100 Things To Do Before I Die" my fifth-grade teacher had us comprise. I tackled my disorganized attic and took my bike in for a tuneup, had lunch with friends and play dates with friends at The FW Zoo, read books and watched movies and ran and did yoga and gardened and just basically chilled on my porch. I also had a chance to just read sports, and what an amazingly fun week to kick my butt back into daily blogging.

A couple of observations:

1. Rangers starting pitcher C.J. Wilson, well done sir. Well done. When I arrived at spring training way back when, folks were giggling at talk of him as a starter. Almost everybody. The whole thing was seen as a way to keep him happy, with zero actual chance of happening. Talking to C.J. on Day 1, I realized dismissing him that easily was stupid. Whatever else you think about him, the guy was motivated and ready to shock the world. I am happy for him. So sue me.

2. The Mavs are scary. How often do we hear about how "so and so team had more intensity"? This being a recurring theme is both frustrating, and a sign frustration may be loomed. Yet every time I am ready to give up on them, we see a performance like Roddy B's on Saturday and I think "well maybe ... " I am going to be at Mavs-Nuggets this p.m., and I have a feeling we will have a better idea afterward.

3. If you are not watching Jamie Oliver's Food Revolultion, you should. If you have kids, it should be mandatory viewing. It is shocking, and sad, and mostly scary what schools and families are feeding their kids. And ourselves.

-- jengel

My Bleeping Bracket

I called the biggest upset of the NCAA Tournament.

No, really. I did. In print.

My lede to a S-T pre-tournament column, predicting Kansas causing bracket chaos and not reaching The Sweet 16. I called my shot, the shot. So you think my bracket would be a contender, or at least not a mish mash of Xs. You'd be so wrong.

I have a Final Four team remaining, Duke. And I hate Duke.

My Okie State pick. Fail. My Pitt pick. Fail. My New Mexico pick. Fail. Not just fail, massive spectacular fail. About the only bracket worse than mine is Mr. Hate's, a Jayhawk grad who had Kansas winning it all and really being right about that is enough.

-- jengel