Daily Ticket: The Blog

Breakfast Crumbs: Gone fishin' (and golfin')

It's vacation time! Breakfast Crumbs will return on or about Monday, July 13.

Breakfast Crumbs: Friday

Notes and thoughts compiled at the breakfast table ...

* Texas Rangers 9, Arizona Diamondbacks 8 (12): Omar Vizquel got the big early hit -- the one that gave him the major-league record for most hits by a Venezuela-born player -- and Chris Davis got the big late hit -- a two-run homer with two outs in the top of the 12th. Davis went 4-for-5 to raise his average to .209.

* Josh Hamilton may be back in the Rangers' lineup by the end of next week.

* As expected, Oklahoma's Blake Griffin goes No. 1 over to the Los Angeles Clippers. An overview of the NBA Draft.

* Our Jan Hubbard watched the Mavs' draft-day deals and their pre-draft non-deals. He tell us what it all means.

* Mavs notes: Coach Rick Carlisle expects that first-round pick Rodrigue Beaubois, a point guard from France, will play right away.

* Cowboys notes: Jerry Jones said all the team's receivers should be healthy in time for the start of training camp. Plus items about oak trees and stadium tours.

* Terrell Owen, in Duncanville for a summer camp, said he is being made the scapegoat for Tony Romo's lack of leadership.

* LaDainian Tomlinson also is in the area for his summer camp, but there's less finger-pointing at his camp. LT is ready to prove that, at 30, there still is a lot of fuel left in his tank.

* The Dallas Stars are at No. 8 in tonight's NHL draft. It's the first time since 1996 that the Stars have held a top-10 pick. They're taking the best-available-player approach.

* Shreveport-Bossier Captains 7, Fort Worth Cats 4: The Captains scored six runs in the top of the third inning to take two of three at LaGrave Field.

* Speaking of T.O. being in town, today is National Forgiveness Day.

* You shouldn't be surprised by this, but our Friday '80s music tribute features a guest appearance from Michael Jackson, with "Beat It."

TUBE TOPPER

The best of what to watch today ...

* San Diego Padres at Texas Rangers. The Rangers kick off a nine-game homestand by trotting ace Kevin Millwood (7-5, 2.62) to the mound. He faces rookie Walter Silva (0-0, 6.00), who is making his second appearance since April 13. The Padres have lost nine of their past 12 games, all against the A.L. West. 7 p.m., Fox Sports Southwest.

-- David Thomas

Breakfast Crumbs: Thursday

Notes and thoughts compiled at the breakfast table ...

* LSU 11, Texas 4: The Tigers won their sixth College World Series championship -- matching the Longhorns' total -- by breaking a 4-4 tie with five runs in the top of the sixth inning.

* Texas Rangers 2, Arizona Diamondbacks 1: The Rangers didn't get a hit after the third inning, but the five-game losing streak is over. Vicente Padilla scattered six hits over seven innings and Frank Francisco and C.J. Wilson protected the lead from there.

* The Rangers are moving super pitching prospect Neftali Feliz to the Oklahoma RedHawks' bullpen to prepare him for a call-up to the big club.

* Marlon Byrd confirms a Yahoo! report that he takes supplements provided by BALCO founder Victor Conte.

* The Dallas Mavericks made a trade with the Portland Trail Blazers and dropped two spots in tonight's NBA draft.

* Randy Galloway: The Mavs' trade doesn't quite measure up with the San Antonio Spurs' trade for Richard Jefferson.

* Through our content sharing program, here's our NBA mock draft courtesy Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News.

* Shaquille O'Neal is close to joining LeBron James with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

* They're already calling the United States men's soccer team's 2-0 stunner of top-ranked Spain the "miracle on grass."

* Fort Worth Cats 9, Shreveport-Bossier Captains 1: The Cats scored three runs in the bottom of the third, then added five more in the fourth to improve to 27-10.

* The NHL draft may be sneaking up on us -- it's tomorrow -- but the Dallas Stars are ready.

* Wednesday's MLB highlight: Seattle Mariners 4, San Diego Padres 3 -- Franklin Gutierrez's tie-breaking solo home run in the bottom of the eighth took the Mariners to their sixth win in eight games. The M's trail the Rangers and Los Angeles Angels by 2 1/2 games.

* Today is Catfish Day.

TUBE TOPPERS

The best of what to watch today ...

* NBA Draft. See who the Mavs take at No. 24 instead of No. 22, then stick around to see who they grab at No. 56. 6:30 p.m., ESPN.

* Texas Rangers at Arizona Diamondbacks. The Rangers play the rubber game of the series before heading home for nine games in 10 days. Rangers starter Scott Feldman (5-2, 4.02) has allowed at least four earned runs in two of his last three starts. The D-backs counter with Jon Garland (4-7, 4.99). In 83 innings, Garland has more walks (34) than strikeouts (33). 8:40 p.m., KDFI/Channel 27.

-- David Thomas

What's in a nickname?

One in a weekly series on the history behind college nicknames and mascots.

Vermont Catamounts

Catamounts are believed to have gone extince in Vermont in the mid-1800s. But one mountain cat found in Vermont's Green Mountains spawned the school's nickname that has been around since 1926.

It was then that the student newspaper -- the UVM Cynic -- asked students to vote for a mascot, with lynx and wildcat among the choices. Reponse was minimal, so the paper offered another set of names that included tomcat, camel, cow and catamount. Only male students were allowed to vote, and they chose Catamount as the mascot.

(Source: www.uvm.edu; photo courtesy Vermont athletics)

-- David Thomas

Breakfast Crumbs: Wednesday

Notes and thoughts compiled at the breakfast table ...

* Arizona Diamondbacks 8, Texas Rangers 2: The offense needs all the help it can get, but Matt Harrison didn't provide any. He allowed seven runs in 3 2/3 inningsfor his shortest outing of the season. The Rangers, who have lost five in a row, now share first place with the Los Angeles Angels.

* Hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo says it's a matter of time until the offense starts clicking again.

* Texas 5, LSU 1: Freshman Taylor Jungmann threw a complete-game five-hitter to tie the College World Series best-of-three finals at a game each.

* While the San Antonio Spurs have traded for Richard Jefferson, the Dallas Mavericks have had a "fairly active" couple of days.

* A look at the best power forwards/centers in Thursday's NBA Draft.

* The Hockey Hall of Fame's Class of 2009: Brett Hull, Steve Yzerman, Brian Leetch, Luc Robitaille and Lou Lamoriello.

* Shreveport-Bossier Sports 16, Fort Worth Cats 7: The Cats led 7-2 entering the sixth inning and then ...

* If the National Athletic Trainers' Association has its way, Texas high school football pre-season practices would have a different look.

* Tuesday's MLB highlight: Kansas City Royals 2, Houston Astros 1 -- Zack Greinke (9-3) allowed eight hits over innings to win his first game since May 23. Billy Butler's solo home run in the third inning proved to be the winning run. The win snapped the Royals' five-game losing streak.

* Today is National Swim a Lap Day.

TUBE TOPPERS

The best of what to watch today ...

* College World Series: Texas vs. LSU. This is it -- one game for the national championship. 6 p.m., ESPN.

* Texas Rangers at Arizona Diamondbacks. Things don't get any easier for the Rangers' offense with the Diamondbacks' Dan Haren (6-4, 2.23) on the mound. Haren is 3-0 with a 1.66 ERA over his last five starts. Vicente Padilla (5-3, 4.79), a former Diamondback, starts for the Rangers. 8:40 p.m., Fox Sports Southwest.

-- David Thomas

Breakfast Crumbs: Tuesday

Notes and thoughts compiled at the breakfast table ...

* LSU 7, Texas 6 (11): The Tigers scored two runs with two outs in the top of the ninth to tie the game, then scored the go-ahead run in the 11th to win the first game in the best-of-three championship series at the College World Series. The Longhorns hit five solo home runs.

* Lucas Glover holds off the big names to win the 109th U.S. Open.

* Brett Hull will be announced today as part of the four-person Class of 2009 for the Hockey Hall of Fame.

* Dirk Nowitzki talks to a German magazine about his relationship with Cristal Taylor.

* Baseball players association chief Don Fehr will retire after 26 years of butting heads with baseball's owners.

* A look at the top shooting guards/small forwards available in Thursday's NBA Draft.

* Monday's MLB highlight: Colorado Rockies 11, Los Angeles Angels 1 -- On their day off, THE FIRST-PLACE TEXAS RANGERS' lead grew back to a full game thanks to the red-hot Rockies, who have 17 of 18 games overall and nine consecutive on the road.

* Today is National Take Your Dog To Work Day.

TUBE TOPPERS

The best of what to watch today ...

* College World Series: LSU vs. Texas. LSU is one win from its sixth CWS title. Under the current format, half of the six championship series have been two-game sweeps. 6 p.m., ESPN.

* Texas Rangers at Arizona Diamondbacks. The Rangers' four-game losing streak is one short of their season high, but the Rangers have won seven of their last eight against the D-backs. Matt Harrison (4-4, 5.43) pitches for the Rangers. Arizona sends out former Fort Worth Cat Max Scherzer (4-4, 3.58). Scherzer has allowed two earned runs and 15 hits over his last 18 2/3 innings. 8:40 p.m., Fox Sports Southwest.

-- David Thomas

Breakfast Crumbs: Monday

Notes and thoughts compiled at the breakfast table ...

* San Francisco Giants 3, Texas Rangers 2: Kevin Millwood was solid again, but Barry Zito held the Rangers hitless into the seventh inning and the defense struggled like the offense as the Giants swept the Rangers.

* Gil LeBreton: Keep Chris Davis in the lineup, but it could be nearing time to replace Marlon Byrd and Hank Blalock with younger players.

* Fort Worth Cats 7, El Paso Diablos 6: Kelley Gulledge had a homer and drove in three runs, and Pat O'Sullivan extended his hitting streak to 18 games.

* Nineteen-year-old Spaniard guard Ricky Rubio figures to be the first point guard taken in Thursday's NBA Draft.

* Sunday's MLB highlight: Los Angeles Dodgers 5, Los Angeles Angels 3 -- The Dodgers took two of three in Anaheim, helping THE FIRST-PLACE TEXAS RANGERS hold on to the slimmest of leads over the Angels. Clayton Kershaw shut out the Angels for seven innings, and James Loney hit a two-run homer that had to survive a replay review.

* Sunday's big winners: Kasey Kahne, Dario Franchitti and the U.S. men's soccer team.

* Today is National Chocolate Eclair Day.

TUBE TOPPERS

The best of what to watch today ...

* U.S. Open. Another Monday finish, but this year because of rain. Lucas Glover and Ricky Barnes were tied for the lead when play ended Sunday, with Phil Mickelson and David Duval among a group five shots back. 8 a.m., ESPN; 10:30 a.m., NBC.

* College World Series: Texas vs. LSU. The best-of-three championship series starts tonight. LSU has won 13 consecutive games, during which it has averaged 8.5 runs per game. Texas has won twice in the final at-bat in Omaha. 6 p.m., ESPN.

-- David Thomas

Breakfast Crumbs: Friday

Notes and thoughts compiled at the breakfast table ...

* Houston Astros 5, Texas Rangers 3: Arlington native Hunter Pence's home run in the eighth inning allowed the Astros to win the sixth and final game of the Lone Star Series. Michael Young and Chris Davis homered for the Rangers, whose lead over the Los Angeles Angels is down to 1 1/2 games.

* The Big O, Oliver Miller, isn't as big as he used to be and he's looking to make a return to the NBA.

* Fort Worth Cats 8, Lincoln Saltdogs 3: Four runs in the bottom of the first inning put the smokin' Cats (25-7) on their way to another series victory. With 16 games remaining in the first half of the season, the Cats have a 10-game lead over the second-place Grand Prairie AirHogs.

* The latest from former major-leaguer Mel Hall. In an interview from Tarrant County Jail on Thursday, he said he was innocent of the sexual assault of a 12-year-old girl for which he was found guilty and sentenced to 45 years. Then after the interview, he entered a guilty plea on another sexual assault charge in exchange for a 15-year concurrent sentence.

* Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals is once again your NHL most valuable player.

* Thursday's MLB highlight: Washington Nationals 3, New York Yankees 0 -- Craig Stammen earned his first major-league victory and the Nationals took two out of three at Yankee Stadium. This was the first game at the new stadium in which a home run was not hit.

* If you're wondering why everyone in your office is aimlessly walking around, it's because today is World Sauntering Day.

* Friday. Breakfast Crumbs. '80s music. It's a tradition. Today's featured song is "Hip to be Square" by Huey Lewis & The News.

TUBE TOPPERS

The best of what to watch today ...

* U.S. Open. They didn't get very deep into the first round yesterday because of rain, but they're giving it another go again today. 9 a.m., ESPN; 2 p.m., NBC; 4 p.m, ESPN.

* College World Series. LSU and Texas are one win each from reaching the championship series. Arkansas and Arizona State both have one loss and must win twice to play for the title. LSU vs. Arkansas, 1 p.m., ESPN2; Texas vs. Arizona State, 6 p.m., ESPN2.

* Texas Rangers at San Francisco Giants. The Rangers have lost eight consecutive games in San Francisco. Scott Feldman (5-1, 3.70) tries to end that skid. At 6-foot-5, Feldman will be the game's shortest staring pitcher. He is opposed by 6-10 Randy Johnson (6-5, 4.89). 9:15 p.m., KDFI/Channel 27.

-- David Thomas

Breakfast Crumbs: Thursday

Notes and thoughts compiled at the breakfast table ...

* Texas Rangers 5, Houston Astros 4 (10): David Murphy's bases-loaded single scored Ian Kinsler with one out in the bottom of the 10th inning. The Rangers are 5-0 against the Astros this season.

* Pudge Rodriguez broke the record for most games caught where his career began, but the man who won 10 Gold Gloves in Arlington committed two errors in his big game.

* Jim Reeves: Don't start the steroid talk when discussing Ruben Sierra's joining the Rangers Hall of Fame.

* Former No. 1 pick Bobby Carpenter has his best and possibly final shot to make an impact with the Dallas Cowboys.

* Cowboys notes: Tony Romo denies the report that he was told to shape up during the off-season.

* Our golf expert, Jimmy Burch, places Tiger Woods atop his top 10 picks to win the U.S. Open.

* Swedish free-agent goalie Jonas Gustavsson visits the Dallas Stars today.

* Fort Worth Cats 9, Lincoln Saltdogs 0: Jae Jung threw his second consecutive shutout and shortstop Cameron Blair went 4-for-4.

* A Tarrant County jury sentenced former major-leaguer Mel Hall to 45 years for sexually assaulting a 12-year-old girl in the late 1990s.

* Wednesday's MLB highlight: Los Angeles Angels 4, San Francisco Giants 3 -- The Angels won their sixth consecutive game by scoring three runs in the eighth inning off Cy Young winner Tim Lincecum (6-2).

* Today is International Panic Day. With the Angels on a roll, now only two games behind the Rangers and getting injured players back healthy, is it time to panic in Arlington?

TUBE TOPPERS

The best of what to watch today ...

* U.S. Open. First-round play begins today. Tiger Woods has a morning tee time, while Phil Mickelson will be among the afternoon golfers. 9 a.m., ESPN; 2 p.m., NBC; 4 p.m., ESPN.

* Houston Astros at Texas Rangers. The Rangers go for the first sweep in the long and storied history of the Lone Star Series. Rangers starter Vicente Padilla (5-3, 4.82) has allowed two earned runs and eight hits over his past two starts. Astros starter Brandon Backe (0-0, 12.00) makes his first start. He has appeared in four games and has allowed opponents a .395 batting average. 7:05 p.m., Fox Sports Southwest.

-- David Thomas

Breakfast Crumbs: Wednesday

Notes and thoughts compiled at the breakfast table ...

* Texas Rangers 6, Houston Astros 1: The Rangers have clinched the Boot! The Rangers have clinched the Boot! Ian Kinsler homered twice and Kevin Millwood allowed one run over seven innings as the Rangers improved to 4-0 in the Lone Star Series.

* Toby Harrah and Ruben Sierra have been voted into the Rangers Hall of Fame.

* Astros catcher Pudge Rodriguez tied, and will break, the record for most games by a catcher in front of the fans who welcomed him to the majors.

* The New York Times reports that Sammy Sosa is one of the 104 major-leaguers to test positive for performance-enhancing drugs in 2003.

* The Dallas Cowboys hope Marty B (Martellus Bennett) will be a hit in his second season at tight end.

* New safety Gerald Sensabaugh says there will be no drop-off in run support from his position as he replaces Roy Williams.

* Lincoln Saltdogs 9, Fort Worth Cats 4: The Saltdogs scored three runs in the first inning then put the game away with four in the eighth, ending the Cats' eight-game winning streak.

* Texas 10, Arizona State 4: Cameron Rupp hit two homers, and the Longhorns are the only unbeaten team remaining in Bracket 2 of the College World Series.

* Former major-leaguer Mel Hall wound up in the wrong section of the newspaper. A Tarrant County jury yesterday found Hall guilty of sexually assaulting a 12-year-old girl in the late 1990s.

* Tuesday's MLB highlight: Tampa Bay Rays 12, Colorado Rockies 4 -- The Rays had 11 extra-base hits, including five home runs, in ending the Rockies' 11-game winning streak. Former Ranger Gabe Kapler hit one of the homers for Tampa Bay, which has won six consecutive games.

* A Q&A with Phil Mickelson as he prepares for tomorrow's start of the U.S. Open. Or, perhaps more appropriate, the "US" Open.

* Today is Eat Your Vegetables Day. Let's stop for a moment and think about this. Yesterday was Fresh Veggies Day. Today is Eat Your Vegetables Day. Wouldn't it be better to combine the two so we could eat fresh vegetables?

TUBE TOPPER

The best of what to watch today ...

* Houston Astros at Texas Rangers. Even though the Rangers have secured the Silver Boot trophy, the series will continue as scheduled. The Rangers run Matt Harrison (4-4, 5.43) out to the mound for his first start off the disabled list. Houston goes with Russ Ortiz (3-2, 3.48). 7:05 p.m., Fox Sports Southwest.

-- David Thomas

Breakfast Crumbs: Tuesday

Notes and thoughts compiled at the breakfast table ...

* The Tony Romo-to-Roy Williams connection isn't exactly a fine-tuned machine yet, but they're working on it.

* The Dallas Cowboys want to avoid distractions this season. Seriously, that's what they're saying.

* Jennifer Floyd Engel: Just good enough hasn't cut it for Romo, so there's an in-better-shape Romo at the Cowboys' mini-camp.

* Greg Ellis has agreed to a three-year contract to play defensive end for the Oakland Raiders.

* Jim Reeves: It's a tempting thought, but just say no to Shaquille O'Neal in a Dallas Mavericks uniform.

* The negotiating game is on for the Texas Rangers and No. 1 draft pick Matt Purke, who has signed to pitch at TCU.

* We know the Los Angeles Lakers are No. 1 in the NBA right now, but is Kobe Bryant?

* Monday's MLB highlight: Los Angeles Angels 9, San Francisco Giants 7 -- The Angels won their fourth straight to pull within two games of THE FIRST-PLACE TEXAS RANGERS. John Lackey struck out 10 over seven innings, and the Angels belted four homers.

* Today is Fresh Veggies Day. Are french fries a veggie?

TUBE TOPPERS

The best of what to watch today ...

* College World Series: Texas vs. Arizona State. Texas won its first-round game against Southern Mississippi on a based-loaded walk in the bottom of the ninth. Arizona State defeated North Carolina on a three-run homer in the 10th. The unbeatens meet, with the winner one game away from the championship series. 6 p.m., ESPN2.

* Houston Astros at Texas Rangers. The Rangers are one win from clinching the Silver Boot trophy. Kevin Millwood (6-4, 2.72) toes the rubber for the local nine. Wandy Rodriguez (5-5, 2.82) goes for the Astros. And we'll spend the rest of the day trying to figure out why those two pitchers both have ERAs under 3.00 but have a combined record of only 11-9. 7 p.m., KDFI/Channel 27.

-- David Thomas

Breakfast Crumbs: Monday

Notes and thoughts compiled at the breakfast table ...

* Los Angeles Lakers 99, Orlando Magic 86: Kobe Bryant scored 30 points as the Lakers won the franchise's 15th NBA championship. This is a record 10th championship for coach Phil Jackson, who won his first six titles with the Chicago Bulls.

* Los Angeles Dodgers 6, Texas Rangers 3: The Rangers' Derek Holland allowed four runs in five innings and Casey Blake drive in four runs for the Dodgers, who won two of three games in Arlington. The Rangers mustered only six hits, including an Andruw Jones homer.

* The Rangers placed closer Frank Francisco on the 15-day disabled list. He is eligible to return Friday.

* Can Dallas Cowboys coach Wade Phillips be the tough-guy coach he has said he will be this season?

* Fort Worth Cats 4, El Paso Diablos 2: Catcher Matt Combs' two-run double in the bottom of the sixth helped the Cats win their eighth consecutive game.

* Texas 7, Southern Mississippi 6: The Longhorns won their first game at the College World Series when Brandon Loy walked in the bottom of the ninth. Texas scored its final three runs on bases-loaded walks.

* Sunday's smiling faces: Fort Worth-born Brian Gay easily won the PGA's St. Jude Classic. ... Swedish rookie Anna Nordqvist took the LPGA Championship, with Saginaw's Angela Stanford tying for fifth. ... Mark Martin coasted -- literally -- to victory in NASCAR's LifeLock 400 in Michigan.

* Sunday's MLB highlight: Los Angeles Angels 6, San Diego Padres 0 -- Jered Weaver's first career shutout and Juan Rivera's two homers gave the Angels a three-game sweep and moved them to within 2 1/2 games of THE FIRST-PLACE TEXAS RANGERS.

* Today is Smile Power Day. So, say "Cheese!"

TUBE TOPPERS

The best of what to watch today.

* College World Series: Arkansas vs. LSU. Both teams won their first-round games by four runs. The winner will be one win from advancing to the championship series. 6 p.m., ESPN2.

-- David Thomas

Breakfast Crumbs: Friday

Notes and thoughts compiled at the breakfast table ...

* Texas Rangers 1, Toronto Blue Jays 0: Kevin Millwood allowed five hits over 7 2/3 innings, and Darren O'Day and C.J. Wilson finished from there. The only run scored on Marlon Byrd's sacrifice fly in the second inning.

* Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton is hopeful he can return earlier than the original 4-6 week timetable after abdominal surgery.

* The Dallas Stars introduced Marc Crawford as their new coach on Thursday.

* Jennifer Floyd Engel: The Stars hired a jerk of a coach, and that is exactly what they needed.

* Dallas Mavericks point guard J.J. Barea's shoulder injury was worse than believed, but he's aiming to be fully healthy in time enough to play for Puerto Rico's national team in a World Championships qualifier.

* Fort Worth Cats pitcher Jae Jung, who is from Korea, on Texas weather: "The only problem is the weather is bad, then good, then bad, then good." If he doesn't like our storms, wait until the heat hits.

* Gary West: Texas tracks are losing horses to neighboring states that offer bigger purses.

* NASCAR driver Brian Vickers and his team executed an attention-getting pit stop in Times Square. Let's go the video.

* Thursday's NBA highlight: Los Angeles Lakers 99, Orlando Magic 91 (OT) -- Derek Fisher nailed a game-tying 3-pointer with 4.6 seconds left in regulation, then made a go-ahead 3-pointer with 31 seconds left in overtime. The Lakers lead 3-1, with Game 5 Sunday in Orlando.

* Thursday's MLB highlight: Cleveland Indians 4, Kansas City Royals 3 (10) -- Shin-Soo Choo singled off a seagull to score Mark DeRosa with the winning run in the bottom of the 10th. Once again, let's go to the video.

* Today is Red Rose Day, and I feel like I'm being bullied just a little bit. Didn't we just have Valentine's Day only four months ago?

* Because it's Friday, it's '80s Music Day in CrumbsLand. Today's guest: Billy Joel with "It's Still Rock and Roll to Me."

TUBE TOPPERS

The best of what to watch today ...

* Pittsburgh Penguins at Detroit Red Wings. Yeah, right -- Game 7 of a Stanley Cup Final is "just another game." The home team has won all six games in this series, the Red Wings have outscored the Pens 11-2 in the three games in Detroit, and home teams are 12-2 in Stanley Cup Final Game 7s. I'll take the Red Wings to repeat. 7 p.m., NBC.

* Los Angeles Dodgers at Texas Rangers. It's interleague time again. Vicente Padilla (4-3, 5.22) goes for his second win since being placed on waivers. Los Angeles counters with Opening Day starter Hiroki Kuroda (1-1 ,1.62). The Rangers are 7-9 against the Dodgers since interleague play began, but the teams haven't met since 2001. 7:05 p.m., Fox Sports Southwest.

-- David Thomas

Breakfast Crumbs: Thursday

Notes and thoughts compiled at the breakfast table ...

* The Dallas Stars, according to sources, will announce today that they have fired coach Dave Tippett.

* Jim Reeves: The Stars are replacing Tippett so they can regain an "edge,"but they had an edge under Tippett before all of the injuries of the past season.

* The Texas Rangers offense is struggling, producing only 10 runs over the past four games.

* The Rangers took 27 players on the second day of the draft, including outfielder Ruben Sierra Jr.

* TCU seniors Matt Vern and Matt Carpenter both were selected in the 13th round.

* Fort Worth Cats 4, Pensacola Pelicans 2: The Cats finished off the three-game sweep in Florida, getting a home run and three RBI from Brian Fryer.

* Wednesday's MLB highlight: Boston Red Sox 6, New York Yankees 5 -- The Sox are 7-0 this season and have an eight-game winning streak overall against the Pinstripers. That's their longest winning streak against New York since 1912. Home runs from Mike Lowell and Kevin Youkilis helped make the latest win possible.

* Twitter? Want to follow athletes and coaches? Check out www.Sportsin140.com for a list of sportsy-type tweeters.

* Today is Kamehameha Day. Kamehameha the Great -- known as "The Napoleon of the Pacific" -- established the unified Kingdom of Hawai'i, so he gets his own special day. Whaddya say we all head over to Hawai'i today to help them celebrate?

TUBE TOPPERS

The best of what to watch today ...

* Toronto Blue Jays at Texas Rangers. With last night's rainout, both teams have pushed their starters back a day. So we'll run almost the same preview we ran in this spot yesterday. ... The Blue Jays have taken the first two games of the four-game rain-shortened three-game series and send rookie lefty Ricky Romero (3-2, 4.10) to the mound tonight. Kevin Millwood (5-4, 2.96) tries to stop the Rangers' three-game home losing streak. 7:05 p.m., Fox Sports Southwest.

* Los Angeles Lakers at Orlando Magic. Let's see if the Magic can shoot 63 percent again like they did in Game 3 in cutting the Lakers' lead to 2-1. But I'm nervous for Orlando because, despite shooting better than any team in NBA Finals history and despite Kobe Bryant not playing well down the stretch, the Magic still won by only four points. 8 p.m., ABC.

-- David Thomas

What's in a nickname?

One in a weekly series on the history behind college nicknames and mascots.

Western Carolina Catamounts

First things first: A catamount refers to a wild animal from the cat family, particularly a cougar or the lynx. The southern Appalachian Mountains, where Western Carolina is located, have long been home to catamounts.

Catamounts became the school's nickname in 1933 when the school's name was Western Carolina Teachers College. Its teams had been known as the Teachers.

A contest to replace the Teachers nickname resulted in such potential names as Bears, Indians and Panthers. But the school desired a unique name. Eventually, the contest came down to a choice between Catamounts and Mountain Boomers, which are ground squirrels that difficult to catch.

Football caoch C.C. Poindexter favored Catamounts, and students voted for that nickname. Poindexter said he wanted his players to play with "fierce spirit, savage attacks and lightning quick moves."

(Information and photo: catamountsports.cstv.com)

-- David Thomas

Breakfast Crumbs: Wednesday

Notes and thoughts compiled at the breakfast table ...

* Toronto Blue Jays 9, Texas Rangers 0: Lefty Brian Tallet allowed two hits over seven innings and the Rangers turned in one of their sloppiest games of the season.

* Among their five picks on the first day of the draft, the Rangers selected three left-handed pitchers.

* As expected, San Diego State pitcherStephen Strasburg went first overall to the Washington Nationals. (Scott Boras Client Alert!!!) The Fort Worth Cats' Aaron Crow was selected 12th by the Kansas City Royals.

* Felix Jones is healthy and happy to be practicing with the Dallas Cowboys.

* Cowboys notes: Tashard Choice gets some looks in the Razorback offense ... and so much more.

* Gil LeBreton: TCU baseball coach Jim Schlossnagle is disappointed this year's senior class won't experience the College World Series.

* Saginaw's Angela Stanford has signed on to endorse PureSport sports performance drink.

* Fort Worth Cats 5, Pensacola Pelicans 3: Pat O'Sullivan continued his tear with another home run and Joel Kirsten allowed two runs and two hits over seven innings.

* Dallas Mavericks VP Paul Westphal has been named head coach of the Sacramento Kings.

* An exclusive interview with Preakness winner Rachel Alexandra.

* Tuesday's NBA highlight: Orlando Magic 108, Los Angeles Lakers 104 -- The Magic shot a Finals-record 63 percent to win Game 3 and pull within 2-1 of the Lakers with the next two games in Orlando. Kobe Bryant scored 31 points for the Lakers but was only 5-for-10 at the free-throw line.

* Tuesday's NHL highlight: Pittsburgh Penguins 2, Detroit Red Wings 1 -- The Stanley Cup Finals will have a Game 7 on Friday night in Detroit. Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 25 of 26 Red Wings shots and Jordan Staal and Tyler Kennedy scored for the Penguins.

* Tuesday's MLB highlight: Minnesota Twins 10, Oakland Athletics 5 -- The Athletics' seven-game winning streak and the Twins' three-game losing streak are over. Jason Kubel and Justin Morneau homered for the Twinkies.

* Today is National Ballpoint Pen Day. Did you know that in 1945, when ballpoint pens were first sold in the United States, they cost $12.50 each? Here's how a ballpoint pen works, in case you're curious.

TUBE TOPPERS

The best of what to watch today ...

* Toronto Blue Jays at Texas Rangers. The Blue Jays have taken the first two games of the four-game series and send rookie lefty Ricky Romero (3-2, 4.10) to the mound tonight. Kevin Millwood (5-4, 2.96) tries to stop the Rangers' three-game home losing streak. 7:05 p.m., Fox Sports Southwest.

-- David Thomas

Breakfast Crumbs: Tuesday

Notes and thoughts compiled at the breakfast table ...

* Texas 5, TCU 2: The Horned Frogs' season ends with 40 victories but no maiden voyage to Omaha, as the Longhorns advanced to the College World Series for the 33rd time.

* Toronto Blue Jays 6, Texas Rangers 3: Adam Lind hit two two-run homers -- both with Vernon Wells on base, and both off Scott Feldman -- as the Jays took the first game of a four-game series.

* Josh Hamilton is having surgery today to repair a tear in his abdominal wall. He'll be out 4-6 weeks.

* The Rangers exercised their 2010 option in manager Ron Washington's contract, and Jim Reeves is glad to see that happen.

* Maybe Jerry Jones was just a little too happy from watching George Strait in person, but now he's saying the Dallas Cowboys will not bring Pacman Jones back.

* Fort Worth Cats 14, Pensacola Pelicans 10: Pat O'Sullivan homered twice and tied a team record with eight RBI.

* Monday's MLB highlight: Atlanta Braves 7, Pittsburgh Pirates 6 (15) -- David Ross' bases-loaded infield single scored Jeff Francoeur in the bottom of the 15th inning to end a game that lasted 4 hours, 46 minutes. The win was manager Bobby Cox's 2000th with the Braves.

* Today is Donald Duck Day. Donald Fauntleroy Duck made his screen debut in "The Wise Little Hen" on this date in 1934.

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The best of what to watch today ...

* Detroit Red Wings at Pittsburgh Penguins. Game 6 is in Pittsburgh, with the Red Wings one win from clinching the Stanley Cup. Last year, in this exact situation, Detroit won 3-2 in Pittsburgh. 7 p.m., NBC.

* Toronto Blue Jays at Texas Rangers. The Rangers' Doug Mathis makes his first start in place of the injured Brandon McCarthy. Brian Tallet (3-3, 4.54) starts for Toronto. Since May 1, Tallet is 2-2 with a 3.60 ERA, and he allowed only two runs in each of those two losses. 7:05 p.m., KDFI/Channel 27.

* Los Angeles Lakers at Orlando Magic. The Magic return home 2-0 in the NBA Finals, but is a missed layup by rookie Courtney Lee from being tied at 1 in the series. 8 p.m., ABC.

-- David Thomas

Breakfast Crumbs: Monday

Notes and thoughts compiled at the breakfast table ...

* Texas Rangers 6, Boston Red Sox 3: Vicente Padilla allowedtwo earned runs and four hits over seven innings as the Rangers won a series in Boston for the first time since 1997.

* Have you ever opened up the sports section, saw the top storyand screamed, "NOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!"? This headline today made me do that: "Jerry Jones considers the return of Pacman."

* TCU 3, Texas 2: Paul Gerrish pitched seven strong innings and Matt Vern and Matt Carpenter homered to help the Horned Frogs force the third and deciding game of the NCAA Super Regional series in Austin.

* Gil LeBreton has watched both games of the TCU-Texas series and hasn't determined which team is David and which is Goliath.

* Fort Worth Cats 11, El Paso Diablos 4: On "St. Patrick's Day in June," Pat O'Sullivan's three-run homer gets the Cats on their way to their 17th win in 23 games this season.

* Some big names in the sports world won Sunday: Tiger Woods at The Memorial, Roger Federer at the French Open and Tony Stewart at the Pocono 500.

* Sunday's NBA highlight: Los Angeles Lakers 101, Orlando Magic 96 (OT) -- Kobe Bryant scored 29 points and Pau Gasol added 24 as the Lakers took a 2-0 lead in the NBA Finals. Rashard Lewis led the Magic with 34 points. The Finals has a 2-3-2 format, so the next three games will be played in Orlando.

* Sunday's MLB highlight: Toronto Blue Jays 4, Kansas City Royals 0 -- Roy Halladay became the majors' first 10-game winner, needing only 97 pitches to throw a complete game. Halladay (10-1) allowed seven hits. He has pitched at least seven innings in all 13 starts.

* Today is Best Friends Day.

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The best of what to watch today ...

* NCAA Super Regional: TCU at Texas. The winner advances to the College World Series. TCU is going for its first trip to Omaha. 6 p.m., ESPN 2.

* Toronto Blue Jays at Texas Rangers. A four-game set kicks off the Rangers' 10-game homestand -- their longest of the season. The Blue Jays have won five of their past nine games after losing nine in a row. Toronto starts Casey Janssen (1-2, 5.82), who has allowed at least three runs in all three of his starts. The Rangers start Scott Feldman (5-0, 3.79), who has won his last three starts. 7:05 p.m., Fox Sports Southwest.

-- David Thomas

Breakfast Crumbs: Friday

Notes and thoughts compiled at the breakfast table ...

* New York Yankees 8, Texas Rangers 6: The Rangers led 5-1 in the fifth, but lost on Melky Cabrera's two-run homer in the bottom of the eighth. Brandon McCarthy allowed five runs in that fateful fifth.

* Randy Galloway: The Rangers placing Vicente Padilla on waivers is a motivation move.

* We had a 12-page special section on the new Cowboys Stadium in today's newspaper. Here's the link to a Q&A with Jerry Jones. The rest of the section's stories are in the "Related content" box. Recommendation: Get your hands on a print version for the photos and graphics.

* The Cowboys want play-makers in the secondary this season.

* It won't be a "Wildcat" offense the Cowboys will be running -- it will be a "Razorback" offense, with former Razorback Felix Jones at the feature spot.

* Danica Patrick is having a breakout season. Will it be her last in the IndyCar Series? Complete coverage of RaceWeek at Texas Motor Speedway.

* TCU freshman Kyle Winkler turned down big bucks (Big Bucks, Big Bucks, no Whammy ... Stop!) to come to TCU. He'll take the mound Saturday when the Horned Frogs open their Super Regional series at Texas.

* Gary West: Mine That Bird's running style doesn't seem to be a good fit for the Belmont Stakes.

* Thursday's NBA highlight: Los Angeles Lakers 100, Orlando Magic 75 -- The NBA Finals sure got off to a riveting start. Kobe Bryant scored 40, and the Magic shot just 30 percent. Dwight Howard went 1-for-6 from the field in scoring 12 points. (He made 10 free throws.)

* Thursday's NHL highlight: Pittsburgh Penguins 4, Detroit Red Wings 2 -- The Penguins evened the Stanley Cup Finals at 2-2. Evgeni Malkin opened the scoring with his 14th goal of the postseason, and Sidney Crosby's first goal of the series gave the Pens a 3-2 lead. Marc-Andre Fleury made 37 saves.

* Thursday's MLB highlight: San Francisco Giants 5, Washington Nationals 1 -- Randy Johnson became the 24th pitcher to reach 300 career wins. Johnson, age 45, pitched six innings, allowing two hits and one unearned run, walking two and striking out two.

* Today is National Doughnut Day.

* Today also is Friday. That means it's '80s Music Day in CrumbsLand. Today: Whitney Houston performs "So Emotional."

TUBE TOPPER

The best of what to watch today ...

* Texas Rangers at Boston Red Sox. The Red Sox, tied with the Yankees at 32-22 for the best record in the American League, have won four consecutive games after sweeping a three-game series at the Detroit Tigers. (We won't bring up how the Rangers have fared in Detroit.) Kevin Millwood (4-4, 3.23) starts for the Rangers, and Brad Penny (5-1, 5.63) goes for the BoSox. 6:10 p.m., Fox Sports Southwest.

-- David Thomas

Breakfast Crumbs: Thursday

Notes and thoughts compiled at the breakfast table ...

* Texas Rangers 4, New York Yankees 2: The Rangers scored three runs in the top of the first, Scott Feldman held the Pinstripers to two runs over 6 1/3 innings, then C.J. Wilson and Frank Francisco took care of the rest. And check out this play by Elvis Andrus.

* That was a message pitch Vicente Padilla threw at Mark Teixeira in Wednesday's game, and the Rangers hope Padilla understood the message after they placed him on waivers. He still is expected to start Sunday, however.

* Texas Motor Speedway has been a good place for Tony Kanaan, and his team needs some of that TMS success in Saturday's Bombardier Learjet 550k.

* Shaquille O'Neal will be the grand marshal for Saturday's race.

* Did you see a race car cruising the streets of downtown Fort Worth around lunchtime Wednesday? Here's the story on that.

* Before his team heads to Austin to face Texas in the NCAA Super Regionals, TCU baseball coach Jim Schlossnagle sat down with our Stefan Stevenson for a dugout chat.

* Wednesday's MLB highlight: Boston Red Sox 10, Detroit Tigers 5 -- Josh Beckett didn't allow a hit for 6 2/3 innings, and David Ortiz had an RBI double. The Red Sox lost first baseman Kevin Youkilis to injury when he had his right foot stepped on at first base.

* Today is National Hug Your Cat Day. Fortunately, the Cats are at home tonight, for a 7:05 game against El Paso. So you can head out to LaGrave Field and hug Cameron Blair, or Joel Kirsten, or Kelley Gulledge, or whoever your favorite Cat is. Maybe even Twig!

TUBE TOPPERS

The best of what to watch today ...

* Texas Rangers at New York Yankees. It's the rubber game of the series, and Brandon McCarthy (5-2, 4.35) tried to win his third consecutive start for the Rangers. Chien-Ming Wang (0-3, 16.67) returns to the Yankees' rotation after a stint on the disabled list and time in the bullpen. He threw five shutout innings over his last two relief appearances. 12:05 p.m., Fox Sports Southwest.

* Detroit Red Wings at Pittsburgh Penguins. The Red Wings are up 2-1 and expect to have Pavel Datsyuk in the lineup tonight. He has missed the past six games with a foot injury. The Pens' Sidney Crosby has yet to score a goal in this series. 7 p.m., Versus.

* Orlando Magic at Los Angeles Lakers. The NBA Finals tips off tonight, with the Lakers going for their 15th title and the Magic going for its first. 8 p.m., ABC.

-- David Thomas

What's in a nickname?

One in a weekly series on the history behind college nicknames and mascots.

New Mexico Lobos

As with many of these nickname origins, there are several answers given. Here is the version the school goes with:

New Mexico began playing football in 1892, and its teams were called "The University Boys" or "Varsities." By 1917, students were seeking names for a mascot and the student newspaper, which was known as the U.N.M. Weekly. None of the possibilities gained much support.

In 1920, the Student Council met to recommend that a mascot be chosen because many universities at that time had mascots for their teams. George S. Bryan, a sophomore editor of the U.N.M. Weeklyand a student manager of the football team, suggested the Spanish word for wolf: "lobo." Bryan's suggestion received a strong and favorable response.

Wrote the student newspaper: "The Lobo is respected for his cunning, feared for his prowess, and is the leader of the pack. It is the ideal name for the Varsity boys who go forth to battle for the glory of the school. All together now; fifteen rahs for the LOBOS."

Sports teams remain the Lobos, and the student newspaper is the New Mexico Daily Lobo. A human mascot named "Lobo Louie" was created in the early 1960s. In the early 1970s, Louiewas joined by a second mascot named "Loby Lucy."

(Information and photo: www.golobos.com)

-- David Thomas

Breakfast Crumbs: Wednesday

Notes and thoughts compiled at the breakfast table ...

* New York Yankees 12, Texas Rangers 3: Hideki Matsui and Jorge Posada hit three-run homers as the Yanks took the Rangers out behind the Yankee Stadium woodshed again. Vicente Padilla allowed seven earned runs in 3 2/3 innings after coming off the disabled list. Relievers Derek Holland and Warner Madrigal followed Padilla and combined to allow five earned runs in 1 1/3 innings.

* That wasn't the worst news of the day for the Rangers, however. Josh Hamilton is on the disabled list and could be there for just two weeks or he might be there until September.

* As expected, the Dallas Cowboys released Greg Ellis.

* Gil LeBreton: Finally, the Cowboys are saying so long to veteran players.

* New Cowboys backup quarterback Jon Kitna says he is here to win games, even if that means never playing a down.

* Tuesday's NHL highlight: Pittsburgh Penguins 4, Detroit Red Wings 2 -- Hold off on that Detroit parade. The Penguins took Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Finals to trim their deficit to 2-1. Sergei Gonchar gave the Pens a 3-2 lead on his power-play goal midway through the third period. Evgeni Malkin assisted on Pittsburgh's first three goals.

* Tuesday's MLB highlight: Toronto Blue Jays 6, Los Angeles Angels 4 -- Roy Halladay improved to a major league-best 9-1 by striking out a career-high 14 batters in his second complete game of the season. Halladay, whose only loss came to the Rangers, allowed seven hits. The Angels remained 4 1/2 games behind THE FIRST-PLACE TEXAS RANGERS.

* Today is National Repeat Day.

* Today is National Repeat Day.

TUBE TOPPERS

The best of what to watch today ...

* The Memorial Skins Game. Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods will play in the same group in the exhibition before Jack's tournament begins tomorrow. Nicklaus and Woods will be joined by Stewart Cink and Kenny Perry. The second foursome consists of Vijay Singh, Jim Furyk, Padraig Harrington and Camilo Villegas. Noon, Golf.

* Texas Rangers at New York Yankees.The Rangers have never won at the new Yankee Stadium, but Scott Feldman (4-0, 3.91) tries to change that. He'll face Andy Pettitte (5-1, 4.10), who has won three consecutive decisions but left his last start with a strained back. 6 p.m., Fox Sports Southwest.

-- David Thomas

Breakfast Crumbs: Tuesday

Notes and thoughts compiled at the breakfast table ...

* Today is National Bubba Day. That's the PGA Tour's Bubba Watson to the left.

* Jim Reeves likes the Dallas Stars' hiring of Joe Nieuwendyk as general manager, and he'll like it even more if Nieuwendyk keeps Dave Tippett on as coach. However, there is no guaranteed job security for Tippett with the change in bosses.

* Nieuwendyk's plan: Build through the draft, not free agency.

* TCU will face No. 1-seeded Texas this weekend in the NCAA Super Regionals.

* That's New York Jets tight end Bubba Franks to the left, from his days with the Green Bay Packers.

* Reigning Indianapolis 500 champion Helio Castroneves has seemingly done it all. Except for going line dancing. And riding a bull.

* After winning the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial, Steve Stricker is now ranked eighth in the world rankings, fourth on the money list and second in the FedEx Cup race. He calls having his name on Colonial's Wall of Champions "very humbling."

* That's former major-leaguer Bubba Crosby to the left.

* Phil Mickelson plans to return to play in time for the U.S. Open.

* Monday's MLB highlight: New York Yankees 5, Cleveland Indians 2 -- Joba Chamberlain allowed two runs over a career-high eight innings and the Yankees broke a major-league record with their 18th consecutive errorless game.

TUBE TOPPERS

The best of what to watch today ...

* Texas Rangers at New York Yankees. The Rangers start June coming off a 20-9 May. The Yankees have won 15 of 19. Vicente Padilla (3-2, 4.71) returns from the disabled list to start for the Rangers. The Pinstripers go with A.J. Burnett (3-2, 4.78), who defeated the Rangers last Wednesday in Arlington. 6 p.m., KDFI/Channel 27.

* Detroit Red Wings at Pittsburgh Penguins. The Stanley Cup Finals shifts to Pittsburgh for Game 3 with Detroit leading 2-0. Thirty-one of 32 teams who won the first two games of a Finals series at home have won the Cup. Now that's a trend. 7 p.m., Versus.

ONE FINAL BUBBA

This is our favorite (and biggest) Bubba: Bubba Buff from Haltom High School.

-- David Thomas

Breakfast Crumbs: Monday

Notes and thoughts compiled at the breakfast table ...

* In what our Jim Reeves called golf like it ought to be, Steve Stricker won the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial on the second hole of a three-man playoff. Complete Colonial coverage.

* Oakland Athletics 5, Texas Rangers 4: Adam Kennedy's ninth-inning home run kept the A's from a four-game sweep and ended Frank Francisco's streak of 28 consecutive appearances without allowing an earned run.

* More injury concerns for Josh Hamilton. He's having an MRI on his abdomen today.

* In a Sunday surprise, the Dallas Stars nixed their co-general manager gig and brought in former player Joe Nieuwendyk to do the job by himself.

* Rafael Nadal's streak of 31 consecutive match wins at the French Open is history.

* TCU 5, Oregon State 4: The Horned Frogs scored a run in the bottom of the ninth inning to earn their first trip to an NCAA Super Regional. Gil LeBreton says the Super Regional berth is a dream come true.

* Sunday's NHL highlight: Detroit Red Wings 3, Pittsburgh Penguins 1 -- Valtteri Filppula scored the go-ahead goal midway through the second period and Chris Osgood made 31 saves as the Wings took a 2-0 lead in the Stanley Cup Finals.

* Sunday's MLB highlight: Philadelphia Phillies 4, Washington Nationals 2 -- Jamie Moyer became the 44th pitcher -- and 11th lefty -- to win 250 games, allowing three hits and one run over six innings.

* Having trouble making a decision today? Here's help: Today is National Flip A Coin Day. Not sure how you're going to decide whether to take heads or tails, though.

TUBE TOPPER

The best of what to watch today ...

* New York Yankees at Cleveland Indians. Do some advance scouting on the Rangers' next opponent. The Yankees, who host the Rangers in a three-game series beginning Tuesday, have won 14 of their past 18 games. 6 p.m., ESPN.

-- David Thomas

Breakfast Crumbs: Friday

Notes and thoughts compiled at the breakfast table ...

* Woody Austin, Tim Clark and Steve Stricker each shot 7-under 63 to share the first round lead at the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial. Vijay Singh and two-time plaid jacket-wearer Kenny Perry shot 64. Complete Colonial coverage (and there's a lot of it.)

* Texas Rangers first baseman Chris Davis, despite his .203 average and major league-leading 71 strikeouts, isn't leaving the starting lineup.

* Jerry Jones says receiver Miles Austin can become another Terrell Owens. (He's talking about on the field.)

* TCU's baseball team opens play in the Fort Worth NCAA Regional at 7 p.m. by hosting Wright State at Lupton Stadium. Texas A&M and Oregon State play at 2 p.m.

* Thursday's NBA highlight: Cleveland Cavaliers 112, Orlando Magic 102 -- The Cavs extended the series to Game 6 thanks to LeBron James' triple-double (36 points, 14 rebounds, 12 assists). The Cavs led 32-10 in the first quarter.

* Thursday's MLB highlight: Boston Red Sox 3, Minnesota Twins 1 -- Red Sox catcher Jason Varitek hit two home runs then later became one of four people ejected for arguing by home plate ump Todd Tichenor. Tichenor ran both teams' starting catchers and both managers. Josh Beckett got the win, allowing three hits and one run over eight innings. He struck out eight.

* It's Friday, so it's '80s Music Day in CrumbsLand. Today, we're featuring Billy Ocean with "Caribbean Queen."

TUBE TOPPERS

The best of what to watch today ...

* Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial. Some of the late tee times for TV coverage include co-leaders Woody Austin and Tim Clark, plus Vijay Singh and Kenny Perry in the same group. 2 p.m., Golf.

* Oakland Athletics at Texas Rangers. Let's watch two! The Rangers have called up righthander Tommy Hunter to start the first game of the doubleheader. He'll face Josh Outman (2-0, 2.90). In the second game, Scott Feldman (3-0, 4.04) goes against Edgar Gonzalez (0-0, 1.80). 4 p.m., Fox Sports Southwest.

-- David Thomas

Breakfast Crumbs: Thursday

Notes and thoughts compiled at the breakfast table ...

* New York Yankees 9, Texas Rangers 2: The Yanks take two out of three in Arlington. Over the past 13 seasons, the Rangers have won one home series against New York.

* Randy Galloway: Rangers owner Tom Hicks now says he is open to selling majority ownership of the franchise.

* Today's Colonial coverage:
-- Without Phil Mickelson, Vijay Singh's return highlights this year's tournament.
-- Jimmy Burch column: Tweaks to the course should make scores higher.
-- Jimmy makes Geoff Ogilvy the odds-on favorite to win.
-- Speaking of Ogilvy, he's a surfer dude.
-- Notebook: Jim Furyk says the course isn't just more difficult, it's also better.
-- Past champions share their favorite Colonial memories.

* Cowboys Stadium -- with an updated price tag of $1.15 billion -- is open for business.

* Ten reasons to feel as good about the Cowboys as their stadium.

* It's always a good time to speculate on what might happen between the Dallas Mavericks and Jason Kidd.

* Wednesday's NBA highlight: Los Angeles Lakers 103, Denver Nuggets 94 -- With the score tied after three quarters, the Lakers opened the fourth quarter with an 11-0 run to take a 3-2 series lead.

* Wednesday's NHL highlight: Detroit Red Wings 2, Chicago Blackhawks 1 (OT) -- Darren Helms' goal 3:58 into overtime ended the Western Conference Finals series in five games. The Red Wings now have a Stanley Cup Finals rematch with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

* Wednesday's MLB highlight: Chicago Cubs 5, Pittsburgh Pirates 2 -- Reed Johnson's home run in the eighth broke a 2-2 tie, then the Cubs added runs on doubles by Andres Blanco and Jake Fox, yada, yada, yada. Let's get to the real reason why this game is Wednesday's MLB highlight. Cubs pitcher Carlos Zambrano threw a good tantrum after getting ejected. Here's the video.

* Indy 500 champ Helio Castroneves visits Fort Worth to promote the upcoming Bombardier Learjet 550K at Texas Motor Speedway.

* The NCAA accuses the Memphis men's basketball team of "major violations" while current Kentucky coach John Calipari was in charge.

* Today is National Hamburger Day. This is going to be a great day.

TUBE TOPPERS

The best of what to watch today ...

* Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial. See for yourself what impact the course changes have on the first-round scores. 2 p.m., Golf.

-- David Thomas

What's in a nickname?

One in a weekly series on the history behind college nicknames and mascots.

Idaho State Bengals

Bengals do not have a deep, rich history in and around Pocatello, Idaho. In fact, in his History of Idaho State College, author Merrill Beal referred to the Bengal Tiger as "a creature that has never been found hereabouts, living or dead."

Idaho State's nickname comes from Princeton.

When the school's name was Idaho Technical Institute, athletes were called Bantams. But the nickname never seemed a good fit. Princeton graduate Ralph H. Hutchinson became Director of Physical Education and Athletics in 1921 and created an "I" Club. Members made Princeton's Bengal Tiger their mascot.

(Source: isubengals.cstv.com)

-- David Thomas

Breakfast Crumbs: Wednesday

Notes and thoughts compiled at the breakfast table ...

* Texas Rangers 7, New York Yankees 3: Thanks to the weather, the game didn't end until after 12:30 a.m. In case you didn't stay up, here's what happened: Chris Davis homered twice (and struck out twice), the Rangers knocked Joba Chamberlain out after four innings, Kevin Millwood didn't make it out of the fifth for the first time and the Rangers' bullpen threw 3 1/3 shutout innings.

* Today's Colonial coverage ...
-- Flower Mound resident Rod Pampling certainly has had his chances at Colonial.
-- 1989 champ Ian Baker-Finch leaves the broadcast booth to play in his first event since 2001.
-- Third-ranked Paul Casey flew in from England to play Colonial for the first time.

* With Greg Ellis on his way out as a Dallas Cowboy, the stage is set for Anthony Spencer to become a full-time starter at linebacker.

* It is confirmed that Dirk Nowitzki's jailed ex-girlfriend is pregnant.

* Tuesday's NBA highlight: Orlando Magic 116, Cleveland Cavaliers 114 (OT) -- LeBron James scored 44 points, but this time his last-second 3-point attempt -- from farther out than in Game 3 -- didn't go down. Now the Cavs are up 3-1. Dwight Howard had 27 points and 14 rebounds and scored 10 points in overtime. Orlando made 17 3-pointers.

* Tuesday's NHL highlight: Pittsburgh Penguins 4, Carolina Hurricanes 1 -- The Penguins swept the Hurricanes out of the Eastern Conference Finals, earning Pittsburgh a return trip to the Stanley Cup Finals. Former Star Bill Guerin scored one of the Pens' goals, and Sidney Crosby had two assists.

* Tuesday's MLB highlight: Kansas City Royals 6, Detroit Tigers 1 -- Zack Greinke turned in his fifth complete game to improve to 8-1, even though the run he allowed raised his ERA all the way up to 0.84. Greinke struck out eight and allowed six hits. Mitch Maier, who entered the game in the fifth inning, drove in three runs for the Royals.

* Today is National Sun Screen Day. And with lots of sunshine in the Colonial weekend forecast, we'll be needing the sun screen.

TUBE TOPPERS

The best of what to watch today ...

* New York Yankees at Texas Rangers. Monday's 11-1 loss seems so long ago, doesn't it? The Rangers can win the series tonight. Derek Holland (1-1, 4.82) starts opposite A.J. Burnett (2-2, 5.28), who hasn't won a game since winning his first two starts as a Yankee. 7 p.m., Fox Sports Southwest and ESPN2.

-- David Thomas

Breakfast Crumbs: Tuesday

Notes and thoughts compiled at the breakfast table ...

* New York Yankees 11, Texas Rangers 1: A crowd of 48,914 booed both teams as Alex Rodriguez got more hits (five) than the Rangers (four).

* Today's Colonial coverage ...
-- Some day when you're playing Meadowbrook Golf Course, you might just bump into Chad Campbell.
-- After moving up to No. 3 in the world rankings, Paul Casey is Colonial's highest-ranked competitor.
-- Carl Pettersson loves Colonial, loves Fort Worth. And with the glowing things he says, don't be surprised if the Chamber of Commerce asks him back to speak again.

* TCU receives the Fort Worth regional's top seed and will host Wright State on Friday. Texas A&M and Oregon State complete the four-team regional.

* Gary West on Lone Star Million Day: "Everything you love about racing and everything you hate about the sport were summed up in six stakes races at Lone Star Park ...."

* Monday's NBA highlight: Denver Nuggets 120, Los Angeles Lakers 101 -- The Nuggets evened the Western Conference Finals series at 2-2 behind 24 points each from Chauncey Billups and J.R. Smith. Kenyon Martin and Nene both had double-doubles for the Nuggets. Kobe Bryant scored 34 points for the Lakers. But here are the interesting numbers from the game: five technical fouls and 84 free throws. Sound familiar, Dallas Mavericks fans?

* Monday's MLB highlight: Cleveland Indians 11, Tampa Bay Rays 10 -- The Indians scored seven runs in the bottom of the ninth to win after trailing 10-0 in the fourth inning. Ryan Garko was 3-for-5 with five RBI for the Indians. The Rays have lost 14 consecutive games in Cleveland.

* Today is Sally Ride Day, on the birthdate of the first U.S. woman in outer space.

TUBE TOPPERS

The best of what to watch today ...

* New York Yankees at Texas Rangers. Should Rangers fans hope that Kevin Millwood (4-4, 3.12) doesn't throw a complete game tonight? He is 0-2 this season when he goes the distance, including last time out against the Detroit Tigers. The Yankees start Joba Chamberlain (2-1, 3.70), who recorded only two outs in his last game before being hit with a line drive and leaving. 7 p.m., KDFI/Channel 27.

-- David Thomas

Breakfast Crumbs: Friday

Notes and thoughts compiled at the breakfast table ...

* Detroit Tigers 4, Texas Rangers 3: That's 11 straight losses in Detroit for the Rangers. Kevin Millwood pitched a complete game, allowing six hits. Millwood, by the way, is 0-2 in his complete games this season.

*When the Rangers take the field in Houston tonight, rookie lefty Derek Holland will be on the mound for his first start. Vicente Padilla goes onto the DL, Frankie Francisco comes off.

* The Lone Star Series ... is it a rivalry?

* The Dallas Cowboys have placed Greg Ellis on the trading block.

* Jerry Jones & Co. unveiled the new, humongous Diamond Vision video board at Cowboys Stadium. I was there and, trust me, it's a little bigger than what you're used to watching in your living room.

* Ken Duke and James Nitties are the names atop the leaderboard at the HP Byron Nelson Championship.

* As anticipated, Geoff Ogilvy commits to play at Colonial next week. Ranked fifth in the world, Ogilvy will be the highest-ranked golfer in the tournament.

* Texas Tech football coach Mike Leach, in a Q&A with our Dwain Price, on why he does not like golf: "It's too slow, too boring. Who cares if the ball goes in the hole or not?"

* TCU 9, BYU 2: Behind freshman Kyle Winkler's complete game, TCU stays alive in the Mountain West Conference baseball tournament

* Thursday's NBA highlight: Denver Nuggets 106, Los Angeles Lakers 103 -- The Nuggets defeated the Lakers for the first time ever in the postseason to even the series at 1-1. Carmelo Anthony had 34 points and Chauncey Billups scored 27 for Denver. LA's Kobe Bryant scored 32 points.

* Thursday's NHL highlight: Pittsburgh Penguins 7, Carolina Hurricanes 4 -- Evgeni Malkin's hat trick -- he also added an assist -- helped the Penguins take a 2-0 series lead. Malkin scored back-to-back goals in the third period to give the Pens a 6-4 lead. Matt Cooke assisted on three of Pittsburgh's goals.

* Thursday's MLB highlight: Minnesota Twins 20, Chicago White Sox 1 -- This game tied for the most lopsided loss in White Sox history. Joe Mauer hit a grand slam as part of his six RBI for the Twins, who scored seven runs in the second inning and six in the sixth.

* Today is Buy A Musical Instrument Day. Except at my house.

* Speaking of music, it's a lovely Friday -- a great day for our weekly mini-concert on the CrumbsLand '80s stage. Today's featured act is Duran Duran with "Hungry Like the Wolf."

TUBE TOPPERS

The best of what to watch today ...

* TCU vs. Utah baseball. It's a rematch of TCU's first game in the Mountain West Conference tournament, a 9-7 loss to the Utes.3 p.m., The Mtn. If TCU wins, the Horned Frogs play San Diego State at 7 p.m. on The Mtn.

* Texas Rangers at Houston Astros. In the first game for the Silver Boot, Rangers rookie lefty Derek Holland (1-1, 4.85) faces Houston's Felipe Paulino (1-3, 6.93). Paulino has yet to throw more than six innings in a game for the Astros (18-21), who lost two of three to the Milwaukee Brewers at home. 7 p.m., Fox Sports Southwest.

-- David Thomas

Breakfast Crumbs: Thursday

Notes and thoughts compiled at the breakfast table ...

* Detroit Tigers 5, Texas Rangers 3: Not even a triple play could keep the Rangers from losing their 10th consecutive game in Detroit.

* Defending Colonial champion Phil Mickelson withdrew from both the Nelson and Colonial after his wife was diagnosed with breast cancer.

* Utah 9, TCU 7: The Horned Frogs became the first top-seeded team in Mountain West Conference tournament history to lose to a No. 6 seed, dropping their first game in the tournament.

* Who will replace Terrell Owens for the Dallas Cowboys? Everybody.

* Thanks to the sterling work of Kevin Millwood and the ever-churning mind of Randy Galloway, we may have a new phrase: "A come to Nolan meeting."

* Because the Los Angeles Clippers landed the top pick in the NBA Draft, they may be looking to unload a big contract. Will the Dallas Mavericks be interested?

* There are 26 native Texans and Texas residents in the HP Byron Nelson Championship that begins today.

* Wednesday's NBA highlight: Orlando Magic 107, Cleveland Cavaliers 106 -- The Magic overcame a 15-point halftime deficit to surprisingly grab Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals. Dwight Howard scored 30 points and Rashard Lewis added 22 for the Magic. LeBron James scored 49 points for the Cavs, who lost for the first time in this postseason and for only the third time at home all season.

* Wednesday's MLB highlight: Boston Red Sox 8, Toronto Blue Jays 3 -- David Ortiz homered! Big Papi hit his first home run of the season, going deep in the fourth inning along with Jason Varitek, Jason Bay and Mike Lowell. Red Sox center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury recorded 12 putouts, tying the major-league record for putouts by an outfielder in a nine-inning game.

* Today is National Memo Day and -- in case you didn't get the memo -- it also is National Waiters and Waitresses Day. So here's a tip: Tip well.

TUBE TOPPERS

The best of what to watch today ...

* Texas Rangers at Detroit Tigers. Kevin Millwood (4-3, 2.93) tries to stop the Rangers' skid at two. Detroit goes for its second sweep of the Rangers this season with Edwin Jackson (3-2, 2.42) on the mound. 12:05 p.m, Fox Sports Southwest.

* HP Byron Nelson Championship. The first-round tees off in Las Colinas. 2 p.m., GOLF.

* TCU vs. BYU or New Mexico. The Horned Frogs are backed into an early must-win corner at the Mountain West Conference baseball tournament. 3 p.m., The Mtn. and CBS CS.

-- David Thomas

What's in a nickname?

One in a weekly series on the history behind college nicknames and mascots.

Valparaiso Crusaders

Valpo's original mascot was the Uhlan, a violent German knight. The school changed its nickname to Crusaders in January 1942, shortly after the United States entered World War II. A committee appointed by Valparaiso president O.P. Kretzmann and the faculty athletics committee came up with the new nickname.

(Source: www.valpo.edu)

-- David Thomas

Breakfast Crumbs: Wednesday

Notes and thoughts compiled at the breakfast table ...

* Detroit Tigers 4, Texas Rangers 0: Did someone go into the Tigers' locker room and hang a calendar from 2005? That was the old Dontrelle Willis we saw hold the Rangers to one hit over 6 1/3 innings.

* The Dallas Cowboys held their first OTA, and QB Tony Romo says there's no more pressure going into this year than any other year.

* Special teams coach Joe DeCamillis was on the field for workouts, wearing a neck brace two weeks after surgery for injuries suffered in the practice facility's collapse.

* The woman arrested at Dirk Nowitzki's home tells her story to a reporter via a phone call from jail.

* The Clippers won! The Los Angeles Clippers won the top pick in the NBA Draft lottery. Could be bad news for Oklahoma's Blake Griffin.

* The Trinity Trojans will play the first high school football game at Cowboys Stadium, meeting a team from Utah.

* At the HP Byron Nelson Championship yesterday, Arnold Palmer picked up the Byron Nelson Prize for his spirit of community involvement. There are many things to know about Mr. Nelson, but one is that Palmer considered Nelson his hero.

* Tuesday's NBA highlight: Los Angeles Lakers 105, Denver Nuggets 103 -- The Lakers opened the Western Conference Finals by overcoming a seven-point deficit in the fourth quarter for their 11th consecutive victory over the Nuggies in the postseason. It looked like Dirk-Melo all over again, with Kobe Bryant scoring 40 points and Carmelo Anthony scoring 39.

* Tuesday's NHL highlight: Detroit Red Wings 3, Chicago Blackhawks 2 (OT) -- Mikael Samuelsson scored 5:14 into overtime as the Red Wings took a 2-0 lead in the Western Conference Finals. Chris Osgood stopped 37 shots for Detroit. Jonathan Toews scored both Chicago goals, including one with 7:40 left in overtime that ultimately forced overtime.

* Tuesday's MLB highlight: New York Yankees 9, Baltimore Orioles 1 -- The Yankees won their seventh straight behind Alex Rodriguez's fourth consecutive game with a home run. Mark Teixeira hit his fourth homer in as many games, and CC Sabathia held the O's to three hits over seven innings.

* Today is Be A Millionaire Day. Show me how to become one, and I will.

TUBE TOPPERS

The best of what to watch today ...

* Texas Rangers at Detroit Tigers. The seven-game winning streak is over, but Rangers Fever is still contagious. Matt Harrison (4-2, 4.23) goes to work on the next winning streak. He has thrown back-to-back complete games. The Tigers, who are going for their 10th consecutive home victory over the Rangers, send out Justin Verlander (3-2, 4.29). He is 3-0 with a 0.92 ERA over his past four games. 6 p.m., Fox Sports Southwest.

* Utah at TCU baseball. Tenth-ranked TCU plays its first game in the Mountain West Conference tournament against Utah, which had to play 10 innings yesterday in winning its first-round game against BYU. 7 p.m., The Mtn. and CBS CS.

-- David Thomas

Breakfast Crumbs: Tuesday

Notes and thoughts compiled at the breakfast table ...

* Jim Reeves gives five reasons the Texas Rangers are THE FIRST-PLACE TEXAS RANGERS, beginning with Kevin Millwood.

* Today's game in Detroit starts a 27-day stretch for the Rangers in which they'll play 25 games. Nineteen of those games are against teams currently over .500.

* We have yet to reach the "happily ever after" part of the Kenyon Martin-Mark Cuban story.

* This is a potentially important season in the coaching career of Dallas Cowboys offensive coordinator Jason Garrett.

* If you want to see a lot of good baseball packed into a short amount of time, head over to TCU for the Mountain West Conference tournament that begins today.

* Tony Kornheiser is out, and Jon Gruden is in the booth for Monday Night Football.

* Monday's NHL highlight: Pittsburgh Penguins 3, Carolina Hurricanes 2 -- Former Dallas Stars defenseman Philippe Boucher and Evgeni Malkin had a goal and an assist each and Marc-Andre Fleury made 23 saves as the Penguins grabbed Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals.

* Monday's MLB highlight: Los Angeles Angels 10, Seattle Mariners 6 -- John Lackey lasted more than two pitches in his second start of the season. Kendry Morales hit two homers for the Angels, who won despite Lackey allowing five runs in five innings. The M's have lost 11 of 14, beginning with that two-game sweep administered to them by the Rangers in Seattle.

TUBE TOPPERS

The best of what to watch today ...

* Texas Rangers at Detroit Tigers. Brandon McCarthy (3-1, 5.92) defends the Rangers' seven-game winning streak against Dontrelle Willis (0-0, 7.71), who allowed four runs in 4 2/3 innings Wednesday in his first start since coming off the disabled list. The Tigers, who swept the Rangers in three games in Detroit in the first week of the season, are 6-3 over the last nine games -- with all three series being three-game sweeps. 6:05 p.m., KDFI/Channel 27.

-- David Thomas

Breakfast Crumbs: Monday

Notes and thoughts compiled at the breakfast table ...

* Texas Rangers 3, Los Angeles Angels 0: The Rangers swept the Angels to finish off a 6-0 homestand. Winners of seven straight, the Rangers now have the second-best record in the American League.

* Read how the Angels reacted to the sweep in the Los Angeles Times. Some interesting quotes.

* Former college teammates DeAngelo Smith and Mike Mickens hope to make a big impact together in the Dallas Cowboys' secondary.

* The first of three consecutive weekends in Texas for the PGA Tour resulted in Zach Johnson defeating James Driscoll in a playoff for the Texas Open title. The Tour now comes to North Texas for two weeks.

* John Andretti and Ryan Hunter-Reay were the last two drivers to make it into the Indy 500 field on an exciting Bump Day.

* Sunday's NBA highlights: Los Angeles Lakers 89, Houston Rockets 70 and Orlando Magic 101, Boston Celtics 82 -- Two Game 7's ended with 19-point deficits. Pau Gasol scored 21 points and had 18 rebounds for the Lakers. Dwight Howard had 12 points, 16 boards and five blocks as the Magic sent the defending champions home.

* Sunday's NHL highlight: Detroit Red Wings 5, Chicago Blackhawks 2 -- Dan Cleary scored two goals as the Red Wings won the opener in the Western Conference Finals. The score was tied 2-2 early in the third period before Detroit scored twice in an 87-second span.

* Sunday's MLB highlight: Tampa Bay Rays 7, Cleveland Indians 5 -- Rays starting pitcher Andy Sonnanstine had to bat third because manager Joe Maddon accidentally put two third baseman in his starting lineup and lost his designated hitter. Sonnanstine went 1-for-3 with an RBI double and allowed five runs in 5 2/3 innings to get the win.

* Today is No Dirty Dishes Day and Visit Your Relatives Day. If you visit your relatives today, you won't have any dirty dishes. Although they will. (And they don't charge for this great advice on the Internet?)

TUBE TOPPERS

The best of what to watch today ...

* Carolina Hurricanes at Pittsburgh Penguins. The Eastern Conference's sixth and fourth seeds start their conference finals matchup. The Pens' Sidney Crosby has scored 12 goals and 21 points in 13 games this postseason. 6:30 p.m., Versus.

-- David Thomas

Breakfast Crumbs: Friday

Notes and thoughts compiled at the breakfast table ...

* Texas Rangers 3, Seattle Mariners 2: Matt Harrison threw another complete game, and Chris Davis' two-run home run capped a three-run bottom of the ninth.

* Now we can begin to argue over what the Dallas Mavericks need to do this off-season:
-- Randy Galloway says it's telling that the Mavs are being commended for their effort.
-- The TNT boys debate what to do with Jason Kidd, while Derek Harper says he'd like to see Stephen Jackson in a Mavs uniform.
-- League-type experts say the Mavs need: 1.) a built-for-speed big man who can score; 2.) another perimeter scorer.

* Not everyone is through talking about the Mavs-Denver Nuggets series. Nuggets coach George Karl says Mavs fans crossed the line by using racial slurs. Mark Cuban disagrees with Karl's account.

* The Fort Worth Cats opened the season with a big crowd (4,872) and a 7-5 win over the Grand Prairie AirHogs.

* Thursday's NBA highlight: Houston Rockets 95, Los Angeles Lakers 80 -- After being blown out by 40 points, the Rockets get out to a 17-1 lead and force a Game 7 in L.A. on Sunday afternoon.

* Thursday's NHL highlights: Carolina Hurricanes 3, Boston Bruins 2 (OT) and Detroit Red Wings 4, Anaheim Ducks 3 -- Two series decided with late,Game 7 drama. The Hurricanes advanced when Scott Walker scored his first NHL goal with 1:14 left in overtime. The Red Wings eliminated the Ducks on Dan Cleary's goal with 3:00 remaining.

* Thursday's MLB highlight: Los Angeles Angels 5, Boston Red Sox 4 (12) -- The Angels come to town on a winning note thanks to Jef Mathis' run-scoring single with one out in the bottom of the 12th. Torii Hunter went 3-for-5 with three RBI. Boston's David Ortiz went 0-for-7 and left 12 runners on base.

* Today is National Chocolate Chip Day.

* It seems like forever since we've had Crumbs on Friday, and we've missed the weekly '80s music tribute. But we're back today. I'm not saying we're better than ever, but we're back. On the Crumbsland stage ... Ray Parker Jr. with "Ghostbusters."

TUBE TOPPERS

The best of what to watch today ...

* Los Angeles Angels at Texas Rangers. The Angels have won nine of 11, the Rangers 10 of 12. Whatever you do, don't tell Marlon Byrd it's only May. Angels starter Joe Saunders is 5-1 with a 2.66 ERA. Kevin Millwood (3-3, 2.92) goes for the local nine. 7 p.m., Fox Sports Southwest.

-- David Thomas

Breakfast Crumbs: Thursday

Notes and thoughts compiled at the breakfast table ...

* Denver Nuggets 124, Dallas Mavericks 110: The series and the season areover, and it's clear that the Nuggies were the better team. In the three games at Denver, the Mavs lost by 14, 12 and 14 points. Click here for complete Mavs coverage. Let the speculation begin on what happens next with the Mavs.

* Texas Rangers 6, Seattle Mariners 5 (11): Hank Blalock delivered a game-winning, two-run double in the bottom of the 11th to give THE FIRST-PLACE RANGERS their ninth win in their past 11 games.

* And the name of the Cowboys' stadium is ... Cowboys Stadium. For now, anyway.

* The Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial field gets even stronger, with Vijay Singh and Adam Scott committing to play. Geoff Ogilvy could be next. Vijay hasn't played here since 2002, Scott never has.

* Former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Banks says he once had a relationship with the female arrested at Dirk Nowitzki's house.

* The Howard College baseball team lost its first game after winning its first 57.

* Wednesday's NHL highlight: Pittsburgh Penguins 6, Washington Capitals 2 -- The Pens, who lost the first two games of the series, won Game 7 behind Sidney Crosby's two goals. Pittsburgh was up 5-0 midway through the second period.

* Wednesday's MLB highlight: Washington Nationals 6, San Francisco Giants 3 -- Even though the Nationals winning certainly qualifies as big news, the biggest news was that Washington third baseman Ryan Zimmerman's 30-game hitting streak ended. Nats starter Shairon Martis allowed two hits over seven innings to improve to 5-0.

* Today is National Dance Like a Chicken Day. So here is what you need to do.

TUBE TOPPERS

The best of what to watch today ...

* Seattle Mariners at Texas Rangers. Day game! (Weather permitting.) Matt Harrison (3-2, 4.79)  runs his streak of 19 consecutive scoreless innings onto the mound. He'll be opposed by M's ace Felix Hernandez (4-2, 4.09), who has allowed 11 earned runs over his past two starts. 1 p.m., Fox Sports Southwest.

-- David Thomas

What's in a nickname?

One in a weekly series on the history behind college nicknames and mascots.

Richmond Spiders

Richmond is the only college in the country with a Spider mascot, and the nickname dates to 1894.

Richmond's teams were known as Colts from 1876-1893 because they played like an "energetic group of young colts." In the summer of 1894, pitcher Puss Ellyson inspired a new nickname.

Ellyson was lanky and threw with a stretching kick that baffled batters, and that prompted Richmond Times-Dispatch writer Ragland Chesterman to begin referring to the team as the Spiders. The name has been used for more than a century.

(Information and photo: www.richmondspiders.com)

-- David Thomas

Breakfast Crumbs: Wednesday

Notes and thoughts compiled at the breakfast table ...

* Texas Rangers 7, Seattle Mariners 1: Josh Hamilton's home run sparked a six-run seventh inning, and Scott Feldman turned in another solid start.

* If you eat steak fingers today, cross your fingers. Rangers closer Frank Francisco has biceps tendinitis. He should miss the Mariners series, and he could go to the disabled list.

* Gil LeBreton says Game 5 tonight between the Dallas Mavericks and Dallas Nuggets could get ugly, and in more ways than one. Click here for complete Mavs-Nuggets coverage.

* Emmitt Smith and Troy Aikman take different sides on Terrell Owens' departure from the Dallas Cowboys.

* Roger Clemens is talking. Are you buying?

* Ty Murray has danced his last dance on Dancing with the Stars.

* For future planning purposes, here are the venues for the 2011 Super Bowl.

 

* Tuesday's NBA highlight: Los Angeles Lakers 118, Houston Rockets 78 -- Ouch! No Yao was a problem for the Rockets in Game 5. Kobe Bryant scored 26 points then took the fourth quarter off for the Lakers, who led by 29 pointslate in the first half. The 40-point loss matched the Rockets' worst in postseason history. In 2005, they lost 116-76 to the Mavs.

* Tuesday's NHL highlight: Anaheim Ducks 2, Detroit Red Wings 1 -- There will be a Game 7 Thursday night in Detroit. Jonas Hiller made 38 saves, and Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry had a goal and an assist each for the Ducks.

* Tuesday's MLB highlight: Boston Red Sox 4, Los Angeles Angels 3 -- J.D. Drew homered and Jason Varitek doubled in the winning run in the top of the ninth. The Angels, who had won seven of eight, now trailed THE FIRST-PLACE TEXAS RANGERS by 1 1/2 games.

* Today is Frog Jumping Day. May have to stop by TCU and see what's going on.

TUBE TOPPERS

* Seattle Mariners at Texas Rangers. The Rangers face tough lefty Jarrod Washburn (3-2, 2.68), who has allowed two or fewer runs in five of his six starts. He is opposed by Brandon McCarthy (3-1, 6.10), who has not allowed two or fewer runs in five of his six starts. 7 p.m., Fox Sports Southwest.

* Dallas Mavericks at Denver Nuggets. Watch the game, watch the stands, watch the benches -- just watch out for everything. Does the series return to Dallas? 8 p.m., TNT.

-- David Thomas

Breakfast Crumbs: Tuesday

Notes and thoughts compiled at the breakfast table ...

* Dallas Mavericks 119, Denver Nuggets 117: Dirk Nowitzki scored 44 points, including 19 in the fourth quarter, and the Mavs won a chippy game (seven technical fouls, two flagrant fouls) to avoid the sweep. For complete coverage, include lots of Kenyon Martin controversy, click here.

* Mike Modano will return to the Dallas Stars for his 20th season.

* Dallas Cowboys special teams coach Joe DeCamillas is back home after surgery for injuries suffered during the collapse of the team's practice facility.

* Chicago White Sox closer Bobby Jenks says he intentionally threw behind the Texas Rangers' Ian Kinsler. The teams don't play again this season.

* Monday's NBA highlight: Cleveland Cavaliers 84, Atlanta Hawks 74 -- LeBron James scored 27 points -- seems like a so-so night for him, doesn't it? -- as the Cavs swept Atlanta out of the second round. Cleveland has won an NBA-record eight consecutive playoff games by at double digits.

* Monday's NHL highlight: Chicago Blackhawks 7, Vancouver Canucks 5 -- Patrick Kane scored three times, including a goal at 13:00 of the third period that tied the score at 5. The Blackhawks won the series 4-2 to advance to the Western Conference finals for the first time since 1995.

* Monday's MLB highlight: Atlanta Braves 8, New York Mets 3 -- The Braves snapped the Mets' seven-game winning streak by scoring seven runs over the final three innings. Mets starter Johan Santana allowed two runs -- both unearned -- in 6 1/3 innings to lower his ERA to 0.78.

* Today is National Limerick Day. So here goes ...
Mavs-Nuggets' games have become thuggy,
At times looking more like rugby.
They're talking trash
And acting all brash.
They're two teams in need of a huggy.

TUBE TOPPERS

The best of what to watch today ...

* Seattle Mariners at Texas Rangers. The Rangers should have Josh Hamilton and Michael Young back in the lineup. Scott Feldman (2-0, 5.79), who has a 3.24 ERA in his three starts, goes for the Rangers. The M's throw lefty Jason Vargas (1-0, 0.00), who has only pitched twice in relief this season. 7:05 p.m., Fox Sports Southwest.

-- David Thomas

Breakfast Crumbs: Monday

Notes and thoughts compiled at the breakfast table ...

* Texas Rangers 7, Chicago White Sox 1: Hank Blalock homered twice and Vicente Padilla allowed one hit over seven innings as the still-in-first-place Rangers completed a 5-2 toad trip.

* Our Gil LeBreton says the Dallas Mavericks need to win four games against the Denver Nuggets, but they're trying to win just one game.

* Henrik Stenson's 6-under 66 gave him a four-shot victory over Ian Poulter in The Players' Championship. The members of the last group faded. Alex Cejka, who started the day with a five-shot lead, shot 79 and tied for ninth, eight shots back. Tiger Woods, shot 73 and finished seven back in eighth.

* Sunday's NBA highlight: Houston Rockets 99, Los Angeles Lakers 87 -- No Yao, no problem. The Rockets jumped out to a 19-4 lead and led by as much as 29 points to even the series 2-2 in the first game after Yao Ming's postseason-ending foot injury. Aaron Brooks scored 34 points for the Rockets, and Shane Battier hit five 3-pointers en route to his 23 points. Kobe Bryant was held to 15 points.

* Sunday's NHL highlight: Detroit Red Wings 4, Anaheim Ducks 1 -- Four different Red Wings scored, including two in the final 3:08. Detroit leads 3-2 with Game 6 Tuesday in Anaheim. The Ducks took only 17 shots on goal.

* Sunday's MLB highlight: St. Louis Cardinals 8, Cincinnati Reds 7 -- Colby Rasmus' 10th-inning RBI double helped the Cards overcome five home runs by the Reds, including two solo shots in the bottom of the ninth inning that tied the score. Albert Pujols hit his NL-leading 12th homer for St. Louis.

* Today is National Eat What You Want Day. Isn't every day?

TUBE TOPPERS

The best of what to watch today ...

* Denver Nuggets at Dallas Mavericks. No NBA team has ever won a series after trailing 3-0. Tonight, the Mavs can take their first step toward history. If they don't, they're history. 8:30 p.m., TNT.

-- David Thomas

Checking the climate

ON FIRE
Brett Favre’s family is hoping his shoulder is OK and that he’ll be able to play this season. The last time Favre and his family went to the movies, they missed the first 20 minutes because Favre couldn’t decide between Wolverine or Star Trek. He wound up settling on Ghosts of Girlfriends Past. In light of this latest setback, agent Bus Cook declined to comment whether Favre would be mentally and physically up to attending the opening of Terminator Salvation in two weeks.

WARMING UP
Former Cowboy Leon Lett earned his degree from UNLV on Saturday. But, unfortunately, as he was exiting the stage, Don Beebe came out of nowhere and knocked it out of his hand.

Coming back from hip surgery, Alex Rodriguez hit a three-run homer on the first pitch of his first at-bat for the Yankees. It sounds as though somebody must have tipped him off.

COLD STREAK
Manny Ramirez earned a 50-game suspension after testing positive for human chorionic gonadotropin, a female fertility drug. The news comes as a blow to the Dodgers. Not only will he miss those 50 games, but presumably he’ll miss even more when he goes on maternity leave. Guess that’s just Manny being Manuela.

The Skins Game has been canceled because of the economy. Officials say they plan to resume the tournament in 2010. No word if all of the skins will be carried over.

FROZEN TUNDRA
Yankees pitcher Joba Chamberlain’s mom was recently arrested for attempting to sell meth to an undercover police officer. It’s safe to say that Hallmark doesn’t make a Mother’s Day card for that one.

Well, that’s the last time Dirk Nowitzki will be using Match.com.

Photos that break our hearts

It looks like Brett Favre probably won’t be a Minnesota Viking next season (at least for the time being). And that must be a relief for Green Bay Packers fans. They won’t have to stomach the sight of No. 4 suiting up in the purple and gold of their arch-rival. This got us thinking, what other athletes would make us cringe at the sight of them in a different uniform:

Michael Young: Can you picture the Rangers’ five-time All-Star ripping a clutch double in Oakland’s nearly-empty ballpark? Yuck.

Dirk Nowitzki: There’s nothing right about seeing the face of the Mavericks’ franchise in Lakers’ gold.

DeMarcus Ware: Actually, it’s a three-way tie. Seeing Ware as a Giant is just as gut-wrenching as seeing him as a Redskin or Eagle.

Mike Modano: Say it ain’t so, Mo. After 19 seasons with the Stars, how weird would it be to see him in a Red Wings uni?

Derek Jeter: The Yankees’ captain in a Red Sox hat is enough to make a Yankees fan fall out of their $1,000 seat.

David Ortiz: Big Papi in pinstripes. And we’re guessing the Yankees would make him shave the facial hair.

Breakfast Crumbs: Thursday

Notes and thoughts compiled at the breakfast table ...

* We have champions in the local sports world! The Texas Brahmas wiped out the Colorado Eagles 6-2 to win the Central Hockey League's Ray Miron President's Cup. Yes, there will be a parade. It's at 9 a.m., Saturday in North Richland Hills, with more details to come.

* Texas Rangers 3, Oakland Athletics 2: It took the Brahmas winning the CHL championship, but the Rangers moving into first place got bumped down into the second spot in our lineup. But that's where Elvis Andrus hits these days, and his first-inning home got the Rangers started and a heavy dose of Frank Francisco cheese in the ninth finished it off.

* Good thing the Dallas Cowboys drafted a kicker. Nick Folk had hip surgery yesterday in Denver, of all places.

* What the Dallas Mavericks need most: Playing at home and getting Josh Howard back. Done on the first one, and we'll see today on the second one. Complete Mavs coverage.

* Bizarre story ongoing with the arrest of a female at Dirk Nowitzki's house. Definitely more details to come on this one.

* Former Cowboys safety Roy Williams is joining the Cincinnati Bengals.

* It's game on again for high school teams.

* Wednesday's NBA highlight: Los Angeles Lakers 111, Houston Rockets 98 -- Now this is achippy series. Kobe Bryant scored 40 points and the refs handed out almost that many technical fouls as the Lakers evened the series at one game each headed to Houston.

* Wednesday's NHL highlight: Carolina Hurricanes 3, Boston Bruins 2 (OT) -- Former Dallas Star Jussi Jokinen scored 2:48 into overtime to give the Hurricanes a 2-1 series lead.

* Wednesday's MLB highlight: Kansas City Royals 9, Seattle Mariners 1 -- This is the game that made it possible for the Rangers to catapult into first place. Mark Teahen had three hits and three RBI to go with Sidney Ponson allowing one run over 7 1/3 innings. The Royals, who are 17-11, have won five consecutive games.

* Today is National Tourism Day. That is not to be confused with National Tourist Appreciation Day, which was yesterday. Yesterday, we had to appreciate tourists. Today, we only have to take their money.

TUBE TOPPERS

The best of what to watch today ...

* The Players Championship. It's the first round of golf's fifth major. Noon, Golf.

* Texas Rangers at Oakland Athletics. Day game! The first-place Rangers -- have we mentioned that yet, today? -- send Brandon McCarthy (3-0, 4.67) to the mound in search of a six-game winning streak. The A's counter with rookie right-hander Trevor Cahill, who is 0-2 with a 4.50 ERA but has allowed two or fewer runs in four of his five starts. 2:35 p.m., Fox Sports Southwest.

-- David Thomas

What's in a nickname?

One in a weekly series on the history behind college nicknames and mascots.

Wichita State Shockers

An early 20th Century publicist with an eye for posters helped Wichita State create its Shockers nickname.

In 1904, what was then known as Fairmount College was playing a football game against the Chilocco Indians. R.J. Kirk, a manager for Fairmount's team, made posters to promote the game. When Kirk placed "Indians" under Chilocco's name, a press agent for the Wichita Fall Festival ordered Kirk to add a nickname for Fairmount to bring balance to the poster.

Thus, Kirk created the name "Wheat Shockers." Many players worked wheat fields during the summer for money during the school year, heading (or "shocking") the wheat.

Wheat Shockers never was officially declared the school's nickname, but it did become popular and was made into one word. Eventually, the nickname because just the "Shockers" still used today.

Wichita State's mascot is WuShock. He first appeared on paper in 1948 as part of a design contest to symbolize school spirit. The name came from another student contest. In 1954, WuShock first appeared as a uniformed human mascot.

(Information and photo: www.goshockers.com)

-- David Thomas

Breakfast Crumbs: Wednesday

Notes and thoughts compiled at the breakfast table ...

* Denver Nuggets 117, Dallas Mavericks 105: In case last night's game was too late for you to watch but you did see Game 1, then you did basically see last night's game. At least the fourth quarter, anyway. Complete coverage.

* Texas Rangers 7, Seattle Mariners 2 (10): Vicente Padilla allowedone hit and an unearned run over eight innings, then Jarrod Saltalmacchia's grand slam capped the Rangers' six-run 10th.

* The latest news on the collapse of the Dallas Cowboys' practice facility: Other companies in the soft-shell building industry have raised eyebrows. ... A trust fund is set up for scouting assistant Rich Behm. ... With fingers pointing, Gil LeBreton looks at the human side of the incident.

* The Cowboys will take part in two AFL Legacy Games this season, wearing historic uniforms against the Kansas City Chiefs and Oakland Raiders.

* Oh, boy. Here we go. "Retired" quarterback Brett Favre is supposed to meet with the Minnesota Vikings.

* Texas Brahmas 6, Colorado Eagles 3: The Brahmas scored four goals in the second period to take a 5-2 lead and now lead the series 3-1. They can win the CHL championship tonight at NYTEX Sports Centre. Game time is 7:05 p.m.

* Tuesday's NBA highlight: Cleveland Cavaliers 99, Atlanta Hawks 72 -- LeBron James' 34 points and 10 rebounds led the Cavs to an easy win in the first game of the series. The Hawks scored 28 points in the second half after trailing by five at halftime.

* Tuesday's NHL highlight: Vancouver Canucks 3, Chicago Blackhawks 1 -- The Canucks took a 2-1 series lead behind the 23 saves of Roberto Luongo and goals from Mason Raymond, Steve Bernier and Henrik Sedin.

* Tuesday's MLB highlight: Boston Red Sox 7, New York Yankees 3 -- The Red Sox finished off a two-game sweep at Yankee Stadium. Jason Bay hit a three-run homer as part of a four-run first for the Sox.

* Today is National Tourist Appreciation Day, so I would like to express my appreciation to those of you visiting this blog today. Hope you'll come back. We're here every weekday when I don't have some kind of early morning assignment.

TUBE TOPPERS

The best of what to watch today ...

* Texas Rangers at Oakland Athletics. Coming off their two-game sweep in Seattle, the Rangers have won four in a row and are one-half game behind the frontrunning Mariners. Scott Feldman pitches for the Rangers. He is 1-0 with a 6.75 ERA, but in his two starts he is 1-0 with a 3.38 ERA. Dan Giese (0-2, 3.55) makes his first start for the A's. Since the teams split two games in Arlington last week, Oakland is 1-4 and the Rangers are 4-1. 9:15 p.m., KDFI/Channel 27.

-- David Thomas

Breakfast Crumbs: Tuesday

Notes and thoughts compiled at the breakfast table ...

* Texas Rangers 6, Seattle Mariners 5: If you didn't see Elvis Andrus' play in the bottom of the ninth inning late last night, click here. But don't let the Seattle announcers put a damper on the play for you.

* Thanks to the new red uniforms, the Rangers are seeing green even though attendance is about half a tick below last year's pace.

* Revo says the Mavs aren't a fighting team, but tonight is the time to see how much fight they have in them.

* That shove Kenyon Martin gave Dirk Nowitzki on Sunday cost him $25,000.

* The latest from Valley Ranch: An investigation has begun into the practice facility's collapse, and special teams coach Joe DeCamillas is stable after surgery yesterday.

* A Q&A with a Fort Worth legend: Dan Jenkins.

* Monday's NBA highlight: Houston Rockets 100, Los Angeles Lakers 92 -- The Rockets did what the Mavs couldn't -- steal Game 1 on the road. Yao Ming had 28 points and 10 assists for the Rockets, with Ron Artest adding 21 and Aaron Brooks chipping in 19. Kobe Bryant had 32 points for the top-seeded Lakers.

* Monday's NHL highlight: Washington Capitals 4, Pittsburgh Penguins 3 -- Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby both had had tricks, but Ovechkin had something Crosby didn't: a helper. The Caps' David Steckel scored a second-period goal as Washington took a 2-0 series lead.

* Monday's MLB highlight: Kansas City Royals 3, Chicago White Sox 0 -- Zack Greinke's nasty start continues. Greinke threw a six-hit shutout, striking out 10, to improve to 6-0 on the season with a 0.40 ERA.

*Today is Cinco de Mayo, National Teacher Day, National Hoagie Day and National Oyster Day. More important, today is my son's ninth birthday.

 TUBE TOPPERS

* Texas Rangers at Seattle Mariners. The quicktwo-game trip wraps up with a day game. The Rangers can leave Seattle a half-game out of first with a win today. Vicente Padilla (1-2, 7.43) starts for the Rangers. The M's counter with Erik Bedard (2-1, 2.61). 3:40 p.m., Fox Sports Southwest.

* Dallas Mavericks at Denver Nuggets. If the Mavs lose Game 2, they're faced with having to win four of five to advance. 9:30 p.m., TNT.

-- David Thomas

Breakfast Crumbs: Monday

Notes and thoughts compiled at the breakfast table ...

* Denver Nuggets 109, Dallas Mavericks 95: It was a two-point Nuggies lead in the fourth quarter and then ... it was a 19-point Nuggies lead. Game 1 convincingly to Denver. Game 2 Tuesday night. Complete coverage.

* Our Jim Reeves says the Mavs will have to answer Denver's aggression with aggression. It doesn't sound like Denver Post columnist Mark Kiszla believes the Mavs can do that: "Heck, when the going turns rough and tumble, all Dallas typically does is step back meekly and let Cuban whine about the officiating."

* The latest, and sad, news from the Dallas Cowboys practice facility collapse: Scouting assistant Rich Behm is permanently paralyzed from waist down because of a severed spine. Special teams coach Joe DeCamillis could undergo surgery today after fracturing one of his cervical vertebrae. Assistant trainer Greg Gaither had surgery Saturday night for fractures in his right leg.

* Texas Rangers 5, Chicago White Sox 1: With former Rangers lefty John Danks on the mound for the ChiSox, the quartet of Matt Harrison, Jason Jennings, Darren O'Day and C.J. Wilson held Chicago to one run.

* Texas Brahmas 6, Colorado Eagles 2: The Brahmas scored the final four goals to take a 2-1 lead in the Ray Miron President's Cup Finals. The next two games are in North Richland Hills.

* Sunday's NBA highlight: Atlanta Hawks 91, Miami Heat 78 -- The Hawks won Game 7 of the first-round series behind Joe Johnson's 27 points, including six 3-pointers. All seven games in the series were decided by at least 10 points, and five were decided by at least 15 points. The Hawks play the Cleveland Cavaliers in the second round.

* Sunday's NHL highlight: Anaheim Ducks 4, Detroit Red Wings 3 (3 OT) -- The eighth-seeded Ducks got the road split they needed and head back to Anaheim with the series 1-1. Todd Marchant scored the winner 1:15 into the third overtime. It was the first NHL game this postseason to go multiple overtimes.

* Sunday's MLB highlight: Tampa Bay Rays 5, Boston Red Sox 3: The Rays' Carl Crawford tied the modern-day record of six stolen bases in a game. Tampa Bay took three of four at home from the Red Sox and has won both series this season against Boston. The three other players to steal six bases in a game: Eddie Collins, Otis Nixon and Eric Young.

* Today is National Bird Day. Yesterday in Denver, apparently, was Birdman Day.

TUBE TOPPER

The best of what to watch today ...

* Texas Rangers at Seattle Mariners. The Rangers, now back at .500 at 12-12, get a chance to dig into the Mariners' 1 1/2-game lead in the American League West. The teams' aces will go at it tonight: the Rangers' Kevin Millwood (2-2, 2.13) and Seattle's Felix Hernandez (4-0, 2.38). The M's took two of three from the Oakland Athletics over the weekend, including a 15-inning, 8-7 win yesterday.

-- David Thomas

Spurs Talk

What they've been saying in the San Antonio Express-News since the Mavericks eliminated the Spurs:

* Coach Gregg Popovich, saying it's not time to start over: “At some point, we won't be looking at role players -- we'll be looking to bring in stars to replace stars. That's not the situation yet.”

* P.J. Carlesimo, TNT analyst and former Spurs assistant coach, on talk that the window on the Tim Duncan era has closed: "I don't believe it. I've been here, and I talk to people. Anybody that feels that way is incorrect. I don't sense that at all.”

* Tony Parker: “Even with Manu (Ginobili), it would be tough to beat Dallas.”

* Guard Roger Mason Jr., in his first season in San Antonio: “I'm still just in shock. I signed on here with the expectations to be playing for a championship. You don't expect to be going home this early.”

* Ex-Mav Michael Finley, who has an option for next year, on whether he will return: "I haven't really thought about next year, to be quite honest. I'm going to sit back with my family now, enjoy this extended period of time off, and when the time comes that I have to make a decision about my future, that's when I'll make it.”

* Express-News columnist Buck Harvey: "Another Spurs problem was Dallas, which came on at the end of the season and kept getting better. The Mavericks have hurt themselves in recent years, with everything from marijuana confessions on the radio to playoff chokes. This time, their talent came out. As for Josh Howard, whose infamous birthday party a year ago underlined divisions within the locker room: Tuesday, on his birthday, he completed the best playoff series of his career."

-- David Thomas

Breakfast Crumbs: Thursday

Notes and thoughts compiled at the breakfast table ...

* The Dallas Mavericks know their second-round opponent: the Denver Nuggets. The series begins Sunday afternoon.

* Looking back, there were a lot of things that went right for the Mavs in ousting the San Antonio Spurs.

* Selena Roberts' soon-to-be-released book on Alex Rodriguez says A-Rod may have used steroids in high school.

* The UIL has suspended interschool competitions until May 11 because of swine flu. TAPPS, however, says private-school games will go on.

* Will the economy cost Colonial its title sponsor?

* Man, what a depressing day of news so far. Fortunately, here is the feel-good story of the day: Gary West tells us about a group of local people who save racehorses from slaughter.

* Wednesday's NBA highlight: Denver Nuggets 107, New Orleans Hornets 86 -- Carmelo Anthony scored a career playoff high 34 points as the Nuggets sent the Hornets home in five games. All four Nuggets' victories came by at least 15 points. It's Denver's first series win since 1994.

* Wednesday's MLB highlight: Milwaukee Brewers 1, Pittsburgh Pirates 0 -- Trimble Tech graduate Yovani Gallardo struck out a career-high 11 batters, limited the Bucs to two hits over eight innings and provided the game's only run with his seventh-inning home run.

* Today is National Honesty Day. Now, seriously, do you think I would make that up?

TUBE TOPPERS

The best of what to watch today ...

* Oakland Athletics at Texas Rangers. Day game! With a win, the Rangers finish April one game above .500. Vicente Padilla (1-1, 8.27) moves back a day from yesterday's rainout to pitch for the Rangers. The A's, however, kept their rotation on schedule. That means Dallas Braden (2-2, 2.52) will be on the mound today. 1:05 p.m., Fox Sports Southwest.

* Portland Trail Blazers at Houston Rockets. We need something to watch at night, so let's see if the other remaining Texas team can close out its series. The Rockets are up 3-2. 8:30 p.m., TNT.

-- David Thomas