Daily Ticket: The Blog

Breakfast Crumbs: Tuesday

Notes and thoughts compiled at the breakfast table ...

* Phoenix Coyotes 6, Dallas Stars 5 (OT) -- The Stars scored their most goals in a game since putting up 10 against the New York Rangers on Feb. 6, but it wasn't enough to prevent them from losing their seventh consecutive game.

* The Tennessee Titans will be the first preseason opponent at the Dallas Cowboys' new stadium.

* Cowboys receiver Patrick Crayton: No more Terrell Owens, no more excuses.

* Jim Reeves: Eleven-time Gold Glove winner Omar Vizquel doesn't only play defense, he talks it, too.

* While Kris Benson looks to have secured a spot in the Rangers' starting rotation, the position players appear set except for one big question:Frank Catalanotto or Andruw Jones?

* Monday's NBA highlight: Orlando Magic 101, Miami Heat 95 -- Dwight Howard scored 22 points and grabbed 18 rebounds, passing Wilt Chamberlain as the youngest NBA player with 5,000 career rebounds. Dwyane Wade scored 42 points for the Heat, including 13 in the fourth quarter.

* Monday's NBA highlight: San Jose Sharks 2, Calgary Flames 1 -- Jonathan Cheechoo and Dan Boyle  scored -- both on assists from Joe Thornton -- as the Sharks reached the 50-win mark for the second time in franchise history. San Jose is four points ahead of Detroit for best record in the league.

* Today is National Bunsen Burner Day. German chemist Robert Wilhelm Eberhard von Bunsen, inventor of the Bunsen Burner, was born on this date in 1811.

TUBE TOPPERS

The best of what to watch today ...

* NIT semifinals: Baylor vs. San Diego State. The winner meets the Notre Dame-Penn State winner on Thursday night in the championship game. 6 p.m., ESPN.

* Dallas Mavericks at Minnesota Timberwolves. Josh Howard should return tonight. The Mavs have won 10 consecutive game against Minnesota, which has lost seven of its past eight and 26 of its past 31. 7 p.m., FSN Southwest.

* Dallas Stars at Los Angeles Kings. Should we even talk playoffs? Maybe one more time. The Stars are seven points out of the postseason race with six games remaining. The Kings are 4-0-1 against the Stars this season. 9:30 p.m., KDFI/Channel 27.

-- David Thomas

Breakfast Crumbs: Monday

Notes and thoughts compiled at the breakfast table ...

* Cleveland Cavliers 102, Dallas Mavericks 74: The Mavs were up 10 after the first quarter, up two at halftime, then ... pfft.

* A technological first: Mark Cuban has been fined $25,000 for criticizing officials via Twitter.

* We have our Final Four, and there's no Big 12 team in sight.

* NASCAR is coming here for some miles and miles of Texas, and Jimmie Johnson's riding in a winner.

* How would you feel about Kris Benson occupying the No. 3 spot in the Texas Rangers' rotation?

* OK, Tiger Woods is back, winning Arnold Palmer's tournament for the sixth time.

* Sunday's NBA highlight: New Orleans Hornets 90, San Antonio Spurs 86 -- Chris Paul scored 26 points, including making three field goals with 7.1 seconds to play. The Hornets were 32-for-33 at the free-throw line.

* Sunday's NHL highlight: St. Louis Blues 5, Columbus Blue Jackets 2 -- Patrik Berglund scored a goal and assisted on two others as the Blues stayed one point ahead of the Anaheim Ducks for eighth place in the Western Conference. The Blues have won five consecutive games and are 8-2-1 over their past 11.

* Today is I Am In Control Day. It was on this date in 1981 that Ronald Reagan was shot and Secretary of State Alexander Haig said, "I am in control here."

TUBE TOPPERS

The best of what to watch today ...

* Dallas Stars at Phoenix Coyotes. The Stars, with a six-game losing streak, are limping to the finish line. Stephane Robidas, Trevor Daley and Mark Fistric are the latest to suffer injuries. 9 p.m., Versus.

-- David Thomas

Checking the climate

ON FIRE
Alex Rodriguez finds himself in another controversy after his name came up in connection with a high-priced former madam. But A-Rod is not worried, he already has his team of advisers hard at work on his defense. It’ll probably come down to a coin toss. Heads: Blame it on his cousin. Tails: Just explain that he was young and stupid.

Tom Hicks has announced that he is seeking investors to purchase parts of the Rangers. Just a thought, but Scott Boras probably has enough of Hicks’ money to make an offer. Maybe Hicks can finally turn the tables and get Boras to be the one bidding against himself.

WARMING UP
Jerry Jones said the Cowboys will use the Wildcat formation this coming season. He went on to say the Cowboys are now really into Facebook, Twittering and the Jonas Brothers.

The TCU football team won’t be playing any Thursday night games next season. Gary Patterson must not want to miss any of those all-new episodes of 30 Rock.

COLD STREAK
Florida Marlins star Hanley Ramirez is upset that manager Fredi Gonzalez has issued a new dress code that includes short hair and no jewelry. He’s gone so far as asking to be traded. One thing is for sure, without Ramirez, Gonzalez won’t have to worry about that jewelry ban being jeopardized by any of those gaudy World Series rings.

UConn men’s basketball coach Jim Calhoun has been defensive as questions are raised about possible recruiting violations. And Calhoun thought being grilled last month about his $1.6 million salary was tough.

FROZEN TUNDRA
The Cowboys have begun scouting the Dallas Police Department for defensive help after it proved it knows how to stop an NFL running back.

Billy Gillispie is out as men’s basketball coach at Kentucky. He was asked to turn in his university ID, his parking pass, his key to Rupp Arena and his autographed photo of Ashley Judd.

Terrell Owens told a Canadian television network he was “blindsided” by his release from the Cowboys. Really? It seems as though he should be pretty used to it by now.

The United States lost to Japan in the semifinals of the World Baseball Classic. Even worse, George Wendt made an ugly scene when he ran into some of the Japanese players’ wives at the grocery store and had to be restrained by Michael Keaton. Hopefully, his actions won’t cost the town the auto factory.

The greatest Ranger bracket: Final Four

We’re down to the Final Four in our bid to find the greatest player in Texas Rangers history. Buddy Bell took down two-time MVP Juan Gonzalez, but the other three No. 1 seeds all advanced. Who has what it takes to win it all? A quick case for each.

Editor's note: Voting for the Final Four round has ended. Click here to vote on the championship game.

Breakfast Crumbs: Friday

Notes and thoughts compiled at the breakfast table ...

* March Madness, roundup style: Missouri snaps Memphis 27-game winning streak, Villanova beats Duke for the first time since 1958, Pittsburgh makes its first regional final since 1974, and Connecticut 7-foot-3 center Hasheem Thabeet is too much for Purdue to handle.

* Los Angeles Kings 1, Dallas Stars 0 (SO) -- The Stars couldn't score a goal and wound up with a point. They really needed a goal and two points.

* Thursday's NBA highlight: Portland Trail Blazers 129, Phoenix Suns 109 -- If you want the Mavs to go ahead and clinch a playoff spot, this is good news. If you want the Mavs to finish higher than the eighth seed, this is bad news. LaMarcus Aldridge had 29 points and 12 rebounds for the Blazers, and Brandon Roy added 26 points. Phoenix's six-game win streak is history.

* Thursday's NHL highlight: Nashville Predators 3, San Jose Sharks 2 -- The Preds picked up two huge points, scoring three times in a 2:38 span of the second period after falling behind 2-0. Nashville is eighth in the Western Conference, with three teams within two points.

* Today is National "Joe" Day. Who is your favorite sports Joe?

* Yea, it's Friday! Now appearing on the CrumbsLand is Timbuk 3 with "The Future's So Bright (I Gotta Wear Shades)."

TUBE TOPPERS

The best of what to watch today ...

* NCAA men's tournament: Oklahoma takes on Syracuse at 6 p.m., and Kansas completes the Big 12 doubleader against Michigan State at 8:30. KTVT/Channel 11.

* Denver Nuggets at Dallas Mavericks. This is a big one for the Mavs, who are trying to avoid being swept by the Nuggets for the first time. The Nuggets, who have won six of their last seven and are 3-0 against the Mavs this season, are coming off a 13-point win Wednesday at New Orleans.

* Texas Rangers vs. Milwaukee Brewers. Ten days until Opening Day. Get a sneak preview, as Kevin Millwood is scheduled to start. 8:05 p.m., FSN Southwest.

-- David Thomas

Dunbar grad hits 75-footer

It’s one of those memorable shots people would talk about for years — if anyone had seen it. This wasn’t in the NCAA Tournament or even the NIT. It was Monday night in the CollegeInsider.com Tournament quarterfinal game between the tournament’s top seed, Bradley, and Oakland (Mich.) in Peoria, Ill. Oakland scored on a jump shot with 0.9 seconds left for a 75-73 lead. Bradley quickly inbounded the ball to junior guard Chris Roberts, a Fort Worth Dunbar graduate, at his own free-throw line. Roberts launched a 75-foot heave that banked in, giving Bradley a stunning 76-75 victory before 5,007 delirious fans at Carver Arena. “I practice that a lot, but I never make it,” Roberts told the Chicago Tribune. “I knew it was on target, but I couldn’t believe it was going in.” On Wednesday, Bradley defeated Pacific 59-49 in the semifinals. The Braves (21-14) will host the inaugural CIT championship game Tuesday against Old Dominion (24-10). Here's the shot from a different angle.

Separated at birth

The Dallas Cowboys new stadium in Arlington and a flying saucer

Red Sox slugger David Ortiz and Esther Rolle (Good Times)

Rangers GM Jon Daniels and Rangers catcher Taylor Teagarden

Hall of Fame QB Dan Marino and David Hasselhoff (Knight Rider)

Breakfast Crumbs: Thursday

Notes and thoughts compiled at the breakfast table ...

* Dallas Mavericks 128, Golden State Warriors 106: The Mavs roll to an easy win despite wearing those green "Los Mavs" jerseys.

* Don Nelson thinks the Mavs can do from the No. 8 seed what his Warriors did to the Mavs from there.

* Wade Phillips speaks again.

* Jerry Jones is still speaking, saying that the Dallas Cowboys are looking for a Wildcat quarterback. So the 'Boys will be going to the Wildcat formation about the same time as the league figures out how to stop it.

* Tom Hicks wants to sell part of the Texas Rangers. Anyone with enough money to pay Josh Hamilton interested?

* Add Baylor-Texas Tech to the list of football games coming to North Texas.

* Wednesday's NBA highlight: Phoenix Suns 118, Utah Jazz 114 -- Grant Hill scored 26 points, including  the go-ahead jumper with 31.5 seconds left. The Suns, who have won six straight, stayed three games behind the Mavs for eighth place in the Western Conference. Utah, tied with Portland for sixth, dropped to one game in front of Los Mavs.

* Wednesday's NHL highlight: Pittsburgh Penguins 2, Calgary Flames 0 -- Evgeni Malkin, the NHL's leader in points, assisted on both goals and Marc-Andre Fleury recorded his fourth shutout by stopping 31 shots. The Pens tightened their grip on sixth place in the Eastern Conference and now are seven points up on the ninth-place Florida Panthers, 5-3 losers to the Buffalo Sabres.

* Today is National Make Up Your Own Holiday Day. For those of you who read this portion of the Crumbs daily, you probably thought every day was.

TUBE TOPPERS

The best of what to watch today ...

* NCAA men's basketball tournament. Purdue takes on Connecticut (which could be in trouble, by the way) at 6 p.m., with Missouri and Memphis playing at 8:30. KTVT/Channel 11.

* Los Angeles Kings at Dallas Stars. The Stars have lost four in a row, the Kings three. The Stars are 4-11-1 since the All-Star Game and have slid out of the pack fighting for the final playoff spots.

-- David Thomas

What's in a nickname?

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

Duke Blue Devils

The military, not religion, is at the root of Duke's mascot. Trinity College, as the school was then known, lifted its ban on football at the same time as World War I was ending in Europe.

Members of the popular French “les Diables Bleus” had helped raise money in the United States when our country entered the war, and Irving Berlin added to the soldiers' fame with his song, “The Blue Devils of France.”

When football was restored on campus in 1920, the team was referred to as the Trinity Eleven, the Blue and White or the Methodists. The next year, the Trinity Chronicle student newspaper began campaigning for a catchier name and urged a choice that included the schools' colors.

Blue Devils far from captured students' fancy, but it did gain marginal favor over such possibilities as Blue Bears, Blue Eagles, Blue Titans, Blue Warriors and Royal Blazes. Because of fears that using Blue Devils could create controversy within the Methodist school, no name was officially chosen.

Members of the Class of 1923, the school's first post-war freshman class, moved forward with the plan to select a mascot. The Archive and The Chanticleer, also student publications, joined in, with the Trinity Chronicle the first to refer to athletic teams as Blue Devils for the 1922-23 school year.

Still fearing opposition to the name, the school's cheerleaders and other press organizations did not use Blue Devils. But no opposition developed and, with the Chronicle still using the nickname, Blue Devils caught on.

(Source: www.goduke.com)

Breakfast Crumbs: Wednesday

Notes and thoughts compiled at the breakfast table ...

* Vancouver Canucks 5, Dallas Stars 2: That's four straight losses for the Stars, and the playoff clock is ticking louder.

* At least Stars owner Tom Hicks isn't blaming the coach. Hicks also says that he thinks Mike Modano will return next season and that a lesson has been learned from the Sean Avery signing.

* Meanwhile, if you want some playoff hockey, head on over to North Richland Hills.

* Wade Phillips speaks.

* The Dallas Cowboys will not become a Jay Cutler-friendly team.

* Reading this story sure makes me wish even more that I had Ian Kinsler on my fantasy team this season.

* Glad to see I'm not the only one a little rusty after a week off for Spring Break. Somehow, I think Gary Patterson knows a way or two to get rid of the rust in a hurry.

* The Baylor Bears are in the other Final Four.

* This is a bizarre story out of baseball. I don't even know how to begin to summarize it for you here.

* Tuesday's NBA highlight: Utah Jazz 99, Houston Rockets 86 -- Deron Williams scored 19 points and handed out 12 assists as the Jazz snapped Houston's four-game winning streak and moved within half a game of the Denver Nuggets for first place in the Northwest Division.

* Tuesday's NHL highlight: Anaheim Ducks 2, Nashville Predators 1 (SO) -- Teemu Selanne scored the only goal in the shootout in a matchup of teams fighting for eighth place in the Western Conference. Both teams have 78 points, although the Ducks hold the tie-breaker of total victories.

* Today is National Pecan Day and National Waffle Day. Of, if you like to multi-task, I guess, it could be National Pecan Waffle Day.

TUBE TOPPERS

The best of what to watch today ...

* Golden State Warriors at Dallas Mavericks. The Mavs have won eight consecutive home games and the Warriors have lost six consecutive road games. 7:30 p.m., KTXA/Channel 21.

-- David Thomas