Daily Ticket: The Blog

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

What's in a nickname?

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

Wisconsin Badgers

Wisconsin's mascot, Bucky, is a badger, but the teams' nickname does not come from lead miners, not animals. Wisconsin is known as the "Badger State" because of prospectors who came to Wisconsin in search of minerals. During wintertime, the miners were forced to "live like badgers" in tunnels that had been burrowed into hillsides.

The badger mascot began with intercollegiate football in 1889. Attempts to have a live badger mascot failed, with the mascot repeatedly escaping handlers on the sideline. For fan safety, the badger was donated to the Madison Zoo.

In its place, a raccoon named Regdab ("Badger" backward) was used as a "badger in a raccoon coat." A human mascot uniform was commissioned in 1949 and the mascot -- apparently inspired by a song that encouraged football players to "buck right through that line" -- was named Buckingham U. Badger, or Bucky for short.

In 1973 assistant attorney general Howard Koop, saying that kids love cows, recommended a new mascot named Henrietta Holstein. But Bucky Badger survived that threat and lives on. He is so popular that it typically requires seven students to make appearances including sporting events, community events and weddings.

(Information and photo: www.uwbadgers.com)

-- David Thomas

Breakfast Crumbs: Wednesday

Notes and thoughts compiled at the breakfast table ...

* Dallas Mavericks 106, San Antonio Spurs 93: Dirk Nowitzki scored 31 points, and Jason Terry and Jason Kidd provided the outside shooting as the Mavs advanced to the second round for the first time in three years. Up next: the Denver Nuggets or New Orleans Hornets. Complete coverage.

* Texas Rangers 5, Oakland Athletics 4: Kevin Millwood pitched eight innings, Nelson Cruz singled in the winning run in the eighth inning and the Rangers reached the .500 mark again.

* Five TCU Horned Frogs were selected in the NFL Draft -- the most of any Texas school -- and coach Gary Patterson is spreading the credit.

* The Texas Brahmas begin their quest for the Ray Miron President's Cup tonight in Loveland, Colo.

* Tuesday's NBA highlight: Boston Celtics 106, Chicago Bulls 104 (OT) -- Paul Pierce nailed three consecutive jumpers late in overtime to help the Celtics take a 3-2 lead. Pierce scored 26 points, including 19 in the second half and overtime.

* Tuesday's NHL highlight: Washington Capitals 2, New York Rangers 1 -- The Caps completed their comeback from a 3-1 series deficit to win a playoff series for the first time since 1997-98. Sergei Fedorov scored the game-winner with 4:59 remaining.

* Tuesday's MLB highlight: Cleveland Indians 9, Boston Red Sox 8 -- An unearned run ended Boston's 11-game winning streak. Mark DeRosa, who went 4-for-5, scored the winning run on an error with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning.

* Today is National Shrimp Scampi Day. Also, Dale Earnhardt would have turned 58 today.

TUBE TOPPERS

The best of what to watch today ...

* Oakland Athletics at Texas Rangers. Now the Rangers can try to move above .500. Vicente Padilla (1-1, 8.27), coming off his best outing of the season, toes the rubber for the local nine. Oakland hands the ball to lefty Josh Outman (0-0, 5.23). 7:05 p.m., Fox Sports Southwest.

* New Orleans Hornets at Denver Nuggets. Do some advanced scouting of the Mavs' next playoff opponent, or at least see if the Hornets can put up more than the 63 points they scored last time out. The Nuggets can close out the Hornets in Game 5. 9:30 p.m., TNT.

-- David Thomas

Breakfast Crumbs: Tuesday

Notes and thoughts compiled at the breakfast table ...

* Texas Rangers 6, Baltimore Orioles 4: Michael Young hit his sixth homer and Matt Harrison retired 17 of the final 18 batters he faced. The Rangers took three out of four in Baltimore.

* The Rangers rank 21st in attendance. Our Jeff Caplan says blame the economy and the losses.

* The Dallas Mavericks are in San Antonio tonight with a chance to close out the Spurs. That's what makes Revo nervous.

* Mac Engel says now the Dallas Cowboys also are "Wade Friendly."

* There is a quarterback in the small group of free agents the Cowboys signed after the draft.

* Southlake Carroll's Chase Daniel signed on with the Washington Redskins, and the Cleveland Browns picked up Texas Tech's Graham Harrell.

* Monday's NBA highlight: Denver Nuggets 121, New Orleans Hornets 63 -- The Nuggets are up 3-1 after matching the biggest blowout in NBA playoff history. Denver held Chris Paul to four points and six assists. In 1956, the Minneapolis Lakers beat the St. Louis Hawks 133-75.

* Monday's NHL highlight: Anaheim Ducks 4, San Jose Sharks 1 -- The NHL's best team in the regular season is done. Jonas Hiller stopped 36 shots for the Ducks in Game 6, and Teemu Selanne and Francois Beauchemin scored second-period goals 43 seconds apart.

* Monday's MLB highlight: Boston Red Sox 3, Cleveland Indians 1 -- The Red Sox pushed their win streak to 11 games, as Jason Bay belted a three-run home run in the top of the ninth off Kerry Wood.

* Today is Great Poetry Reading Day. Here is "Casey at the Bat."

TUBE TOPPERS

The best of what to watch today ...

* Oakland Athletics at Texas Rangers. The Rangers meet a division opponent for the first time, and Kevin Millwood (1-2, 2.10) is on the mound. Oakland starts lefty Brett Anderson (0-2, 5.89), who was born in Midland, grew up in Lubbock and went to high school in Stillwater, Okla. He is the son of Oklahoma State baseball coach Frank Anderson. 7 p.m., KDFI/Channel 27.

* Dallas Mavericks at San Antonio Spurs. Back in 2006 in the conference semifinals, the Mavs held a 3-1 lead over the Spurs and had to go seven games to win the series. Just saying. 8:30 p.m., KTXA/Channel 21 and TNT.

-- David Thomas

Breakfast Crumbs: Monday

Notes and thoughts compiled at the breakfast table ...

* After tending to some important family matters, we're back and talking Cowboys draft. Some way to return, huh? It may take Roy Williams to save this year's draft.

* Our Charean Williams gave the Cowboys a C-minus. She had only three teams lower: the Cleveland Browns (D+), the Carolina Panthers (D) and the Oakland Raiders (D-). Our complete draft coverage.

* Dirk Nowitzki is averaging 16 points per game in the playoffs and loving it.

* The San Antonio Spurs hope the extra day between games will give them some time to recover. If not, they'll have a long time to recover.

* Baltimore Orioles 8, Texas Rangers 5: The Rangers' 5-1 lead in the fifth inning was gone by the seventh.

* Sunday's NBA highlight: Chicago Bulls 121, Boston Celtics 118 (2 OT) -- The series is tied 2-2 after Ben Gordon scored 23 points, including the tying 3-pointer in the first overtime. Derrick Rose added 23 points, 11 rebounds and nine assist for the Bulls.

* Sunday's NHL highlight: Washington Capitals 5, New York Rangers 3 -- There will be a Game 7 Tuesday night at Washington. The Caps, who led 5-1 after two periods, have outscored the seventh-seeded Rangers 9-3 since losing three of the series' first four games.

* Sunday's MLB highlight: Boston Red Sox 4, New York Yankees 1 -- Jacob Ellsbury stole home and David Ortiz drove in two runs as the Sox finished off a three-game sweep at Fenway Park.

* Today is Babe Ruth Day. On this day, the Sultan of Swat was honored at Yankee Stadium. (The old Yankee Stadium.) Let's go to the video.

TUBE TOPPER

The best of what to watch today ....

* Texas Rangers at Baltimore Orioles. The Rangers go for their first series win since sweeping the Cleveland Indians to open the season. Expect home runs in Ruth's birthplace. In six games against each other, the Rangers have hit 17 home runs and the O's have hit 10.

-- David Thomas

Breakfast Crumbs: Thursday

Notes and thoughts compiled at the breakfast table ...

* Dallas Mavericks 95, Houston Rockets 84: Jason Kidd 's triple-double (11 points, 10 rebounds, 12 assists) and Jason Terry's 14 fourth-quarter points lifted the Mavs to the sixth seed in the West and knocked the Rockets down to fifth, costing them the Southwest Division title and homecourt advantage.

* Texas Rangers 19, Baltimore Orioles 6: Ian Kinsler went 6-for-6 and hit for the cycle as the Rangers snapped their five-game losing streak. Also, Marlon Byrd went 5-for-6 and Nelson Cruz hit a grand slam.

* Thanks for the memories: Merle Harmon. Harmon broadcast Rangers games from 1982-89 and I remember as a kid going into his Merle Harmon Fan Fair stores and thinking, "Cool -- this is the guy on TV."

* Our Jimmy Burch says Masters playoffs should be decided on Amen Corner. To that idea, I say, "Amen!"

* Wednesday's NBA highlight: San Antonio Spurs 105, New Orleans Hornets 98 (OT) -- Michael Finley's 3-pointer at the buzzer sent the game into overtime, and Tim Duncan scored six of his 20 points in the extra period as the Spurs too advantage of the Mavs' win to claim the Southwest Division championship and the No. 3 seed in the West. The Mavs and Spurs will square off in the first round.

* Wednesday's NHL highlight: New York Rangers 4, Washington Capitals 3 -- Brandon Dubinsky's goal with 8:17 left was the game-winner as the seventh-seeded Rangers took home ice from the second-seeded Caps in Game 1 of the series.

* Wednesday's MLB highlight: Boston Red Sox 8, Oakland Athletics 2 -- Tim Wakefield threw 8 1/3 no-hit innings and wound up with a complete-game four-hitter. Mike Lowell and J.D. Drew homered for the Sox.

* Today is National High Five Day. Here's one for Ian Kinsler.

TUBE TOPPER

The best of what to watch today ...

* Columbus Blue Jackets at Detroit Red Wings. Can the No. 2 seed Red Wings avoid a first-game slip-up like the second-seeded Capitals? Probably. But we can still tune in to watch former Stars coach Ken Hitchcock behind the Columbus bench. 6 p.m., Versus.

-- David Thomas

Breakfast Crumbs: Wednesday

Notes and thoughts compiled at the breakfast table ...

* Baltimore Orioles 7, Texas Rangers 5 (10): Maybe the Rangers' bullpen is still tired from last season.

* Total attendance for the two games in the Orioles-Rangers series is 26,225. That and not having the Dallas Stars in the playoffs can't help HSG's search for minority partners while the group defaults on loans.

* We find out tonight who the Dallas Mavericks will face in the playoffs. (See Tube Toppers for more.) David Moore says that if the Mavs don't wind up facing two teams in the playoffs, pull out the eraser.

* The Dallas Cowboys' 2009 schedule is out and two things stand out: Six national TV appearances and another potentially tough December. I'll be analyzing the schedule and making my way-too-early season-record prediction later this morning on Twitter. Follow @FansInsider.

* The Stanley Cup playoffs begin tonight. Here are five serious reasons for Stars fans to watch and seven not-serious reasons Stars fans can be grateful their teams isn't in the mix.

* Isiah Thomas will be coaching at the Super Pit at North Texas. Fear not, UNT fans, he'll only be the visiting coach. Thomas adds "Florida International" to his resume, right under "New York Knicks."

* Tuesday's NBA highlight: Los Angeles Lakers 125, Utah Jazz 112 -- Plug the Jazz into the eighth slot in the Western Conference. Utah will face the Lakers, who finished the season with 65 wins, in the first round. The Jazz attempted 47 free throws in this game, making 35.

* Tuesday's MLB highlight: New York Yankees 7, Tampa Bay Rays 2 -- A.J. Burnett took a no-no into the seventh inning, and Nick Swisher homered for the third time in four games. Burnett wound up throwing eight innings, allowing three hits and two runs while striking out nine.

* Today is Titanic Remembrance Day. It was on this day in 1912 that the Titanic sank.

TUBE TOPPERS

The best of what to watch today ...

* Baltimore Orioles at Texas Rangers. Good news for Rangers fans: Twice this season the Orioles have won the first two games of a series and twice they have lost the third game. Kris Benson (0-1, 12.60) takes the mound for the Rangers after allowing seven earned runs in five innings against the Detroit Tigers. Mark Hendrickson (1-0, 1.69) pitches for the O's. He allowed one run in 5 1/3 innings last week against the Rays. 7:05 p.m., Fox Sports Southwest.

* Houston Rockets at Dallas Mavericks. The season ends with a big one. If the Mavs win and the New Orleans Hornets lose at the San Antonio Spurs, the Mavs are the sixth seed. If the Rockets win, they're Southwest Division champs and the third seed. The Rockets still could drop all the way to the fifth seed and lose homecourt advantage. 7 p.m., ESPN and KTXA/Channel 21.

-- David Thomas

Breakfast Crumbs: Tuesday

Notes and thoughts compiled at the breakfast table ...

* Thanks for the memories: Mark Fidrych and Harry Kalas.

* Dallas Mavericks 96, Minnesota Timberwolves 94: Jason Terry's 18-footer with 0.2 seconds left saves the Mavs.

* Baltimore Orioles 10, Texas Rangers 9: Perhaps instead of worrying about blue or red, we should be worrying about pitching and defense.

* Brett Hull says the Dallas Stars will make budget next season. With a budget expected to be below the league's salary cap, will they make the playoffs?

* Monday's NBA highlight: Houston Rockets 86, New Orleans Hornets 66 -- Yao Ming scored 22 points and Luis Scola snared 15 rebounds as the Rockets blew out the Hornets and sent them back into a tie for sixth placewith the Mavs. If the Rockets defeat the Mavs on Wednesday night, they'll clinch their first division title since 1993-94. But a loss could knock Houston out of homecourt advantage in the first round.

* Monday's MLB highlight: Pittsburgh Pirates 7, Houston Astros 0 -- At least the Rangers are the hottest team in Texas. Zach Duke's four-hit shutout handed the Astros their fifth consecutive loss and gave them their first 1-6 start since 1984.

* Today is International Moment of Laughter Day.

TUBE TOPPERS

The best of what to watch today ...

* Baltimore Orioles at Texas Rangers. If you thought last night's game was high-scoring ... Brandon McCarthy and Alfredo Simon are the starting pitchers, and in their first starts of the season, opponents combined to score 23 runs. The Rangers lost 12-8 to the Cleveland Indians in McCarthy's start, and the Orioles lost 11-2 to the New York Yankees with Simon pitching. Simon allowed four runs on four hits over five innings. 7:05 p.m. Fox Sports Southwest.

* Utah Jazz at Los Angeles Lakers. What do the Lakers have to play for in both team's season finale. Nothing. But center Andrew Bynum says the Lakers want to senda message to the Jazz. If the Lakers win, Utah is locked into the eighth seed and will face the Lakers in the first round of the playoffs. 9:30 p.m., TNT.

-- David Thomas

Breakfast Crumbs: Monday

Notes and thoughts compiled at the breakfast table ...

* I guess we shouldn't be surprised that on the Sunday on which we remember the greatest comeback of all time: 1.) Angel Cabrera comes back to beat Kenny Perry at The Masters; 2.) The Detroit Tigers come from down 4-0 in the eighth to beat the Texas Rangers; and 3.) Chris Paul and the New Orleans Hornets bury the Dallas Mavericks. Or did they?

* Former Arlington Bowie standout Ryan Palmer, a cornerback for the Texas Longhorns, is among the locals invited to the Dallas Cowboys' "Dallas Day" for NFL prospects.

* Mike Modano says he wants a month on the beach to decide whether he will return to the Dallas Stars. (First item under "Briefly.")

* Former Cowboy linebacker Zach Thomas has signed with the Kansas City Chiefs.

* Former Ranger Milton Bradley is hurt. Check out the comments from Chicago Cubs fans.

* Here I am trying to recover from the Easter meal carbs and I have to read about TCU third baseman Matt Carpenter laying off fast food and sodas. I'm feeling guilty.

* Sunday's NBA highlight: Miami Heat 122, New York Knicks 105 -- Dwyane Wade scored 55 points -- one shy of Glen Rice's franchise record -- as the Heat locked up the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference. The Heat will meet the Atlanta Hawks in the first round.

* Sunday's NHL highlight: St. Louis Blues 1, Colorado Avalanche 0 -- Chris Mason made 28 saves, and the Blues needed every one of them to take the sixth seed in the Western Conference on the final day of the regular season. The Blues are 9-1-1 over their final 11 games and in the postseason for the first time since 2004.

* Sunday's MLB highlight: Los Angeles Angels 5, Boston Red Sox 4 -- Bobby Abreu's two-run single helped the Angels win two out of three at home from the Red Sox. Benches cleared in the first inning when Boston starter Josh Beckett threw a pitch over Abreu's head.

* Today is National Blame Someone Else Day. If you don't like that, hey, don't blame me. I didn't come up with the idea.

TUBE TOPPERS

The best of what to watch today ...

* Baltimore Orioles at Texas Rangers. Outside of Kevin Millwood, the Rangers' rotation didn't look too good the first time through. Vicente Padilla toes the rubber for the Rangers tonight, and he is 2-5 with an 8.60 ERA in his career against the Orioles. Baltimore is 4-2 after taking two of three in series with the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays. 7:05 p.m., KDFI/Channel 27.

* Minnesota Timberwolves at Dallas Mavericks. The Mavs, who will be playing their third game in four nights, have won 11 consecutive games against the T-wolves. The Mavs are one game behind New Orleans for sixth place and one game ahead of the eighth-place Utah Jazz. The Hornets finish with games at the Houston Rockets and the San Antonio Spurs. Utah hosts the Los Angeles Clippers tonight and closes out by visiting the Los Angeles Lakers. 7:30 p.m., Fox Sports Southwest.

-- David Thomas