TWINS LATE RALLY TOPS RANGERS 5-3

In a game where the score was back and forth, the Rangers couldn't find enough in the 9th as they lose to the twins 5-3. This ends the road series 4-5, which is not going to be enough if the Rangers have plans for the postseason. We have the talent and opportunities to make it happen, but it is imperative that we actually start winning some of these "should-win" games.

- Millwood continues his losing streak against the Twins, although he did not pitch too bad today. He has not been as dominant as he was earlier in the season, but he still had enough to get the job done and left the game with a 3-2 lead. But his bad luck continues as the Rangers couldn't hold on to that lead later in the game.

- Sloppy defense today...today's game had something we rarely see with this year's Ranger team - defensive mistakes. Ground balls that Elvis, Kinsler, and Cruz routinely make outs on were flubbed, allowing base hits. Hamilton dropped a fly ball and Blalock and Pudge both went for a foul ball that neither caught.

- Painful 8th inning for the Rangers. CJ Wilson walked the first batter, then a series of timely singles and suicide squeezes allowed the Twins to regain the lead. The Rangers relief has me worried lately about finishing the season and making the playoffs. We really need a more consistent effort from these pitchers to make a push here at the end.

- Cruz got his 28th homerun of the season today when he knocked a 2-run homer to right-center in the 7th inning.

- One player highlight: Marlon Byrd was back in stride with a double and another great diving catch turned double play. Byrd has been hampered this week recovering from a painful kidney stone, so it was nice to see him step up and contribute today.

- Late rally in the 9th when the Rangers loaded the bases, but couldn't capitalize on the situation as the Twins got their 3 outs and the ballgame.

In other news, the Red Sox have swept the Blue Jays, and the Angels are leading the A's 4-1 in the 8th, so the projected standings are:

AL WEST:
Angels --
Rangers 5.0

AL WILD CARD:
Red Sox --
Rangers 3.5

PRESEASON GAME #3 - COWBOYS LOSE IN FINAL MINUTES TO 49ERS

The Cowboys second team falters in the final minutes, allowing the 49ers to move in and take the lead and the victory tonight in Arlington, TX. Tonight was the 3rd pre-season game and is typically considered the dress rehersal for the season; if that is the case the Cowboys still have some work to do. They shows flashes of the team they should be given the talent level, but are still prone to small miscues, injuries, and stupid penalties that make you shake your head. More thoughts below:

- The offense was not as crisp as last week, but still looked pretty good even without two of their starting receivers playing. The downfall tonight was that the Cowboys seems to move the ball well but could not finish the drives, settling for either field goals, or in one case, a poor Romo interception. The offense will need to do a better job of capitalizing on every chance they get to score if they want to take on the teams of NFC East this fall.

- The defense had a solid first half by mixing it up and pressuring the San Francisco offense. It was a consistent effort that showed up until the two minute drill. This worries me slightly given how the Raven's game ended last season with the two huge defensive collapses that cost that game for us, but I will remain optimistic that we can improve and make the stops when we need them.

- Stanback is [un]officially put on notice: Word around camp this year has been that Stanback needs to show the coaches something to make the team and tonight didn't do much for a good impression with that costly fumble. At this point in camp rookie Ogletree has had a really nice camp and is slowly building a case to keep him around instead of Stanback.

- Penalties will kill you [eventually]: It seems like there were several penalties tonight that killed our offensive drives, put us out of field goal range, or caused our defense to stay on the field by giving the 49ers extra opportunities to extend drives. There just really is no excuse for some of these miscues, and I hope they can find the discipline to get these out of their system before the regular season starts.

All in all, there were some good things and not-so-good things to take away from tonight's game. They have one more preseason game next Friday to correct some mistakes; but since many starters don't play much of the final preseason game, it is safe to assume we will have to wait and see what happens once the regular season starts. Not exactly the vote of confidence, I know, but I feel with the talent we have they need to show me more...

RANGERS EVEN THE SCORE: WIN 3-0

The Rangers got an early lead and the pitched a shutout for a 3-0 victory against the Twins. This evens the series to 1-1 with the final game tomorrow before the Rangers head back home. Here's the highlights:

- The Rangers strike first as Josh Hamilton's double and Ian Kinsler's single helped score 2 runs in the top of the 1st inning. Nice way to start the game after last night's quiet offense.

- Scott Feldman pitched 5 2/3 scoreless innings to maintain the shutout. Neftali Feliz and CJ Wilson held on in relief, and Fransicso struck out the side in the 9th to secure the win.

- Pudge continues to contribute since joining the team with a solo home run in the 9th. There was just enough offense to get the job done tonight, but I am still hopeful that our bats will go crazy this last month of the season to push us into the postseason...keep your fingers crossed!

Red Sox win tonight, but the Angels fall to the A's so the standings are;

AL WEST
Angels --
Rangers 4.0

AL WILD CARD
Red Sox --
Rangers 2.5

RANGERS LOSE TO TWINS 3-2

The Rangers hung around with the Twins the whole game and had a few chances to make their move in the 9th, but could not fully capitalize on the opportunities as they lose 3-2 tonight. For the record, can I just say that I hate playing at the Metrodome. I am glad this is the final time we have to play ball there [since they are moving to a new stadium next year]. Those high back walls make both home runs and fielding challenging and is a definite home field advantage for the Twins, and not for us.

- Tommy Hunter started out rough (3 runs in the 1st inning) but then found his groove as he went 7 innings with no walks. He even took a line hit right into his upper chest and stayed in and kept pitching. That kid is tough!

- Welcome Pedro Strop! The Rangers wasted no time introducing our newly acquired pitcher in relief and he looked pretty impressive tonight in holding the score at 3 and allowing no walks.

- David Murphy was this close to tying the game in the 9th inning with his hit that bounced about 1/2 foot from going over the dang wall [see rant above]. He ended up with a double and managed to drive in a run but it wasn't enough tonight.

- Chris Davis got out on a called 3rd strike to end the game; replay showed that ball was clearly outside and with Murphy on base it would have been interesting to see what could have happened. Oh well, thems the breaks, I guess there is always tomorrow...

Boston and LA both win tonight, so the new standings are as follows:

AL WEST
Angels --
Rangers 5.0

AL WILD CARD
Red Sox --
Rangers 2.5

CRABTREE SHOULD CHECK EGO AT THE DOOR

Ex-Tech star Crabtree letting ego get in his way
by JEAN-JACQUES TAYLOR

Michael Crabtree is making a mistake with his protracted holdout, because he's wrecking his rookie year.

This isn't really about money for Crabtree, a Carter High School graduate and former Texas Tech star who should be playing for San Francisco in a preseason game against the Cowboys tonight.

It's all about ego.

Understand, athletes with egos don't bother me. We all have egos. Anyone who's ever succeeded at the highest level has a large ego.

But Crabtree's ego is doing more harm than good.

He thinks – and I agree – that he was the best receiver in last April's draft, but Oakland drafted Darrius Heyward-Bey with the seventh pick in the first round.

Who knows why the Raiders make the decisions they do these days, but that's what Al Davis did. Crabtree fell to the 10th, which is still pretty good, considering he didn't participate in the combine because of a foot injury.

The problem is that Crabtree wants to be paid more than Heyward-Bey because he believes – again, I agree – that's he's a better player.

Well, that's just silly.

It's not the way the league's slotting system for paying rookies works – and the 49ers have no interest in breaking the system and creating a precedent for players.

Eventually, Crabtree is going to sign a contract worth more than that of the 11th pick and less than that of the ninth pick.

For now, he sits.

Click here to continue reading story...

Story courtesy of www.dallasnews.com

FINAL VERDICT: NFL RULES THAT COWBOYS SCOREBOARD CAN STAY PUT

The NFL has decided not to take any action for this season regarding the Dallas Cowboys’ digital scoreboard that hangs 90 feet over the field at their new stadium.

In a memo sent to every team, Commissioner Roger Goodell said if a punt hits the board – or any guidewire, skycam or any other object at any other stadium – the down will be replayed, just as the rule stated before Tennessee’s A.J. Trapasso’s kick nailed it last week in the first football game at the stadium.

The do-over rule will be in place for the rest of this season, including Saturday’s preseason game against San Francisco and through the playoffs. However, the issue could be re-visited in the future.

“We will continue to address the particular circumstances in Dallas, giving full consideration to the competitive, safety and fan experience issues involved,” Goodell said in a statement. “The Cowboys have been fully cooperative as we have addressed this subject, and we will continue to work closely with the club on a longer term resolution.”

All along, owner and general manager Jerry Jones said the board did not need to be raised and that in a “competitive game situation,” it would not be a factor. The Cowboys believe Trapasso was intentionally attempting to hit the board after he and Craig Hentrich hit it in pregame warmups. Cowboys punter Mat McBriar has said the scoreboard would not affect him.

Tennessee coach Jeff Fisher, who is the co-chair of Competition Committee, said he believed the board needed to be moved even though it rests five feet above the minimum set by the league.

The one concession the league made was to allow the replay assistant to call for a review if the on-field officials did not see the ball hit the board. Normally the replay assistant can only stop play in the final two minutes of each half for a review. If a coach believes the ball hit the board, then he would be able to use a replay challenge even if the replay assistant does not stop play.

If the down is replayed, the game clock will be reset to the time remaining when the snap occurred and all penalties will be disregarded, except personal fouls, which will be administered prior to the snap.


Story courtesy of Todd Archer at www.dallasnews.com

ROY WILLIAMS INJURED IN COWBOY'S PRACTICE

Roy Williams collided with Orlando Scandrick after running a slant
route and banged up his left shoulder. Williams was getting examined as practice continued. The players were not in pads during the two-hour workout.

Williams immediately grabbed his shoulder as he went to the ground and was slow to get up. He was examined by head athletic trainer Jim Maurer before heading inside the locker room.

Wade Phillips didn't shed much light on the situation immediately after practice.
"I don't know about Roy," Phillips said. "He banged his left shoulder a little bit, and they're checking on him."

The Cowboys later confirmed that Williams suffered a shoulder injury. No word on the severity yet. The team will provide an update tomorrow.

UPDATE
The official diagnosis on Roy Williams is that he has a contusion on
his left shoulder. That's a fancy word for a bruise, so he avoided serious injury and should be fine for the season opener...


Story courtesy of www.dallasnews.com

LEACH MAY HAVE FOUND LATEST QB TREASURE

Peering one-eyed from the cover of the latest Texas Monthly is West Texas' resident Bluebeard, a coach who doesn't just march to the beat of a different drummer, he's leading his own merry band.

For instance: Asked if he had any issues posing with an eye-patch for the magazine, the Pirate said no.

"They said there wouldn't be any nudity," he added, thoughtfully, "so I felt good about that."

Don't we all.

As if it were necessary, Mike Leach forged on to explain he has "a lot of latitude" when it comes to the personal and professional realm, a fact he demonstrated quite nicely this off-season when he took on his own administration in a contract war, then followed that battle with a couple of volleys at the NFL for its apathy toward Texas Tech quarterbacks.

Bottom line: He got his money, all right.

Maybe his NFL quarterback, too.

The latest and most luxurious model in the Pirate's assembly line, Taylor Potts is 6-5 and 218 pounds. NFL size. NFL arm. Coming out of Abilene, he was ranked the nation's 13th-best pro style quarterback. Michigan, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Texas, Baylor and Texas A&M came calling.

Click here to continue reading story...

Story courtesy of Kevin Sherrington at www.dallasnews.com

RANGERS WIN 7-2, TAKE 2-3 FROM 1ST PLACE YANKEES

I have to admit with this being a day game, I did not actually get to watch it [some of us gotta work, you know]. However, I did periodically check the score and was pleased to see that we didn't let yesterday's loss bring us down as the Rangers win today 7-2. Below are some second-hand thoughts on the game courtesy of Richard Durrett with the Dallas Morning News:

- Walks/Holding runners. They killed Dustin Nippert on Thursday. He had 7 walks in 3 2/3 innings. He had three walks in the first inning alone. He worked out of that jam and a few others without letting things get totally out of hand, but his pitch count climbed in a hurry. The walks became even more harmful as the Yankees were able to get into scoring position quickly. Nippert doesn't do much to hold runners on and they were quick to go once they were on. But he didn't allow the big inning. That was key.

- Ian Kinsler. With A.J. Burnett throwing a no-hitter in the fourth, he walked two batters (there's that walks really hurting thing again) and Kinsler came up and hit the first pitch (one that was right down the middle) over the fence in left to give the Rangers a 3-1 lead at that point. He then hit another homer in the 8th to give the Rangers one more insurance run.

- Chris Davis. He hit his fourth homer against a lefty this year (he has 12 against righites) and it was a big three-run blast in the 7th to give the Rangers a 6-2 lead. Davis has looked much better since returning to the majors and has had a huge contribution. He also made the great defensive play in the sixth.

- C.J. Wilson. The first two batters got on in the 7th, but Wilson got aggressive, threw hard and got Alex Rodriguez, Hideki Matsui and Nick Swisher on strikeouts to end the inning. It was impressive. As was his 1-2-3 eighth. Was that Wilson's best outing since the All-Star break?

Click here to read more highlights from today's game...

Story courtesy of www.dallasnews.com

YANKEES CLOBBER RANGERS 9-2

There wasn't alot that went right in the Bronx tonight, as the Rangers were manhandled by the Yankees all night for a final score of 9-2. Much like the 9th inning the previous night, the Yankees used walks and timely singles to run up the score in the 7th from 4-2 to 9-2. After that, the Rangers seemed to wilt and could not recover in the last 2 innings. Some post game thoughts below:

- Holland did not have his best outing. He didn't look awful, but the Yankees make him pay on the pitches he missed on. He fought into the 7th inning but couldn't get out of the inning, and was replaced by Jennings, who quickly allowed the game to get out of hand.

- David Murphy was the one bright spot tonight. Inserted into the lineup [with Marlon Byrd out with kidney stones], Murphy accounted for the only Ranger runs tonight with a RBI double and solo home run.

- Elvis delivered a terrific defensive play when he easily threw out A-rod at home plate. He also got 2 walks to get on base, although nothing came from that it is nice to see this young man bring his A game everyday.

Of course, since the Rangers lose, the Angels and Red Sox both win, so the standings are:

AL WEST
Angels --
Rangers 5.0

AL WILD CARD
Red Sox --
Rangers 2.5

SHOULD FELIZ BE THE RANGERS' CLOSER?

Since being called up from the minors on August 1st, Rangers pitcher Neftali Feliz has been nothing short of outstanding. He has had 14 consecutive scoreless innings in relief with 21 strikeouts and an ERA of 0.55 [best in MLB for the month of August]. Oh, and did I mention that his average fastball speed ranges between 97-101mph.

So given these eye-popping stats and the recent struggles the Rangers have had closing out games for the win, should manager Ron Washington consider moving Feliz into the closer role this season? Or should we keep him where he is at for this year and take it slow and steady.

The Short-term plan with Feliz was to call him up this year and ease him into the middle reliver rotation to get him used to playing with the big boys. I would say he has quickly responded without even breaking a sweat.

The Long-term plan is to eventually move Feliz into the starting line-up over the next year or so. I don't know if this is the best idea given how powerful he is with his fastball. If the rest of our middle relief does not step up then his starts may be wasted by the later innings.

Post your comments and let me know what you think is best for the club when it comes to the power of Feliz - leave him alone, move to closer, or prep for starter? You decide....

Apologies for the picture, but it made me laugh so I had to use it

NCAA FOOTBALL PREVIEW: TEXAS TECH RED RAIDERS

2009 ANALYSIS:

OFFENSE: With QB Graham Harrell and WR Michael Crabtree gone, the hope is that juniors Taylor Potts and Detron Lewis are ready to take their [rightful] place in the spotlight. "Potts could have started for a lot of teams last year. Could have started for ours except for Graham was ahead of him." While not ready to anoint Lewis (76 receptions, 913 yards, three TDs) the guy to fill the huge shoes left by Crabtree, Leach likes the general makeup of his receiving corps. "I think the overall receiving unit is going to be a little deeper and could very well overall be better."

The run game has taken a back seat at Tech since Leach's high-flying aerial attack was implemented, but there have been talented guys taking hand-offs -- as infrequent as that may be. This year is no exception with junior Baron Batch expected to pick up where he left off last year when he averaged better than six and a half yards per carry and scored seven TDs. Helping create a bit more balance is an offensive line that returns just two starters, although one of them is menacing senior Brandon Carter (6-7, 345 pounds).

Leach is hoping Carter's desire and intensity is contagious. "He's a real intense guy before the game. He's one of those guys that wishes we were playing a doubleheader instead of one game."

DEFENSE:
It has long been said that Leach cares only about offense, and that his defense will always be an afterthought. While that is probably true to a certain extent, you don't win 11 games in a season, particularly in the Big 12, without at least putting some gamers out there who have the ability to stop the opposition most of the time. Tech permitted 27.9 points and 382.6 total yards per contest in '08, and the effort against the run was actually decent (140.4 ypg). The Red Raiders logged 34 sacks and were +8 in turnover margin, and while a few of the top defensive playmakers have moved on, the cupboard isn't completely bare.

The line has two returning starters back in junior Colby Whitlock and senior Richard Jones, although the strength of the unit will likely be at linebacker where junior Brian Duncan is back after amassing 94 tackles last season.

Questions abound in the secondary as only senior Brent Nickerson returns to his starting role.

Despite some uncertainty, Leach likes his defense. "I think our defense will probably be a little better than it was last year. We certainly have the chance to."

SPECIAL TEAMS:
The kicking game may or may not be an area of concern this season, depending on the play of returnees Matt Williams and Donnie Carona. Neither excel in their respective duties, but both could serve valuable roles on this team. As for the guys returning kicks, senior WR Edward Britton could emerge from the pack and develop into a solid specialist.

OUTLOOK:
First up for Texas Tech are a pair of winnable games against North Dakota and Rice, but the Big 12 opener at Texas on September 19th has trouble written all over it. The Longhorns will be especially ornery after last year's heartbreaking loss to the Red Raiders.

Next up for Tech are bouts with Houston, New Mexico and Kansas State -- all games the Red Raiders can win. The remainder of the Big 12 slate has more than its share of pitfalls, but if all goes according to plan the team could be in position to challenge for a middle-tier bowl game.

Lacking the known commodities he has had in the past, Leach is reserving judgment on his team, and hopes everyone else does as well. "It was a couple years ago where, you know, the questions were a little more along the line of how's this Harrell going to be any good? How's this Crabtree guy? What do you mean he's just a freshman? And all this other business. You know, it's a yearly ritual, honestly. So, yeah, there's some guys that are going to play that most people haven't heard of. But they've been around our place for a while, and we feel good about them."

Click here to read full article...

Story courtesy of www.seattlepi.com

RANGERS HOLD IN 9TH: BEAT YANKEES 10-9

whew....go ahead and exhale, the game is over and we managed to squeak out a win. This was a game of extreme highs and lows as the Rangers beat the Yankees 10-9. The game started with the Yankees up 4-0 in the 1st. Millwood didn't seem to have his best stuff and it looked like we were in for a long night. But our young players never seem to stay down for long and they found holes and built up runs to a 10-5 lead and they seemed firmly in control. Then came the 9th...and disaster almost strikes as the Yankees come within one run of tying the game. Let's just say that this win was a little too close for comfort. More thoughts below:

- Happy 21st Birthday Elvis!!! Andrus was definitely the player of the game as he was 3-5 with 3 RBI and the game winning, unassisted double play! I hope Francisco offers to buy his first beer tonight...

- Welcome Back Chris Davis! Davis was called back up from the minors for this series and rewarded the Rangers faith in him by excellent defense and hitting 2-4 with a walk. He looked really comfortable at the plate tonight.

- Marlon Byrd had an off night hitting, but made up for it with a great diving catch in center field. He has been making the most of his time out on the field this year with good batting and fielding on any given night.

- Millwood looks tired out there. His past few outings he has looked fatigued and hasn't made it thru 6 innings. This is a worrisome trend because if we have any hopes of a postseason, we need to keep our starting pitching strong and able to go deep in the games so we keep the bullpen fresh.

- That Michael Young is so hot right now! Last week's AL player of the week doesn't look like he is ready to pass on the title as he continues to play lights out. It is so nice having someone so reliable that you trust every time he is near the ball something good happens. His 2-run homer in the top of the 7th should have been the icing on the cake, but...

- As good as we looked in innings 2-8, the 9th inning was nothing short of a disaster. Starting with a broken bat single, a walk, another walk, a single, another single, a third single and all of the sudden we are looking at a 10-9 game with 2 on base and 0 outs. Look, I understand the Yankees lineup is very powerful, but there is no excuse to have to sweat bullets when you are leading by 5 in the 9th.

Good and bad, overall I am still happy with the victory and hope we can start to build a nice winning streak. And here are the new standings:

AL WEST
Angels* --
Rangers 4.5

*[at time posted the Angels game is still in progress tied 3-3 with Detroit]

AL WILD CARD
Red Sox --
Rangers 1.5

MONDAY: RANGERS IDLE, UPDATED STANDINGS

The Rangers were idle on Monday before heading to New York to play a 3 game series against the Yankees. However, both the Angels and Red Sox did play on Monday; the Red Sox beat the White Sox 12-8, while the Angels lose again (yea!) to Detroit 7-10, leaving the standings to:

AL WEST
Angels --
Rangers 5.0

AL WILD CARD
Red Sox --
Rangers 1.5

MICHAEL YOUNG IS AL PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Michael Young, who is riding an 11-game hitting streak heading into today's series opener against the New York Yankees, has been selected the American League player of the week.

Young had three consecutive three-hit games and went 15-for-30 for the week. The 15 hits were more than any other player in the major leagues.

Young had two doubles, a triple, a homer and eight RBIs. Young's 11-game hitting streak gives him 19 hitting streaks of 10 games or longer, which ties Ivan Rodriguez for most in club history.


Story courtesy of www.dallasnews.com

COWBOYS' SCOREBOARD-GATE CONTINUES...

Unless you live under a rock, you have probably heard about a tiny oversight with the new Cowboys Stadium design. Last Friday's stadium opening celebration and victory against the Titans [granted, it's only preseason] was overshadowed in the news by the 60-yard digital board that is currently being used as target practice for punters. At this time it appears that Jerry Jones and the NFL are at a stalemate on what height to hang the board at:

COWBOYS STATEMENT:
Cowboys Director of Communications Brett Daniels released the following statement in regards to the height of the digital board:

"We worked closely with the league office in establishing the height of the video board. The league recommended a height of at least 85 feet above the playing field. The board was installed at 90 feet. We believe in a competitive game situation, the height of the board will not be a factor.

For the last month, we have been in the process of installing equipment that will permit the lowering of the board in the future, allowing us to maximize the board for a variety of special events other than football games. This work will continue into early October.

At the end of September we will also be temporarily disconnecting and raising the board for the U2 concert on Oct. 12 to accommodate their 100 foot stage, as the board will be inoperable at that height and will not be utilized during the show.
Following the U2 concert, the board will return to its standard height of 90 feet above the playing field."

NFL STATEMENT:
NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said in an e-mail that the league office is aware of the issue and will continue to monitor it. Aiello said the NFL's competition committee has not yet scheduled a meeting to discuss the issue, but Titans coach Jeff Fisher indicated it was a possibility after Tennessee rookie A.J. Trapasso's punt hit the board in the third quarter Friday night.

The board, which is 60 yards long and 71 feet tall, hangs 90 feet above the field.

"Something has to get worked out," said Fisher, who serves as co-chairman of the committee. "It can become a problem."


MY TAKE:
I think this digital board will eventually get raised, so the 2 questions left to be answered are when and who pays for it? Yep, this all comes down to money. Jones feels the NFL should pay since he followed the legue regulations during building. Obviously the NFL will fill like it is Jones' problem and therefore he should absorb the costs. Personally, I don't care who ends up paying for it, just get it fixed soon!

RANGERS PITCHING GETS JOB DONE; WIN 4-0

The Rangers finally looked like a contender in this series with the Rays as timely hitting and excellent pitching came together for a 4-0 win this afternoon. Next stop is New York to take on the Yankees. Let's hope they can build on the momentum of today's victory to stay strong in hopes for the playoffs

- Way to go Scott Feldman!!! He really had his stuff working today as he striked out a career high 11 strikeouts today, the most by a Rangers pitcher in the past 10 years. O'Day came in the 8th and continued the pitching domination by striking out the side. This is the pitching that we need to ride if we want to make it to the postseason.

- For the third game in a row, the Rangers had a pitcher to 1st base throwing error. I am not sure how to correct this, but it is disturbing trend that you hope gets corrected soon...

- Michael Young is still Mr. Reliable as he gets 2 more RBI's on a base-line hit into right field. You can always seem to count on Young to make something happen when he is at the plate.

- Newest addition Pudge made a difference (once again) at the plate and caught a nice game. If he keeps hitting like this, he's going to fight his way into more playing time. He also added a key sac fly in the ninth to give the Rangers an important insurance run.

The Angels acutally lose today, and the Red Sox don't play until tonight so we will have to wait until then for the final standings for the day, but for now here is where we stand:

AL WEST
Angels --
Rangers 5.5

AL WILD CARD
Red Sox --
Rangers 1.0
[standings updated to reflect the Red Sox loss to the Yankees last night]

RANGERS GO EXTRA INNINGS BUT CANT OVERCOME RAYS; LOSE 5-4

This was a back and forth game all night, with the Rangers taking an early lead, until the Rays took the lead in the 8th; Byrd tied the game in the top of the 9th to force extra innings, but Carlos Pena continues to be a Rangers' killer this series as he provided the hit that allowed the Rays to top the Rangers 5-4.

- Michael Young continues to be the most dependable player of the year. Young has nine hits in his last three games and is almost guaranteed for two hits a night right now. His is the only spot in the lineup that you can be certain will produce consistently.

- Marlon Byrd's home run to tie the game with two outs in the ninth was one of the biggest plays of the season. It seemed to temporarily energize the Rangers but ultimately was not enough to get the win.

- This was another night to forget for the bats. With the exception of Byrd and Young, the rest of the lineup produced zero walks and nine strikeouts for the lineup tonight.

- The trend of starting pitchers not completing six innings continues. Dustin Nippert last did it on Sunday. Hunter had finished six in five of his last starts coming into the week.

- C.J. Wilson's inability to get one out in the 8th was probably the biggest blow in a game that Texas really needed, with Boston and LA both winning. The Rangers need to have a dependable late inning relief and closer if they hope to make a push for the playoffs. That is especially bad when Neftali Feliz seems to be the only guy Ron Washington can feel completely comfortable sending to the mound in the middle innings or setup role.

In other news, both the Angels and Red Sox won thier games, leaving the standings as follows:

AL WEST
Angels --
Rangers 6.5

AL WILD CARD
Red Sox --
Rangers 2.0

FORMER RED RAIDER BRANDON WILLIAMS WILL MISS SEASON FOR COWBOYS

Cowboys rookie linebacker Brandon Williams, a former Texas Tech standout, has a torn knee ligament and is likely headed for season-ending surgery.

Coach Wade Phillips said Saturday that Williams “played very well on special teams. We lost an outside linebacker that we were hoping would help us some this year.”

A fourth-round pick from Texas Tech, Williams was injured while trying to make a tackle on a punt return in Dallas’ 30-10 victory over Tennessee on Friday night. Victor Butler will replace Williams as the primary backup on the strong side.

Steve Octavien also is likely to move up in the rotation.

Story courtesy of www.redraiders.com

RANGERS CANT GET PAST RAYS; LOSE 3-5

The Texas Rangers begin a long road trip this weekend as they faced the first of 3 games with the Tampa Bay Rays. This game was a forgettable one as the Rangers had zero offense against Kazmir the the team looked tired and sloppy in their defense and pitching efforts. We did attempt a late rally to get 3 in the 8th innings, but couldn't follow-up in the 9th as the Rangers lose 3-5.

- Not a sharp day for Nippert as he took 50+ pitches to get out of the 1st 2 innings; later on he settled down and retired 8 straight batters before giving up a 2 run followed by a solo homer in the 5th. Maybe I was spoiled the past few weeks by the pitchers going so deep into the games, but this past week it seems we are having to call on our bullpen earlier and earlier. I hope this is only temporary thing and not a late-season weardown of our pitching staff.

- We look opposite of the crisp game played yesterday as we had 2 errors early in the game [one by Nippert, one by Teagarden]. Even Borbon was affected by a base running error as he finally failed an attempt to steal 2nd base.

- The bats were ice cold tonight until the top of the 8th, when we scored 3 runs, including a controversial solo home run by Teagarden. The replay appeared that the ball did not get out of the park, but the umpires called it like they saw it -- guess they are afraid of replay cause they didn't even attempt to use it.

In other news, the Red Sox got a beatdown by the Yankees but the Angels continue to win, leaving the current standings at:

AL WEST
Angels --
Rangers 6.0

AL WILD CARD
Red Sox --
Rangers 1.0

My apologies for the short post. I attempted to watch the game while flipping over to catch parts of the football game going on at the same time.

COWBOYS' SHINE ON OPENING DAY; BEAT TITANS 30-10

Welcome to Preseason game #2 against the Tennessee Titans. Today marks the official opening day for the new Cowboys Stadium. And let's face it, people aren't watching tonight for the final score. They are tuning in to see the new stadium in all its glory. And let me tell you, for $1.2 Billion dollars, this stadium better be magnificent. Below are some thoughts of the actual game that was played that the Cowboys won 30-10:

- Both the Cowboys offense and defense dominated the Time of Possession against the Titans. After the first series, Tony Romo and Co. settled down and steadily marched up and down the field at will; meanwhile, the Cowboys D led by Ware stifled the Titans all evening long.

- Special Teams continue to have issues as a 78 yd return by Austin was negated by a Sam Hurd holding penalty. [For what it's worth that was a pretty weak call when they showed the replay]. It appears that every special teams possession had a penalty involved, so we still have some work to do before the season starts to get the players on the same page.

- The Romo to Witten connection is still looking strong as the two connect on several plays to set up the first touchdown of the game. Also the Cowboys 2 minute scoring drill is working as they steadily marched up the field to score with 1 second left before the half.

- I am excited to see more of our three-headed monster this year at RB with Barber, Jones, and Choice all making nice plays in the home opener. Both Barber and Jones ran in touchdowns with ease last night; Felix Jones continues to impress every time he is on the field and I can only hope that he stays healthy enough to impact games all season long.

- As dominant as the Dallas Defense front seven was last night, there are still some concerns with the secondary. Newman is a steady presence on his side of the field if he can stay healthy all year, but the other side still needs some improvement as Jenkins and Scandrick are both in the running for the other starting corner position. I am leaning towards Scandrick so far until Jenkins can show me more consistency.

Best call of the night. The Cowboys got flagged in the 3rd for a "False Start on everyone but the Center"...well, that's a new one for me!

DALLAS COWBOYS OPEN NEW STADIUM TONIGHT

Dallas Cowboys set to rock the house in new stadium
By DAVID MOORE / The Dallas Morning News


ARLINGTON – His first view of the architectural goliath came on a flight back to Dallas. Even from 6,000 feet, the scale was impressive.

Marion Barber has driven by the Cowboys Stadium several times since. Each time, he's felt compelled to pull off to the side of the road and gaze.

"I'm pumped," said Barber, the Cowboys' running back. "I can't wait to get up in there."

The wait is over.

The stadium has hosted George Strait, the Jonas Brothers, Paul McCartney and the soccer elite since it opened its doors in June. But tonight will be the first time it will feature performances by Tony Romo, Jason Witten, DeMarcus Ware and Co.

The team's first game in Cowboys Stadium kicks off at 7 tonight against the Tennessee Titans. If you are tempted to downplay the significance of this moment and point to the team's regular-season game against the New York Giants on Sept. 20 as the true opener; if you want to dismiss this as a soft opening, don't tell the players.

"You know how people have grand openings, and it's really not a grand opening because the place has been open for like a month?" receiver Patrick Crayton asked. "That seems ridiculous to me.

"This is the grand opening."

Continue rest of story here...

Story courtesy of www.dallasnews.com

RANGERS DOMINATE TWINS 11-1 TO SPLIT SERIES

The Ranger bats finally woke up tonight as the Rangers stomp the Twins 11-1. The defense made big play after big play, and half the team got on base 3 or more times. In fact, I can't really think of one think that went wrong tonight. Some highlights include:

- WOW! Marlon Byrd is having a heck of a game. First he had a towering solo home run in the 2nd, then he made one of the best diving catches of the year in the 3nd. Then to top it off he hit 2-run homer to dead center in the bottom of the 3rd. He ended up with 4 RBIs for the night and was my player of the game

- Borbon does it again. Even though Nellie Cruz is back from the DL, Ron Washington opted to keep the white-hot Borbon up in the big leagues instead of sending him back down to the minors; Borbon rewarded him with his first major league home run in deep right field in the 3rd

- Maybe the slump is over...Blalock was rock steady tonight, working the pitch count all night and hitting 3-4;all 3 base hits to right field.

- Holland didn't pitch deep into the game tonight, but he looked pretty dominant in those first 5 innings, only allowing 1 solo home run all night and 3 strike-outs.

Although the Red Sox won tonight, the Angels FINALLY lost a game, so the standings are:

AL WEST
Angels --
Rangers 6.0

AL WILD CARD
Red Sox --
Rangers 1.0

TEXAS TECH FOOTBALL - 2009 SEASON PREVIEW

What's to prove
Tech has made some major steps to achieve parity with the Big 12 South's best. The Red Raiders tied for the division title last season with Oklahoma and Texas and recorded a memorable victory over the Longhorns in Lubbock. Coach Mike Leach eventually won his arm wrestling match with the administration and received a five-year, $12.7 million contract extension. His next challenge will be to compete with Texas and OU on a yearly basis for the division title. The Red Raiders have a way of finding players to fit their program, and new starter Taylor Potts might be the most physically talented QB of the Leach era.

Deep at ... running back and offensive line
Would you believe running back? Tech has all kinds of weapons, if it wants to use them. Baron Batch averaged an eye-catching 6.7 yards a carry last season while rushing for 758 yards. He also caught 45 passes out of the backfield. The Red Raiders have other options too. Aaron Crawford was impressive as a freshman in 2007 before getting injured two games into last season. Redshirt freshman Harrison Jeffers could provide a breakaway threat. Marlon Winn (6-6, 287) and Brandon Carter (6-7, 344) return from an offensive line that allowed just 13 sacks last season. Their presence should speed the retooling process.

Thin at ... defensive line and kicking
Somehow the Red Raiders are going to have to find a pass rush. Brandon Williams and McKinner Dixon departed after recording 21 combined sacks last season. And coach Mike Leach didn't include defensive end Brandon Sesay on the training camp roster. The kicking game is unproven and jumbled. College football's most famous contest winner, Matt Williams, will battle junior college transfer Brad Hicks for kicking duties. Donnie Carona, who struggled on field goals last season, is competing to replace punter Jonathan LaCour, suspended for the first six games. Also in the mix: walk-on Ryan Erxleben, the son of former Texas kicking standout Russell Erxleben.

Player to watch: Jamar Wall
Senior Jamar Wall has shown the ability to make plays as a record-setting running back at Plainview High School and as a cornerback at Tech. He had 62 tackles last season to go with two interceptions. Wall will need to take an even bigger role, coming off spring toe surgery. He will be the only returning starter in a unit that was a key part of Tech's rise last season. The likely replacements for all-conference safeties Darcel McBath and Daniel Charbonnet are junior Franklin Mitchem and freshman Cody Davis. Several players are competing for the other cornerback spot.

Circle this date
Texas Tech's defining moment of 2008 came against Texas. For different reasons, the Sept. 19 meeting in Austin this season could be an early indicator of the season. Quarterback Taylor Potts will have just two starts before going into Royal-Memorial Stadium. "Honestly, I think that game, it can make or break us," receiver Detron Lewis said. "We're not going to let it. It's going to determine how good we're going to be."


Article courtesy of Chuck Carlton at www.dallasnews.com

RANGERS LOSE AGAIN TO TWINS 5-4

The Rangers pulled a repeat of yesterday and coughed up the lead in the 6th inning [maybe the inning is cursed for us?]. The Twins tied it up then took a one-run lead and held on for the win tonight in a disappointing game for the Rangers. One highlight was Pudge's return behind the plate as a Ranger and the multiple standing ovations were nice. I think his veteran presence will help this team of youngsters stay focused for the playoff run come September. Now onto the Good and Bad of the game:

The Good:

- Kinsler - still smoking hot since coming back off the DL. He could easily go 30 runs/30 steals this season if he keeps up this pace

-Pudge's first start back as a Ranger was overall a good one. He was 3-3 batting and looked good out there. He also got several standing ovations, which was nice. He did drop a ball going for the out at home, but I can forgive that one slip.


The Bad:

-Millwood looked dominant and in control the first 4 2/3 innings, but had issues getting that final out in the 5th and couldn't get out of the 6th inning. His pitching appeared more and more erratic in the later innings, so I am not sure if something was wrong or it was just one of those days.

-Why is it that we seem to score at will until we cough up the lead in the 6th inning [again]...after that, our bats go cold. Our lineup is full of awesome hitters; there is no reason we can't score more when we need to. It is starting to get annoying.

Red Sox and Angels win again [what else is new] so the new standings are:

AL WEST
Angels --
Rangers 6.5

AL WILD CARD
Red Sox --
Rangers 1.0

COWBOYS' KICKER BUEHLER DUSTS D-BACK

David Buehler dusts defensive back
by Tim MacMahon

Rookie defensive back DeAngelo Smith doubted the speed of fellow fifth-round pick David Buehler and paid for it with a public embarrassment.

Smith and Buehler, locker room neighbors who had exchanged good-natured trash talk throughout training camp, staged a 50-yard race at the end of practice. Buehler won by a full step, much to the amusement of the rest of the defensive backs.

"A lot of people were telling him it's all downside," said Buehler, whose fastest 40 at the combine was 4.56. "If you win, you know, you're supposed to beat a white kicker. It is what it is. I'm just being honest.

"A lot of players were telling him it's a lose-lose situation, but I just kept getting in his ear and talking. He just got frustrated and wanted to do it."

Smith, who is primarily playing safety in large part because he lacks elite speed, was a gracious loser, saying Beuhler beat him fair and square. But Smith wants a rematch.

Buehler is willing to race almost anybody on the Cowboys.

"Well, I know Newman is fast," Buehler said. "I'm probably not going to mess with him."

Good thing, since the last thing the Cowboys need is for Newman to pull a muscle racing the world's fastest kicker.

Article courtesy of www.dallasnews.com

ESPN RANKS THE TOP 10 CURRENT RIVALRIES IN COLLEGE FOOTBALL

Pat Forde with ESPN has an interesting article on the Top 10 current rivalries in College Football. It's no surprise that the OU-UT Red River Rivalry is #1, but you may be shocked at #6 [especially if you are an Aggie]. See the list below or click the link to read the full Top 10 recap.

1. Texas Longhorns - Oklahoma Sooners
2. Tennessee Volunteers - Florida Gators
3. Florida Gators - Georgia Bulldogs
4. UCLA Bruins - USC Trojans
5. LSU Tigers - Alabama Crimson Tide
---------------------------------------------------------------
6. Texas A&M Aggies-Texas Tech Red Raiders
Date: Oct. 24
Place: Lubbock, Texas

Why It's Hot Now: The April NFL draft served as the flash point for this rivalry. After former Aggies quarterback Stephen McGee capped an up-and-down college career by being selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the fourth round, famed smart-aleck Mike Leach observed, "I'm happy for Stephen McGee. The Dallas Cowboys like him more than his coaches at A&M did." That crack so irritated A&M coach Mike Sherman, who played McGee sparingly as a senior in part because of injury, that he fired back on consecutive days -- once in a statement from the school: "There is nothing Mike Leach could ever say that would offend me. I do find it unfortunate, however, that a college coach feels the need to question the handling of a player by a staff particularly without any knowledge of the facts or the extent of a player's injury. It is equally bothersome that a football coach would question the draft status of a player. This doesn't make any sense to me." Leach, feeling the muscle from owning the rivalry in recent years and always in search of the last word, got it when talking to the Lubbock Avalanche Journal: "I've always known A&M had great players. The fact that they have the luxury to put a third- or fourth-round draft pick on the bench, to me, identifies what a truly great team they are. … It's an honor for us at Texas Tech to have the opportunity to play them. There are numerous players on our team that will never get a look or play a down in the NFL, so you can imagine how exciting it is for me and them to go play a team the magnitude of Texas A&M and look over there on the bench and see third- and fourth-round draft picks." Shortly thereafter, both coaches reportedly attempted to call each other without getting through.

Upper Hand Today: Tech won last year's game, has won four straight and has been the much stronger program in recent years.

Upper Hand Historically: Texas A&M leads the all-time series 34-32-1, but Tech has won 11 of the last 14.

Reveille to Masked Raider: Your coach has no class.

Masked Raider to Reveille: Your coach has no wins.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

7. Ohio State Buckeyes - Michigan Wolverines
8. Washington Huskies - Washington State Cougars
9. Ole Miss Rebels - Arkansas Razorbacks
10. Boston College Eagles - Virginia Tech Hokies


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Article courtesy of ESPN

CRABTREE STILL UNSIGNED WITH 49ERS

49ers' York: Crabtree deal will get done
by Daniel Brown

As far as Jed York is concerned, there is no turning back in the high-stakes poker with first-round pick Michael Crabtree. He said he is confident the 49ers will get a deal done.

"We're all in,'' he said.

Speaking to a handful of reporters just before kickoff, York noted that Friday marked the trade deadline for unsigned draft choices.

Earlier in the day, there were breakthroughs with some other top picks. The Green Bay Packers reportedly signed defensive lineman B.J. Raji, the No. 9 overall pick, to a five-year, $28.5 million deal that includes just under $18 million in guaranteed money.

Offensive tackle Eugene Monroe, the No. 8 overall pick in last spring's draft, signed a five-year contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Crabtree, the Texas Tech receiver, is believed to be seeking a contract worth more than is unofficially slotted for a No. 10 draft choice.

York did not address financial figures. He said only that the ink would eventually be on the dotted line.

"We'll get it done,'' he said. "I don't know when, but we'll get it done."


Story courtesy of www.mercurynews.com

RANGERS FALL TO TWINS 9-6

The Rangers started the game with a bang and was in the lead 5-1 in the 5th inning. However, the tide turned in the top of the 6th when Feldman couldn't get out of the inning, allowing the twins to tie up the game and eventually take the lead and the win.

- Feldman remains somewhat of a mystery pitcher to me. He appears to be reliable and has the best winning record for the Rangers staff, but in every game he always seems to have that 1 killer inning. Sometimes we can overcome it, sometimes we simply can't [like tonight]. I hope he continues to be in the rotation but can be more consistent in all innings by the end of the season.

- Kinsler continues to shine since coming back from the DL with another 3-run homer tonight. I am so impressed with his play this year and hope he continues to stay healthy and hot!

- Borbon has really made a case for himself to find a way to keep him on the roster as he continues to be a hit and base-stealing beast! Tonight he was 3-4 with 3 more stolen bases. He is AWESOME!

Unfortunately the Angels and Red Sox both won their games tonight, so in the standings we drop another game back in the AL West and allow a tie in the AL Wildcard race. But hey, I'm not complaining...at least we are still in both races for the playoffs.

AL WEST
Angels --
Rangers 5.5

AL WILDCARD
Rangers --
Red Sox --

TEXAS TECH'S BARON BATCH INJURED - OUT 3-6 WEEKS

Texas Tech Red Raiders starting running back Baron Batch is expected to miss three to six weeks after sustaining an arm injury in practice, two people familiar with the injury said Thursday.

Batch most likely will miss one month, one source said, putting his target date for a possible return Sept. 19 in Week 3 against Texas.

The Lubbock Avalanche-Journal reported that Batch was hit by defensive tackle Chris Perry during an inside running drill and landed awkwardly on his arm. Batch later was taken from the Tech football facility in a private vehicle, accompanied by Tech medical personnel.

The specific nature of the injury is not known. Texas Tech does not comment on player injuries.

Batch, a junior, led the Red Raiders in rushing last season with 758 yards and seven touchdowns, with a Big 12-leading 6.7 yards per carry. He also ranked second among all Big 12 running backs with 45 receptions for 449 yards last season.

The loss would be especially significant because of the expired eligibility of Shannon Woods. Woods and Batch shared the Red Raiders' featured back role during their 11-2 season in 2008.

Aaron Crawford and Harrison Jeffers are candidates to replace Batch. The Red Raiders open Sept. 5 against North Dakota.

Crawford rushed for 26 yards and a touchdown last season, but has been hampered by a shoulder injury he suffered in spring practice

Joe Schad is a college football reporter for ESPN. Information from ESPN.com Big 12 blogger Tim Griffin was included in this report.

Story courtesy of ESPN

LEACH COVER STORY IN SEPTEMBER TEXAS MONTHLY!

Arrrrggg Raider Fans. Looks like Leach will be the feature story in next month's issue of Texas Monthly Magazine.




Article courtesy of http://www.texasmonthly.com

PUDGE IS A TEXAS RANGER AGAIN!!!

The best catcher in the history of the franchise and one of the top in the history of the game is coming back to the Rangers. Sources have confirmed that the Rangers completed a trade Tuesday morning with Houston for Ivan Rodriguez for two minor-leaguers.

Rodriguez was the catcher the last time the Rangers went to the playoffs in 1999. They enter play today with a one-game lead in the wild-card standings. They also have some uncertainty behind the plate.

A source said Rodriguez will serve as the backup for Taylor Teagarden, who has assumed the starting duties with Jarrod Saltalamacchia on the disabled list. Saltalamacchia was placed on the DL on Saturday with arm fatigue and was told today by vascular specialist Dr. Greg Pearl that he has thoracic outlet syndrome.

Click Here for the Full Story...

Article courtesy of www.dallasnews.com