What's wrong with Big D?

I've been a Dallas Cowboys fan since roughly 1993, when I watched them maul Buffalo 52-17 in Super Bowl XXVII as a three-year old.

Growing up in the Aikman/Smith/Irvin era, I developed a deep love for the Cowboys as they consistently won games and were in the playoff hunt every year from 1993-1997.

After that, it all began to change thanks to some smart general managing and ownership by one Jerry Jones.

Chan Gailey was brought in before 1998 and limped to a 18-14 record and playoff losses before being fired and thus beginning the Dave Campo era.

This "era" lasted all of three years, in which Dallas went 5-11 in each season.

Finally Jones woke up in 2003 and hired a Super Bowl winning coach in Bill Parcells, who had won a pair of championships with the New York Giants, had gone to a Super Bowl with the Patriots, and woke up the Jets franchise.

He woke Dallas up but eventually grew tired of Jerry's antics and was let go following a 9-7 season in 2006 that saw Dallas lose its wild-card game.

Wade Phillips was then hired and posted a remarkable 13-3 season in 2007 only to lose the divisional round game at home to New York, who went on to win the Super Bowl.

Now Phillips, in his fourth year, is 1-6 and it looks as if the season is thundering towards all-time low levels, circa 1-15 in 1989.

A lot of people are asking, "What's wrong with Dallas? They have all this talent? Why can't they win?"

This blog post will serve as a preview of a series of blog posts forthcoming entitled "It's a trap: The Death Star," that will attempt to be an explanation of why everything is so wrong with the Dallas Cowboys, and what can be done to fix it.

Photo by Brendan Sullivan/ The Dallas Morning News

Instant Replay

After watching the Braves lose 1-0 last night and witnessing an absolute pitching gem from Tim Lincecum a day after Roy Halladay's, I have one major observation.

MLB needs INSTANT REPLAY!!!

Photo owned by Phelan M. Ebenhack/Associated Press

Euless Trinity (TX) 80, Shiloh Christian 26

I woke up Monday morning and forgot that Euless Trinity and Shiloh Christian were playing at 10:30, but quickly I settled down and watched the carnage unfold for the next three hours.

Granted, Euless Trinity has a student enrollment of 3,000 compared to Shiloh's, which is in the 190's, but still it was remarkable to see the No. 1 team from Texas just throw the rushing gauntlet at will versus Shiloh, and there was nothing the Saints could do about it.

I will say this, Shiloh can be proud of the fact that they put 26 points on the board. They scored 20 of that on two big pass plays and a kickoff return from Garrett Harper, and the 26 points may be the most Trinity will give up in a game this season.

A lot of people think that Shiloh embarrassed the state with their play, but I don't think many teams in the country would have fared better against that rushing attack today.

It is a humbling experience for the Saints, however, but they will likely rebound and win out and win another state championship. Trinity should do the same.

*disclaimer: Photo courtesy of Sharon Ellman, Special to the Star-Telegram

Playoff Push

If I had to pick my two favorite baseball teams, it would be the two teams I've followed since I was a youngster, which are the Atlanta Braves and St. Louis Cardinals.

Up until about a month ago, both teams were solidified with leads in the NL East and NL Central, respectively.

Lately though, the Cardinals have been on a slide, while the Braves have been doing just enough to hold onto their lead.

It will be interesting to see how the Cincinnati Reds do with the division lead in September, seeing as they haven't come close to even SNIFFING the postseason since 1999, where they lost a one-game playoff to the Mets.

And maybe the Braves are back on top, who knows.

My bet is that unless they meet in the NLDS, they meet in the NLCS.

2010 Season Prognostications

Sept. 4 vs. Tennessee Tech

In the season opener to this much-hyped season, Arkansas will rout the Golden Eagles in Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. Ryan Mallett kicks off a Heisman campaign with 374 yards and four touchdowns, while Dennis Johnson is the star running back with 156 yards on the ground. The Razorback defense holds Tech to 13 points.

Arkansas 51, Tennessee Tech 13

Sept. 11 vs. Louisiana-Monroe

Two years ago the Warhawks gave Arkansas all it wanted and more in War Memorial Stadium, but this is a different Razorback team now. The Razorbacks drop 24 points in the opening quarter and never look back as Mallett goes for 350-plus again and Ronnie Wingo busts loose for an 87 yard touchdown in another rout that christens the new press box at WMS.

Arkansas 47, Louisiana-Monroe 15

Sept. 18 at Georgia

The SEC opener is the same as last year, except this time it's between the hedges at Georgia, and hopefully a Razorback defense shows up this time. It will, as Isaac Madison returns an interception for a touchdown and Tenarius Wright forces a fumble at a critical juncture in the game to preserve a Hog win.

Arkansas 39, Georgia 28

Sept. 25 vs. Alabama

What might be the Game of the 2010's could happen on this very day in Fayetteville as the likely No. 1 defending national champion Crimson Tide storm into the Ozark Mountains. A 3-0 vs. 3-0 for SEC West supremacy might make College Gameday, and if Arkansas pulls off the upset then Dickson Street may burn. Mallett is impressive and Jake Bequette has a number of sacks on Greg McElroy in a game eerily similar to 2006. It comes down to field goals and true freshman Zack Hocker gets the job done.

Arkansas 30, Alabama 27

Oct. 9 vs. Texas A&M

Another rendition of the Southwest Classic in Cowboys Stadium ends in another Hog victory as Mallett lights up Big D for 422 yards and five td's, with Greg Childs receiving three of those.

Arkansas 45, Texas A&M 24

October 16 at Auburn

A number of interesting storylines await this game as Gus Malzahn looks to right the ship against the team he coached for a season, while Hog fans get to watch how true freshman five-star RB Michael Dyer does after he spurned his home state for the Plains. For the third straight time, Arkansas steals one on the road versus War Eagle, with Broderick Green rumbling 11 yards in overtime for the Hog win.

Arkansas 41, Auburn 34 (OT)

October 23 vs. Ole Miss

Bobby Petrino must want a victory against nemesis Houston Nutt. The former Hog coach is 2-0 vs. the helmet he loves, but there won't be a pass interference call on London Crawford this time around. Mallett has a field day against a green Ole Miss secondary and Dennis Johnson runs wild to keep the Hogs undefeated.

Arkansas 35, Ole Miss 20

October 30 vs. Vanderbilt

Homecoming is easy money for the Hogs as Mallett throws for 300 yards in the first half and Joe Adams takes a punt to the house in a landslide victory for the Razorbacks.

Arkansas 49, Vanderbilt 14

November 6 at South Carolina

All good things must come to an end, and the dream season ends for some reason in Columbia, as the ol' ball coach gets the best of the Razorbacks thanks to a big day by Stephen Garcia against a Razorback defense that is injury-plagued.

South Carolina 24, Arkansas 22

November 13 vs. UTEP

Arkansas takes out their frustrations on UTEP in the Fayetteville closer, as Mallett again re-assures Heisman voters with 400-plus through the air. D.J. Williams hauls in three touchdowns.

Arkansas 48, UTEP 9

November 20 at Mississippi State

Dan Mullen's bunch is much improved, but Arkansas plays well in Starkville, and Ronnie Wingo steals the show with 182 yards and three td's, while Jerry Franklin comes up huge on defense in a Hog victory.

Arkansas 34, Mississippi State 21

November 27 vs. LSU

Arkansas wins the SEC West with yet another heart-stopping finish against LSU in the Rock. Mallett throws the game-winning TD pass to Jarius Wright with 1:13 remaining and the Hog defense holds back a Bayou Bengal charge to go to Atlanta.

Arkansas 28, LSU 25

December 3 vs. Florida

Arkansas and Florida in Atlanta for the third time finally ends with the Razorbacks winning their first SEC championship with Mallett making the clutch TD pass to Greg Childs with 3:26 to go. The Hog defense again forces turnovers in bunches, with three forced fumbles and three interceptions.

Arkansas 36, Florida 27

January 10, 2011, BCS National Championship Game

Arkansas vs. Miami (Fla.)

The Canes and Hogs meet in University of Phoenix Stadium for the national championship, and the SEC again reigns supreme as the Hogs win their first national title in 46 years thanks to a superb effort from Heisman Trophy winner Ryan Mallett. Dennis Johnson's kick return sets the tone in the second half and Mallett's TD pass to D.J. Williams with 5 minutes remaining sets off a party on Dickson Street until the end of the spring semester.

Arkansas 40, Miami (Fla.) 27

About time for an update...

For over two years, I've attempted to keep up with this blog and I've failed miserably.

However, my resolution for my final year of college is to update it almost daily if possible, with stories and information about sports that people care about in this area and around the state of Arkansas.

With it being mid-July and we're currently under the dog days of summer, all anyone can think about is the beginning of football season.

I'll start the blog full-steam ahead tomorrow with a game-by-game preview of Arkansas' upcoming football season.

After that, I'll do the Dallas Cowboys.

Once we get those two heavyweights out of the way, I'll start doing some junior high and high school stuff.

There's a possibility I'll be doing an internship with Vype Magazine this year, so anything I do for them, I'll try to put on here as well.

Hope everyone is excited about the new-and-improved blog.

Final Feature (Revised)

The tall, athletic wide receiver picked a good game to be noticed in.

Demetrius Dean may have just been a sophomore in high school, but he played like a seasoned veteran on Sept. 12, 2008 as the Fayetteville Bulldogs triumphed, 42-37 over Jefferson City, Mo.

With Arkansas head coach Bobby Petrino making the trip to watch his son, Bobby Jr., play football for the Bulldogs in Jefferson City, Dean, in only his second high school game, caught 10 passes for 109 yards and three touchdowns.

The effort impressed Petrino so much that he offered Dean a scholarship, even though he had only played two varsity games.

Dean, now a 6-foot-3, 240-pound junior, plays the majority of his games just down the hill from Petrino’s office on campus.

The offer was exposure Dean wasn’t expecting but certainly wasn’t annoyed by.

“I think it’s cool that I’m getting recruited by Arkansas,” Dean said. “I like it because it’s where I’m from.”

Dean’s teammate and close friend, Dylan Hale, is a running back for Fayetteville and is also being looked at by colleges.

While he’s not getting the same press as Dean, Hale isn’t jealous at all and appreciates being mentioned with him.

“It’s really an honor to play with him because of his talent,” Hale said. “Playing with guys like Demetrius and Brandon [Allen, Fayetteville’s quarterback] is really any football player’s dream.”

Other athletes from the area have received similar acclaim for their high school exploits, but none of them as early as Dean has.

“I really think it was crazy that Demetrius got an offer just two games into his sophomore year,” Hale said. “I’m proud of him and happy for him as well.”

Not a single one of those players, however, were offered a scholarship as a high school sophomore.

Terry Wood, the former sports editor of the Northwest Arkansas Times from 1996 to 2009, covered a wide range of sports in Fayetteville and specifically the University of Arkansas, and said it differs with each individual how he or she views the recruiting process.

“It should be the kid’s decision,” Wood said. “A lot of times I’m surprised at how much fans are interested in recruiting. It’s kind of puzzling, I mean I know anyone would like to be popular but still, it’s gotten almost out of hand.”

Nate Olson, a sportswriter for Vype Magazine in central Arkansas, said that even with the celebrity of high school athletes gaining steam in Northwest Arkansas, there is also a strong following of these athletes in the middle and southern portions of the state as well.

“It used to be high school kids got coverage from their local papers,” Olson said. “Now, it has become big business. Web sites, magazines and TV networks cover players from all over the country. College recruiting coverage has put prep sports in the spotlight.”

As Twitter, Facebook, online message boards, and recruiting websites continue to take precedent in young people’s lives, a high school athlete rising into the spotlight by their play on the field can use these tools to their advantage or they can ignore them.

“They can be used positively or negatively,” Wood said. “Like any other tool, that person can use it wisely or it can be damaging to them. It’s up to the individual to make that judgment.”

So while recruiting can give a team an edge and helps that team develop a program, it can also be devastating to the individual who has the hopes of that team riding on his shoulders.

“A lot of privacy is taken out of their lives,” Wood said. “When they get offered like this early in their high school career, anything can happen. Kids are going to make mistakes, and they may not realize the full impact of what they say and what they do before it’s too late.”

Dean went on to set records at Fayetteville as a sophomore, but had a tough 2009 as a junior.

With the target on his back as an Arkansas commitment, he didn’t perform as he did 2008, putting on weight in the off-season and struggling to stay in games because of it.

Fayetteville limped to a 5-6 finish and a first-round playoff exit with a 45-42 loss to Conway at home.

He looks to rebound and have a big senior year before moving on to college, but he realizes that his every move is being followed now.

“The attention is not bad, but I don’t like too much attention,” Dean said. “It’s ok though, it’s not a bad thing.”

Final Feature

The tall, athletic wide receiver picked a good game to be noticed in.

Demetrius Dean may have just been a sophomore in high school, but he played like a seasoned veteran on Sept. 12, 2008 as the Fayetteville Bulldogs triumphed, 42-37 over Jefferson City, Mo.

With Arkansas head coach Bobby Petrino making the trip to watch his son play football for the Bulldogs in Jefferson City, Dean, in only his second high school game, caught 10 passes for 109 yards and three touchdowns.

The effort impressed Petrino so much that he offered Dean a scholarship, even though he had only played two varsity games.

Dean, now a 6-foot-3, 240-pound junior, plays the majority of his games just down the hill from Petrino’s office on campus, at nearby Harmon Field.

Northwest Arkansas has never been confused with a recruiting hotbed for big-time Division I schools such as Arkansas, who plays in the Southeastern Conference, a highly competitive football division.

Sure, a lot of attention was given to the ‘Springdale Five,’ a collection of players from a 2005 Springdale Bulldog team that went 14-0 and finished with a national ranking by USA Today of No. 2 in the country.

Wide receiver Damian Williams is a star at the University of Southern California, where quarterback Mitch Mustain joined him after both left Arkansas at the beginning of 2007.

And a number of other athletes from the area have gone on to success.
Auburn recruited Lee Ziemba and Kodi Burns from Rogers and Fort Smith, respectively. North Carolina got Zach Pianalto from Springdale.

Fayetteville’s own Colby Berna is now a lineman for Arkansas.

Not a single one of the players listed above, however, were offered a scholarship as a high school sophomore.

Jimmy Carter, an assistant sports editor at the Arkansas Traveler, has covered high school football extensively in Arkansas this year, and said the process of recruiting has evolved so much over the past five to ten years.

“Now you have sportswriters that wouldn't normally be near a high school field covering games to try and get the scoop on where these athletes are going to attend college,” Carter said.

Carter also mentioned the fact that the increase in technology has led to the interest in these high school athletes, like Dean, when they are only 15 or 16 years old.

“Twitter and particularly Facebook are very predominant fixtures in a high school athlete's recruiting choices,” Carter said. “These high school athletes - and college athletes - will have 3,000 friends on Facebook and a large portion of those are fans of the schools that are recruiting the athlete.”

Nate Olson, a sportswriter for Vype Magazine in central Arkansas, said that even with it gaining steam in Northwest Arkansas, there is also a strong following of these athletes in the middle and southern portions of the state as well.

“It used to be high school kids got coverage from their local papers,” Olson said. “Now, it has become big business. Web sites, magazines and TV networks cover players from all over the country. College recruiting coverage has put prep sports in the spotlight.”

Some will then ask, is the attention given to these athletes healthy for them?

“On one hand, when they get to college they have had some exposure to the attention, but then it can take away from them getting to live a regular high school life,” Carter said.

So while recruiting can a team an edge and helps that team develop a program, it can also be devastating to the individual who has the hopes of that team riding on his shoulders.

“Overall, technology and the increased coverage has put athletes in a position to receive a lot of press and publication, but it also puts them under the microscope more and can blow little things about the athletes' lives out of proportion,” Carter said.

“Many athletes comment on their relief to end the recruiting process for this reason.”

Dean went on to set records at Fayetteville as a sophomore, but had a tough 2009 as a junior.

With the target on his back as an Arkansas commitment, he didn’t perform as he did 2008, putting on weight in the off-season and struggling to stay in games because of it.

Fayetteville limped to a 5-6 finish and a first-round playoff exit with a 45-42 loss to Conway at home.

Revised Human Interest Feature

On Halloween last year, sixteen-year-old Aaron Leslie’s car ran off the road in the early morning on Highway 16, flipping over a bridge and plunging into the cold waters of the White River.

Leslie, who was traveling from his father’s house to his mother’s before school, was trapped underneath the vehicle for nearly 15 minutes before emergency responders and passersby could assist him.

It would be a nightmarish time for any parents, especially for Leslie’s, who share custody of their son.

Friends of Leslie, now 17, describe them as being very strong and supportive of the doctors the whole way as Aaron underwent treatment and testing.

As he made strides daily, it was clear that he would recover from this enormous obstacle, but the time frame of that recovery was the unknown.

Upon being reached, Leslie didn’t have a pulse, but the EMT managed to revive him once they got him into the ambulance.

At the time, it was unclear what would come of Leslie. He had significant brain damage as a result of being underwater for so long.

Friends of Leslie began pouring into the hospital daily with cards, flowers, and support for him and his family as he came out of a coma and into the realization that things were different than before the accident.

Chaz Williams, 18, is one of Leslie’s closest friends, and he says that Leslie is an inspiration to him every day for overcoming enormous odds.

“I became good friends with Aaron sophomore year [of high school], and we’re now best friends,” Williams said. “We’ve had a lot of great times together and I wouldn’t trade them for anything.”

Looking at pictures before and after the accident, Leslie looks like nothing has changed. The only noticeable difference is that he seems less aware of his surroundings that he used to be.

Leslie attends Fayetteville High School and has a select group of friends who he is close with, but is well thought of by all he comes into contact with.

Before the accident, Leslie was fairly outgoing and wasn’t afraid to speak his mind, although primarily sticking close to his friends.

Now that he’s had a lot of the memories of his school years wiped away along with having to re-learn some basic skills and concepts, he has acted noticeably different while at school.

Marshall McComas, who has attended school with Leslie since junior high, said that Leslie is a different person since the accident.

“He’s definitely not the same as he was before the accident,” McComas said. “I have a friend [Josh Hale] who goes to school with us who works at Harp’s, and Josh went up to him [Leslie] while he was working and he tried to talk to [Leslie] and he just acted real confused.”

What some may not realize is that Leslie’s progression is fluctuating day-by-day.

“He has the same personality as he did before, he’s just gaining his memory and how to do certain things,” Williams said. “It’s affected his family in the fact he has to be taken care of a little more, but everything else is the same.”

Some days, he may make significant headway and remember things just like they were, but at other times, he is slow to pick up the pieces.

“Aaron’s progression was really rapid at first,” Williams said. “It’s become a much slower pace as of late, but he continues to get better all the time. As long as he keeps getting better he has a chance at a full recovery.”

The support network of his family and friends continuously aids him in his journey back to normalcy.

“Life goes on, except for his friends and family of course,” Williams said. “We’re hanging out with him and hoping he gets better as soon as possible.”

Human Interest Feature

FAYETTEVILLE--To say that Aaron Leslie has come a long way would be an understatement.
On Halloween last year, Leslie’s car ran off the road in the early morning on Highway 16, flipping over a bridge and plunging into the cold waters of the White River.
Leslie, who was traveling from his father’s house to his mother’s before school, was trapped underneath the vehicle for nearly 15 minutes before emergency responders and passersby could assist him.
Upon being reached, Leslie didn’t have a pulse, but the EMT’s managed to revive him once they got him into the ambulance.
It was a nightmarish time for Leslie’s parents, who share custody of their son.
At the time, it was unclear what would come of Leslie. He had significant brain damage as a result of being underwater for so long.
And he was comatose in the hospital for days before he came around.
Friends of Leslie began pouring into the hospital daily with cards, flowers, and support for him and his family as he began the road to recovery.
Chaz Williams, 18, is one of Leslie’s best friends, and he says that Leslie is an inspiration to him every day for overcoming enormous odds.
“I became good friends with Aaron sophomore year [of high school], and we’re now best friends,” Williams said. “We’ve had a lot of great times together and I wouldn’t trade them for anything.”
Leslie, now 17, attends Fayetteville High School and has a select group of friends who he is close with, but is well thought of by all he comes into contact with.
Before the accident, Leslie was fairly outgoing and wasn’t afraid to speak his mind, although primarily sticking close to his friends.
Now that he’s had a lot of the memories of his school years wiped away along with re-learning some basic skills and concepts, he has acted noticeably different while at school.
Marshall McComas, who has attended school with Leslie since junior high, said that Leslie is a different person since the accident.
“He’s definitely not the same as he was before the accident,” McComas said. “I have a friend who goes to school with us who works at Harp’s, and he went up to him [Leslie] while he was working and he tried to talk to him and he just acted real confused.”
What some may not realize is that Leslie’s progression is fluctuating day-by-day.
Some days, he may make major strides and remember things just like they were, but at other times, he is slow to pick up the pieces.
“Aaron’s progression was really rapid at first,” Williams said. “It’s become a much slower pace as of late, but he continues to get better all the time. As long as he keeps getting better he has a chance at a full recovery.”