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Diamonds in the Oil Patch
April 28, 2008Felix Jones ran for 19 yards (but two TDs) in the 2005 Oil Bowl, in what was supposed to be a coming-out party for Southlake Carroll all-everything quarterback Chase Daniel.
Daniel was so unspectacular, that Jones - and everyone else - got overshadowed. So much so, that after interviewing Jones that day, I forgot about it.
Our esteemed sports editor, Nick Gholson covered this in his Sunday column, but I thought it was worth one more mention.
Jones was the Dallas Cowboys first-round pick on Saturday -- a genuine Oil Bowl alum on his way to the big time.
And Daniel, who's certainly rebounded from his Oil Bowl performance, just may be in the same company next year.
So make sure you get your ticket for this year's game -- you never know these kids might turn out to be.
Posted by Stephen Smith at 8:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
I am Iron Man...
April 25, 2008One of my guilty pleasures is reading comic books -- there, I said it.
So, I'm one of the people that understand the reasons behind the up-tick in the number of comic super-hero movies in recent years.
As a reader, you can almost see it coming.
One character -- in a manner similar to how certain wrestling stars get a "push" before competing for a championship -- suddenly goes center-stage and starts to affect most of a given publication's (DC, Marvel, Image, etc.) other characters.
In this case, Iron Man (Tony Stark) has become the center of the Marvel Universe as the head of Stark Industries, leader of both S.H.I.E.L.D. (a worldwide intelligence agency) and the Mighty Avengers as well as the sole possesor of technology that gives him control of every satellite orbiting the earth.
While his involvement in last summer's "Civil War" and collateral blame for Captain America's "death" has made him as hated as any supervillian in comics, it's just the thing needed to fuel a major motion picture strong enough to lure the likes of Robert Downey, Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Terrence Howard, Jeff Bridges and Samuel L. Jackson into it in the real world.
Money talks.
And right now, comic book creators are talking an awful lot.
Expect the trend to continue with Captain America (who should be breathing again this time next year), Wolverine, Thor and a host of others.
Perhaps I should be embarrassed to still have this level of knowledge about something I probably should have left behind in my youth -- but, strangely, I'm not.
Posted by Stephen Smith at 12:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Pacman Fever
April 24, 2008Instead of taking a negative view on Dallas' acquisition of Tennessee Titans' cast-off and legendary troublemaker Adam "Pacman" Jones, I'm choosing to look at it as a win/win situation for both parties -- here's why:
1. The Cowboys, a long-term fixture in the steadily-improving NFC East, do need help in the secondary and Jones just happens to be a high-caliber defensive back -- when he's on the field. (If only he was a safety, then the Roy Williams issue would be solved.
2. Along those same lines, rest assured that our friend Adam will have to sign an incentive-laden contract absolutely peppered with the term "off-field behavior." In an era where the media, bloggers and people on the street all want to know what's up with you, there's truly no place to hide when you're a Dallas Cowboy. If that's not a hint and half for him to stay away from Cristal, Chardonnay and Destiny, then nothing is.
3. Getting Jones back on the field not only helps the Cowboys, ultimately, it decreases the odds of him running into more trouble off of it. If idle hands are the devil's workshop, then business has been good when it comes to Pacman. The mere fact that this young man is so widely known by his nickname, yet is almost anonymous as "Adam Jones" is no compliment to his fame. It's a by-product of his infamy.
I truly wish both parties luck in this deal.
Besides, the Oakland Raiders used to do the same thing when it came to taking on other teams' problems and it worked for them -- for a while.
Posted by Stephen Smith at 9:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Let's get 'Austin'-tacious...
April 23, 2008Seymour and Burkburnett both made the trip to McCombs' Field last season, yet neither was able to bring a state championship trophy back to North Texas.
But, with the Lady Bulldogs coming into this season's playoffs as the second-ranked team in Class 3A and Lady Panthers at No. 3 in Class A, another trip to the corner East 21st and Comal Streets in Austin isn't out of the realm of possibility.
Both teams are actually ranked higher than they were at this same point last year, despite the losses of players vital to last season's playoff run.
City View has similar story.
No, they didn't get to Austin -- but they did make their first-ever playoff appearance and set a school record for wins along the way. This year, they surpassed last season's win total and come into the playoffs ranked 15th in Class 2A after a 13-1 run through District 9-2A.
Two other Class A teams -- No. 8 Archer City and No. 18 Petrolia -- roll into the state playoffs on a hot streak as well.
Getting to cover both Seymour and Burkburnett as they vied for a state title was a unique and much-enjoyed experience for me last year.
And with the aforementioned group of talented teams ready to start their playoff runs, hopefully, I'll get to go once again.
Posted by Stephen Smith at 4:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
