Last October, DFW was riding on the high of the Texas Rangers’ second consecutive postseason berth. Ever since, its been a roller coaster with a noticeable lack of upward slopes.

Game Six of the World Series, the Rangers were an out – a strike – away from their first ever World Series title. Neftali Feliz threw a low-and-outside fastball that David Freese slammed towards right field, apparently too far for right fielder Nelson Cruz, and sent two runs home. A DFW sports fan hasn’t smiled since.

While the Rangers have had to settle with the loaded title “Two-time American League Champions” (“Two-time World Series losers”), Dallas sports fans didn’t have much to fall back on.

When word broke that the NBA would resume on Christmas Day, fans rejoiced, but a Mavs team with a worryingly slow start (2-4) has some shaking their heads. Last year’s championship team is no more, and many are wondering how plausible it is that the Mavs will effectively defend their title.

The Cowboys missed the playoffs once again, leaving many with only “what-ifs” (Jason Garrett hadn’t iced Dan Bailey?) that could have landed the Cowboys the NFC East. It will be another postseason without the Cowboys, and many are wondering who’s to blame: Garrett? Ryan? Romo? Wherever you point your finger, it will be a long wait for next fall.

The Stars, third in their conference, potentially have a playoff-worthy team. With goal tender Lehtonen off the IR, the Stars could soon be back on top of the Pacific conference. Roughly a fourth of the way through the season, it’s impossible to tell what the next few months will hold; it’s reasonable to assert that the Stars will could come out on top of the Pacific conference.

With the Stars looking like a formidable contender for a future playoff spot and the Mavs with much of the shortened season left to go, local sports fans may eventually get their fill. For me, however, it’s a countdown until April 6 – when it’s baseball time in Texas.

Dallas Maverick fans around Dallas and Coppell will have to wait to watch their NBA Champions step foot on the court again due to the NBA lockout.

Yesterday, the NBA announced that since lockout negotiations between players and owners have not resolved several issues, the NBA will be forced to cancel the first two weeks of the 2011-2012 season. Even worse, if negotiating continues to go nowhere, the whole season may be canceled altogether.

As for the Mavericks, there is good and bad news if the season is cancelled.

The good news is that the Mavericks will be NBA Champions for an extra year, so Dallas will continue hold on to their bragging rights. The bad news, however, is that the aging Maverick’s will continue to grow older.

Junior Jacob Logan, a Mavericks fan, is disappointed that they will not be playing a full season.

“I’m heartbroken. There is no other way to describe how saddened I am that the Mavericks will not be showcasing their skills on the court and destroying other teams.”

We will have to wait and see how the negotiations work out, and be satisfied with football, hockey and college basketball for now.

For more news and updates on the NBA lockout click here.

Days before the new year arrived, the Dallas Mavericks stood at 24-5, just 1.5 games behind the Southwest division leading San Antonio Spurs. But things have gotten out of hand.

It all began on Dec. 27 during a victorious effort against the Thunder when Mavs’ MVP candidate Dirk Nowitzki suffered a knee injury. Like his leadership in the clubhouse, this injury issue became a recurring theme in the coming weeks.

After two disappointing losses to the mighty Spurs and the weak Toronto Raptors, second leading scorer Caron Butler fell to a brutal knee injury in the first quarter. Butler is now out for the rest of the yesr, leaving Dallas in need  With two all-star caliber players sidelined, the Mavs’ nightmare continued and exacerbated. Recently, center Tyson Chandler has been under the weather with a heavy cold, hinder in his performance and ability to suit up.

Not only have the Mavs piled on to the injury list (including Roddy Beaubois, who has been out for the season thus far), the reamining scorers like Jason Terry and J.J. Barea have been cold as the team has struggled to even reach the 90s in point totals. The Mavs are literally in a world of hurt and the team is too old to wait on Butler for next year and expect Beaubois to fill in substantially. So the Mavs must look past the roster and search for a trade.

Though Dirk is back and Chandler will return soon, the Mavs just need more fire power on both ends. The defense and offense has falter in the past two weeks and just curing one of the two will not lead to a title run. Dallas needs a player that can do multiple things, displaying a diverse set of skills much like Butler.

The Mavericks take on the Lakers Wednesday night at 7:30 at the American Airlines Center, attempting to avoid losing a 7th straight.

Features Editor

When Coppell Middle School East student Taylor Storch died in a skiing accident last spring, her parents were forced to make a decision with the potential to dramatically impact the lives of many.

Finding the sliver of hope in a seemingly dark situation, parents Todd and Tara Storch choose to donate Taylor’s organs to those in need. Taylor saved five lives.

Out of the loss of the Coppell eighth grader bloomed a foundation dedicated to raising organ donation awareness in young people, Taylor’s Gift. Committed to raising the numbers of registered organ donators, Taylor’s Gift strives to help people make a decision about organ donation before the moment is crucial and the decision is rushed.

“Discussing organ donation is just as important as discussing the safety deposit box or the life insurance,” Taylor’s Gift founder Todd Storch said. “It’s death, it’s mortality.”

The Dallas Stars wrapped their warm-up sticks in blue tape to sponsor Taylor's Gift at the NHL sponsored Taylor's Gift Night. Photo courtesy of Todd Storch.

Partnering with individuals and organizations across the nation has helped Taylor’s Gift to begin to make the impact they intended, reaching over 127 countries. In a recent partnering with the National Hockey League and as a gift to the foundation, the Dallas Stars chose to make their game with the Colorado Avalanche on Nov. 20 an official NHL sponsored event: Taylor’s Gift Night.

Stars players showed their support by using sticks wrapped in blue tape, while coaches and broadcasters wore blue Taylor’s Gift ties.

Even the Avalanche players were sympathetic to the cause as they wrapped

their warm-up sticks in the blue tape. The Storch family dropped the first puck on the ice.

“This was the first time the NHL had ever done something like this,” Todd said. “It was completely ground breaking.”

After the game, Stars players auctioned off their playing sticks and an opportunity for the winning bidder to meet the player and have their hockey stick signed. Fans were also given the opportunity to register to be an organ donor or make a contribution to Taylor’s Gift.

“It was amazing to get that kind of contribution, that kind of recognition,” Todd said.

Despite the recognition and popularity the organization is gaining across the globe, they remain dedicated to local causes. The most recent partnership acquired by the organization is the help they have provided to Coppell Middle School West student Jun Choi.

“This is a really nice family who had something horrible happen to them,” Todd said. “It was a boy the same age as my daughter with a life threatening condition. I had to see how I could help.”

Choi is a 13-year-old Coppell resident who was diagnosed with Nephrotic Syndrome, a disease causing kidney failure. Choi had both kidneys removed and is on a dialysis machine almost 10 hours everyday.

“Basically, my kidneys can’t maintain the nutrients that my body needs,” Choi said. “My body doesn’t hold protein or calcium very well.”

Through awareness and mass media attention, Taylor’s Gift is bringing attention to Choi’s cause with the ‘Be a hero 4 Jun’ campaign. The organization’s efforts have lead to over 800 Coppell students wearing bright green campaign bracelets and many people attempting to be a donor for Choi.

“We have had a lot of people interested, but its not that easy,” Todd said. “You don’t just get to raise your hand and say ‘I want to be a organ donor.’ There are a lot of criteria that must be met.”

In addition to the help provided by Taylor’s Gift, Youth Sports Today owner Tresha Glowacki is taking an interest in Choi’s story.

“Jun has been an inspiration,” Glowacki said. “I had no idea someone could do what he’s doing, but he is. He can’t wait to get his new kidney and become [Taylor’s Gift’s] spokesperson.”

In their most recent contribution to Choi’s cause, Youth Sports Today organizedTaylor’s Gift Night with the Texas Legends. The foundation was given 250 free tickets to the Dallas minor league basketball team’s game, helping to raise awareness about not only Taylor’s Gift, but Choi specifically.

“This is a problem that can easily be solved, that’s what is so great,” Glowacki said. “It’s not like we’re raising cancer awareness. We know what is wrong and we can fix it right now.”

Taylor’s Gift and Youth Sports Today plan on continuing to raise awareness for both organ donation and Choi through speaking events and coppelltoday.com.

“[Todd] talking to young people has opened so many doors for communication,” Glowacki said.  “It isn’t just about organ donation; it’s about discussion and being able to talk about it.”

No team in the NBA is quite as hot as the Dallas Mavericks, who are holding on to a 9-game win streak heading into tonight’s match-up.

After back-to-back losses to the Bulls and Hornets, the Mavs have been flawless, extending their record to 16-4, which is slightly better than the last few years. This team, however, has been gaining the advantage on the defensive end and letting the offense come to him, unlike teams in the past.

This Mavs squad has held opponents to less than 100 points 7 out of the 9 games in the current streak and have created a recurring trend to hold teams under 40% shooting. Much of this stout defense trails back to center Tyson Chandler, who the Mavs acquired in the offseason. Chandler has provided a force in the lane, which they have lacked with the likes of Eric Dampier, attaining 1.4 blocks per game and giving Dirk alleviated responsibility in stopping dribble drivers.

This self-proclaimed new “identity” by Jason Terry is what Coach Carlisle and the other players contribute to their new found consistency. On the other hand, the offense has also been clicking on all cylinders. Dirk and Terry have led the 98.1 points per game attack, accounting for 24.9 and 16 PPG respectively. The role players, nonetheless, are what keeps this team on this streak, by making big plays in big moments to gain close victories.

The Mavericks take on the Warriors at home tonight, searchong for their 10th straight without Chandler in the lineup due to an illness.

Following the Cowboys’ disastrous start and the Rangers finally done with their season, its time to focus on the high-hopes Mavericks as they enter the fresh NBA season.

Looking at the roster as of now, it is quite similar to that of last years. Jason Kidd at point guard, Dirk at power forward, Shawn Marion at small forward and Caron Butler at shooting guard. And no, I did not forget Eric Dampier; he has been replaced by Tyson Chandler, who the Mavs acquired over the summer, to compliment center Brendan Haywood. Chandler’s addition has established the team’s full transition into an offense that is dedicated to pound the ball down low.

So far this season, the Mavs have been successful, posting a 4-2 record and gaining some impressive victories. In their first game, Dallas defeated a sloppy Charlotte Bobcats before turning around the next day and losing to Memphis in a close 91-90 battle. After easily trouncing the Clippers, the team faced the athletic Denver Nuggets in back to back games (one at home, one away), winning the first, 102-101, but giving up the second at home, 103-92. Most recently, the Mavs added their most inspiring win yet, by coming back against the Eastern Conference Champions in the fourth quarter to top Boston, 89-87.

The Dirk-led team’s offense is following suit as always and looking even better with Chandler’s athleticism to dunk down some of Kidd’s alley-oops. But what has been essential to their success is the team defense they have displayed on a game to game basis. Chandler’s impact on protecting the lane is just what the Mavs have need for all these years as Dirk no longer has to be responsible for stopping dribble drivers. Overall, the team has showed much more intensity on the defensive end than any of the past years.

The Mavericks (4-2) will rematch the Memphis Grizzlies (4-4) tonight in Memphis where Dallas will look to avenge their first week loss.

Staff Writer

It’s that time of year again-all 32 NBA teams are preparing for the upcoming 2010-2011 and beginning to play preseason games. Only 4 games into the preseason, the Mavericks franchise has experienced some unexpected events and results. The opening game of the preseason, on October 5, was a tough 97-94 loss to the Washington Wizards that was a nail biter that came down to the final seconds. Such a suspenseful game was a great way to open the season for Head Coach Rick Carlisle and his team, it helps the Mavs squad get acclimated to the competition and intense pressure that comes with such tight games in the NBA. Speaking of Carlisle, he had Mavs fans around the world panicking when it was reported that he had fainted at a Friday practice after an 88-83 win over the Chicago Bulls on Thursday.

Although some speculated he had suffered a stroke or worse, the fans’ fears were relieved when 50 year old Carlisle returned to the bench for the game against the Cleveland Indians on Monday. Carlisle was adamant that nothing serious was wrong with him and that he was back to 100%, he had just felt a little “dehydrated and light-headed.”  Carlisle isn’t the only Mavericks member trying to recover in time for the regular season. Rodrigue Beaubois, a young guard who had a breakout season last year, is nursing his foot after undergoing surgery on it in August. He is just now beginning to run on his foot and is still wearing a boot. Beaubois’ absence may prove costly as he is becoming a bigger piece of the puzzle for Dallas.

As the Mavs progress in the preseason and look towards the regular season, both Carlisle and Beaubois are expected to be at full health and invigorated for another chance at a NBA Finals. However, while Carlisle was recovering and Beaubois rehabilitating his foot, the Mavericks played 3 more preseason games in addition to the opener against Washington. The results so far are not entirely promising for Dallas, although they are not indicative of regular season performance because the starters are not playing full games, the preseason is for preparation not competition.

After the three point loss against Washington and the five point win against Chicago, the Mavs have lost two consecutive games, to the Phoenix Suns and the Cleveland Cavaliers. This has bumped the Mavericks down to 4^th place out of 5 in the Southwest Division and a 1-3 record. As for how Dirk and company will perform in the regular season with Carlisle and Beaubois restored to them, that remains to be seen. In the midst of this early preseason adversity, the Mavericks are proving they can remain focused and improve, an attribute they will need in the regular season that is anxiously awaited.

Staff Writer

The 2010 NBA free agent market has been talked about for years, the main reason being one of the two best players in the league have expiring contracts, LeBron James.

No one has much clue as to where he who he will sign with, probably not even the people in his inner circle, in fact he may not even know, but there are six franchises that are realistic spots for him to play, including Dallas.

1. Cleveland (55% chance) – I’ve thought all along that James would stay in his home state; you can’t judge how much it means to him play in the city he grew up in. The Cavaliers are good basketball team but his supporting cast is relatively weak and on too many occasions they need him to everything. Also the factor of Cleveland being a small market, compared to New York or Miami, which I’ll get to. However, after watching the series with Boston, my tune has definitely changed because I’m not sure he believe Cleveland can get the players for a title.
2. New York (50%) – The Knicks have been saving up cap room for this summer for a couple years now, they need James to come in and resurrect their franchise. They give him maybe the most money of any other team and provide the biggest market. He loves playing in Madison Square Garden, routinely lighting up the New York for 40 plus points on their home floor. The Knicks could probably get another big name player as well with their cap space.
3. Chicago (35%) – The Bulls have a great young nucleus with Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah, though playing for the same team as Michael Jordan would only increase James’s enormous pressure. Then again he may like that, also Chicago could possibly be hiring John Calipari as their head coach.
4. Dallas (25%) – I believe James is considering the possibility of coming here, to play for the Mavericks. Now how much I have no idea, but it’s in his mind. James fits one of Dallas’s two major needs – a player who can drive the lane, create his own shot or get a shot for someone else. And he does it better than anyone else. He would have the opportunity to play with Dirk Nowitzki who is in a similar boat with James (MVP, number one seed without a title and an average supporting cast). However, Dallas would have to work some sort of sign-and-trade for him, or Dwayne Wade, to come here due to the Mavericks lack of cap room. Dallas have a strong, passionate fan base and a spirited owner who wants a championship badly.
5. Miami (20%) – James would only come here if All-Pro Dwayne Wade were staying, which he would if James came to Miami. The possibility of those two playing on the same team with one ball is intriguing. It makes you think if anyone else on the Heat would get a shot, or even a look. The city of Miami is an attractive option for many players for obvious reasons, and now with the possibility of Pat Riley returning to the bench only helps.
6. New Jersey (10%) – The Nets have money, lots of money, and a part owner(Jay-Z) who is BFF’s with James. The thought may be that New Jersey could sign James and another top tier player with all their cap space. Their collection of players isn’t as bad their record seemed this season, it just never came together for the Nets.

The Dallas Mavericks are on the brink of being eliminated from the NBA playoffs short of their ultimate goal yet again tonight at the hands of their arch rival San Antonio Spurs.

Down 3-1 in the series, odds are not in Dallas’ favor to come back and win – only eight out of 189 have every won a series when trailing 3-1.
For this to have a chance, several things have to happen.

1. Drive the ball. The Mavericks are a jump shooting team, we all know this, but taking the basketball to the rim has to be the number one goal for this offensively. In games three and four all you saw was jump shot after jump shot, after jump shot, most of them misses. On the other end you see the Spurs getting lay-ups and buckets.

2. Don’t bench your stars. Rick Carlisle is a good coach, but he’s made some ridiculous decisions in this series that have put his team in a difficult position. First sitting Caron Butler for the entire second half in game three, then putting Shawn Marion on the bench in the fourth quarter of game four. Those are the players you traded for, to play in games likes these, and you bench them? Makes no sense.

3. Less JJ Barea. He’s a good player, he has his role on the Mavericks – about 10 minutes a game, come in and give a spark. But nothing more, and especially not 32 straight minutes which he did in game three. It was pretty evident in that game three when Tony Parker was making shot after shot over him.

4. More Brendan Haywood. When he watches Erick(a) Dampier on the court, he has been thinking, ‘why am I not in the game?’ Since he came to Dallas, Haywood has outperformed Dampier, I’m dumbfounded as to Carlisle continues to give Dampier more minutes.

5. Hustle. Sounds simple enough, it’s what every kid is taught at basketball camp but every time there is a loose ball, San Antonio comes up with it. Every time. That’s not a coincidence, the Spurs want it more and they’re going after it. And would somebody box out DeJuan Blair.

This Monday, International Baccalaureate director and chemistry teacher Jeb Puryear received a surprise worth a thousand dollars, quite literally.

Puryear won an award through a joint United Postal Service and Dallas Mavericks teacher recognition program. Ten out of all the K-12 teacher applicants in the Dallas/Fort Worth area received the award.

As a result, Puryear will receive $1000 for himself, $1000 dollars for the school, and also has tickets to attend the Mavs-Spurs game on Wed. April 14.  Mr. Hunt has also informed Puryear that the money donated to the school will be put in the technology fund.

“I had no idea this was coming,” Puryear said. “It’s hard not to be happy when something like [this] happens.”

Puryear was recommended for the award by his students. Junior Tyler Vender was at a Dallas Mavericks game when she heard about the contest. After going home and researching it, Vender decided to nominate Puryear, and also motivated many of her fellow IB students to do so.

“[Mr. Puryear] is the IB coordinator, and he does a lot of work for us,” Vender said. “He doesn’t get recognized a lot, so I wanted to do this for him.”

In order to complete the recommendation, students had to fill out nomination forms and write an essay of 150 words or less explaining why their teacher should be chosen.

“It’s very nice to get recognition from my students,” Puryear said. “In the end, that’s what it comes down to.”