Sports Chat Moderator: Kevin Sherrington will join us from Austin at noon to talk sports. Bring on the questions.
Sports Chat Moderator: Kevin just arrived at his hotel in Austin. He should be joining us around 12:10 p.m. (CT). Thanks for your patience.
Kevin Sherrington: I'm here in the lovely Courtyard Marriott. Let's go.
GoHorns: You're in Austin, so you must be writing about the Longhorns. What do you expect from them this season?
Kevin Sherrington: I don't think the Cowboys will go only as far as Tony Romo takes them. But I do think the Longhorns go only as far as Colt McCoy can lead. He proved that last year, when they had a better team. When he got hurt, Texas wasn't nearly as good. And it doesn't look like there's much help behind him at QB yet. If any other team is going to make a move on Texas and Oklahoma, now's the time. Right, Fran?
The Mike: Is there any way Julius Jones is a Cowboy after his current contract is up?
Kevin Sherrington: No, I don't see it. Even if they don't think Marion Barber isn't an every down back, they probably figure Tyson Thompson can give them the speed/change of pace that Barber lacks.
From e-mail: Does TCU have any chance of beating Texas? Why/why not?John
Kevin Sherrington: Absolutely. TCU proved it can play with the big boys. The Frogs are 4-0 against Big 12 teams the last couple of years. Gary Patterson has proven he can get his players ready early in the season. His problems have generally come later, when it's more difficult to sustain your emotions week after week.r It's late when the
Kevin Sherrington: Sorry about the last garble. You hit a button around here, and it's history. Next question.
From e-mail: Seems the talk about Jon Daniels blowing the Danks/McCarthy trade has died down now that Danks' record and ERA are nearing Padilla levels. Any idea on how this will play out for JD and where the evaluation of McCarthy puts him for the long haul?Michael
Kevin Sherrington: McCarthy and Danks are going opposite directions at the moment, and that's what Daniels figured when he made the deal. He only traded Danks because he thought McCarthy would be ready sooner, and McCarthy figured to be a higher-percentage shot for the rotation. But you can see what Daniels thinks of giving up a left-hander by the lefties he got back from Atlanta and Boston. You have to have a left-handed starter in Arlington. As for me, I still like Danks. He just wasn't ready yet.
Kevin Sherrington: I was answering a question about the Cowboys possibly going 10-6 and advancing to the NFC Championship game against the Saints when the system blew up. My answer: I'm picking them to go 10-6 until they get it right. You don't have to be perfect any more to get to the Super Bowl. Not from the East anyway.
potterman14: Why even have an unofficial "slotting" rookie bonus system in MLB? Some players will still hold out, and the team is going to cave at the end because if that player turns out to be great then the team looks bad for not signing him (see Texas and Barry Zito). I mean, don't the Rangers have to give Bevean what he wants, because otherwise JD is going to get killed by the fans and media if the fight was over $200,000 or $300,000?
Kevin Sherrington: The Rangers have leverage, too. A first-rounder is taking a big chance by passing and going to college. What if he gets hurt? What if he has a bad season in college? What if he doesn't like college? Beavan knows that the Rangers know this, too. Bet that he signs, and both sides give in.
From e-mail: Since the Rangers have seemingly been on a never-ending rebuilding process in multiple forms this entire decade, is there reason to believe they might actually get it right this time and put together a winning franchise? Will Hicks finally stick to a plan long enough to see this process through? He has never done that in the past.Jason
Kevin Sherrington: Hicks' biggest problem as an owner is his tendency to go with the last person he talked with. Unfortunately, that's often been John Hart. But, except for the losing, he likes the direction the club is going. And why not? He has one of the lowest payrolls in baseball and his farm system has been restocked. Now there's no excuse not to add some premium level free agents. If he gets those -- and he better -- I think Rangers fans should expect to see significant progress soon.
From e-mail: I keep hearing over and over that the most value for Saltalamacchia is at catcher. He has the potential to be good first baseman, but he could be a switch hitting All-Star catcher. If that is the case, isn't it easier to find a decent first baseman in the off-season who can hit more than Laird? If so, can we get anything for Laird? John
Kevin Sherrington: Good question. Here's the problem: Gerald Laird hasn't hit enough or handled pitchers well enough to suit Ron Washington. Basically, he throws well. But do you give up on him for Saltalamacchia? As Evan Grant pointed out today, what about Teagarden? He's a better catching prospect than either, probably. Why would you move Saltalamacchia if Teagarden ends up there in two years? You're right about finding first basemen. But the Rangers don't have a great alternative at that position, either. I'd like to see Saltalamacchia catch the rest of this year before I made any moves.
Jason: What was Evan Grant smoking when he actually throws out the idea that the Rangers could sign Torii Hunter, Carlos Zambrano and Johan Santana over the next two years?
Kevin Sherrington: Actually, I think it was too much Jimmy Buffett. I'd say Evan presented a best-case scenario. Hunter seems like a good possibility. Chances of getting either of the other two, extremely nil. But Hicks better not miss because he got outspent, at least on Santana.
john: If Tony Romo gets hurt and Brad Johnson can't get the ball downfield to Owens, how is T.O. going to react?
Kevin Sherrington: If Tony Romo gets hurt and is out for a significant amount of time, I think the Cowboys have to go out and find another QB. Unless Johnson was saving his arm for something else in camp.
gptex: I see Matt Moore with a great upside. Is he in the same position as Romo was a few years back -- watch, listen and then in 3 or 4 years be a starting QB in the NFL or is his talent level much lower than Romo's?
Kevin Sherrington: I don't know if his level could be much lower than Romo's coming out of college. Always be wary of back-up QBs. File Matt Moore away and forget about him. But at least he did something with his shot. Always encouraging.
interstellar: Do you see Stars management actually doing something within the coming month?
Kevin Sherrington: Other than sending out another protest to fans, I don't see them doing anything. Extremely dangerous and curious approach.
VID: About the Mavericks ... no matter how many people blame Nowitzki, Terry, et al for having failed against the Warriors, I still hold Avery responsible for the collapse. He has not shown enough grit and skills to lead the championship-ready Mavericks to a ring. What can Avery do to prove himself and, at the same time, motivate the Mavs (most of whom have remain unchanged) to get past that final hurdle?
Kevin Sherrington: Avery certainly has to take his share of the blame. The onus is on him when there isn't a vocal leader on the team. But Avery may need to hold back instead of do more. Players tune out coaches after awhile. The Mavs seemed to hit a wall toward the end of the season. He has to learn when to let off the gas.
From e-mail: What do you think of Mike Leach’s suggestion that the NCAA permit Division I-A schools to have one controlled scrimmage against an opponent not on its schedule during the nearly month-long preseason drills? High schools have them. Obviously the NFL does. Texas Tech might face New Mexico, or Texas A&M might meet University of Houston, for example.Jon
Kevin Sherrington: Mike has a lot of interesting suggestions, some of them even about football. This one seems reasonable to me. Anything to avoid staring at another practice.
Doppler: Who's a better fit for the Mavs: Chris Webber or P.J. Brown? Who do you see the Mavs getting, if either?
Kevin Sherrington: I don't like the idea that Brown's other option is to retire. Hardly seems like a guy ready to put in a full season. He's a very team-oriented player, which is good. Having said that, I'd be in favor of either. Had Webber been on this club last season, the Warriors wouldn't have been able to ignore him in the post. And he'd be the team's best passer the first day of practice. The Mavs have to add one or the other, or else make a deal with all those swing men.
Joey: Do you think Nick Fazekas will play any significant minutes for the Mavs this season? And if he does, do you think he will have any success against the stronger and faster forwards he will be facing as an NBA player?
Kevin Sherrington: Unless he really surprises, I don't see Fazekas making much of a contribution as a rookie. The NBA game is much faster and more physical than what he's used to. I don't think he'll play any more than Mo Ager did last season.
Dino: Who will replace Gagne? Benoit or Wilson?
Kevin Sherrington: Otsuka. The Rangers eventually will give the ball back to him because he deserves to return as the closer once he's healthy. Still, this is a good time to figure out what Benoit will do. He's having his best season, but I'm still not sure I'd count on him as an eventual closer. Wilson has the stuff and the makeup, too. My money's on him. Pretty good options, though, all things considered.
Kevin Sherrington: Looks like that's it. Thanks for stopping by.
