Cinderella? More like Britny Fox, amirite?

From Out of Bounds

Yeah, no one gets that headline, do they? More on that later.

In any event, No. 10 seed St. Mary’s magical run through the NCAA tournament came to an abrupt, punched-in-the-man-parts ending last night courtesy of a 72-49 butt-whooping at the hands of No. 3 seed Baylor. And despite the 28 point scoring differential, it wasn’t even that close.

In fact, it was downright ugly, a bloodbath. The manner in which the Bears dispatched the Gaels was frighteningly efficient and downright clinical. It was so bad you almost didn’t want to watch, but couldn’t turn away from the specatcle. The carnage was just too…enthralling. Let’s put it this way, when the halftime score is 46-17, it almost makes one wish there was a such a thing as the mercy rule in college basketball.

For Baylor, it brings them one step closer to the Final Four, an achievement the college has not realized since 1950.

For St. Mary’s, head coach Randy Bennett preferred to take a philosophical approach about the beating:

“Bottom line, when it was all said and done, I was proud of what we did this year. I told them they we stunk tonight. … Nobody wanted it to go that way but it went that way.”

Experts See A “Cost Explosion” With Health Reform

From D Magazine

Now that the landmark health reform bill has been signed into law, the quality of U.S. care will improve and costs will be brought under control–right? Wrong. According to experts at a Dallas panel discussion today, quality will be unaffected by the reform. And health care costs are about to explode.

“This was an insurance bill, not a health care bill,” said John McCracken, a clinical professor of health care management at the University of Texas at Dallas. “Its real effect will be to transfer a benefit–which health care has been for the last 70 years–into a tax and subsidy program.” The result, according to McCracken? “There’s going to be an explosion in the cost of health care.”

Britt Berrett, president of Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas, agreed with the professor. Where medical care once accounted for 13 percent of U.S. GDP–a rate that was decried then as unsustainable–”we’re now going to move to 30 percent of GDP, and $3 trillion [today's expenditures] will be in the rear-view mirror,” Berrett said. “That is the reality of it.”

Jump, if you’re interested in why.

Presidential Remarks

September 17, 2009

THE PRESIDENT: Please be seated. Good afternoon, and welcome to the White House.

Of all the privileges serving as President, there’s no greater honor than serving as Commander-in-Chief of the finest military that the world has ever known. And of all the military decorations that a President and a nation can bestow, there is none higher than the Medal of Honor.

It has been nearly 150 years since our nation first presented this medal for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty. And in those nearly 150 years — through civil war and two world wars, Korea and Vietnam, Desert Storm and Somalia, Afghanistan and Iraq, and countless battles in between — tens of millions of Americans have worn the uniform. But fewer than 3,500 have been recognized with the Medal of Honor. And in our time, these remarkable Americans are literally one in a million. And today we recognize another — Sergeant First Class Jared C. Monti.

The Medal of Honor reflects the admiration and gratitude of the nation. So we are joined by members of Congress — including from Sergeant Monti’s home state of Massachusetts, Senator John Kerry and Congressman Barney Frank. We’re joined by our Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen, and leaders from across the Armed Forces.

The Best Sports Bars in the Metroplex

From DFW.com

By Jay Betsill

 Some of the greatest moments in my life have come at live sporting events. There is no substitute for seeing a game, whether its the Cowboys, Mavs, Stars or Rangers, up close and personal, surrounded by screaming fans. (Anyone who got to see Nolan Ryan pound Robin Ventura into submission at Arlington Stadium knows what I’m talking about.)

But there is that rare sporting event that is best enjoyed from afar. On a bar stool.

The NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, with nearly 50 games spread out over its first weekend, truly is Madness. And the best way to get a flavor for all the buzzer-beaters and blowouts is to plant yourself in front of a giant bank of TVs, beer in one hand, burger or wing in the other, and stare.

That, my friends, is why there are sports bars.

Get the list after the jump

I love Northwood University

Call it my second chance, call it my time, call it whatever you choose, but I am 58 (soon to be 59), and I am finally finishing up my education to obtain my college degree. I don’t mind sitting in class now, I don’t mind the college experience, heck, I think it’s interesting. I like the conversation in class. I love being able to open my mind to hear new ideas and learning new things.

Better late than never huh? This it the time of my life. To be able to get my college degree? To me, it’s pretty amazing that I am doing it. I like being able to communicate in class my ideas as well.

I’m just very thankful for the opportunity to go to school. I love it.

I just want to include a video from one of my classes. I was just joking around in it, but I really like this class.

Ron Washington doesn’t mind doing Coke

Great way to start a season: Have your manager admit he used cocaine last year.

As if the Texas Rangers don’t have enough problems.

Yeah, yeah, the Rangers organization say they will stand behind Washington, but the truth is new owners Nolan Ryan and company must be scrambling to right the ship after this news.

Texas Rangers manager Ron Washington admitted on Wednesday that he used an illegal drug in the first-half of last season and tested positive for a random drug test.

Washington did not reveal the type of drug, saying the circumstances aren’t important. Sources, though, said he took cocaine.

He completed a major-league mandated treatment program — which included counseling and giving submitting to urine tests three times a week — only two weeks ago.

The Rangers are satisfied that this was a one-time incident because of the honesty he displayed after the drug use, and that Washington did not have a drug habit.

“I fully understand that I disappointed a lot of people — my family, my players, coaches — as well as the team’s leadership, especially Nolan Ryan and Jon Daniels, as well as young people who may have looked up to me,” Washington said.

Oh boy, this ought to be a doozy of a year. It just puts even more pressure on the Rangers to perform. Let’s hope they don’t BLOW it. Sorry, I couldn’t resist.

Texas Rangers’ Ron Washington used cocaine last season (DMN)

What is a Rock Chalk Jayhawk????

Don’t you love when you ask a question and many times, people take that as a great time to be an expert?

Every time I ask a ku fan for the meaning  they give me a blank stare and shrug thier shoulders. Every once and a while I’ll get one that makes no more sense like “a science professor was riding a train and heard it say rock chawk. So in other works they are saying that a crazy or blazed professor heard the train talk to him and therefore thought it was something they should say slowly and monotone like some cult at sporting events. If anyone had any other stories that they think explains this please share.

Here is the official answer, (I think).

According to the university, Kansas University’s Rock Chalk Chant evolved from a cheer that a chemistry professor, E.H.S. Bailey, created for the KU science club in 1886. Bailey’s version was “Rah, Rah, Jayhawk, KU” repeated three times. The rahs were later replaced by “Rock Chalk,” a transposition of chalk rock, the name for the limestone outcropping found on Mount Oread, site of the Lawrence campus.

So there you have it. Another mystery solved.

Sounds like my old alma mater..

Break out the green!

Looks like Mother Nature will be good to the leprechauns on Greenville Avenue this year:

11 a.m. parade: Sunny and mid-50s

Post-parade parties: Sunny and upper 60s

Lucky you, Big D…

Wait! We want people to come to north Texas for this?

Our good friend Rick Chandler, over at NBC’s Out of Bounds has a great story about the North Texas Super Bowl Committee and their new video introducing the Host Committee’s Super Bowl XLV extravaganza.

The video is funny, but you can’t help but hope these folks keep their day job.

Now without further ado, here are several “North Texas athletes, mayors, and personalities” singing This Kiss, which is supposed to get you excited for the arrival of Super Bowl XLV in Dallas. This was my reaction.

When you choose a song with an octave range that would challenge any singer, and pair it with a dozen or so of the most tone-deaf people in Texas, the result cannot help but be golden. The video debuted at the North Texas Super Bowl XLV Host Committee’s Kick-off Concert Series on Saturday in Fort Worth, headlined by Faith Hill. From the Dallas Morning News:

Baseball Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan, Pro Football Hall of Famers Roger Staubach and Emmitt Smith and Hockey Hall of Famer Brett Hull join Rangers Michael Young and Ian Kinsler, Mavericks Dirk Nowitzki and Rolando Blackman, Dallas Cowboys Tony Romo and Daryl Johnston, Olympic gold medalist Michael Johnson, broadcaster Pat Summerall and a kinda creepy looking Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones to sing Faith Hill’s “This Kiss.” All I can say is the folks at the Super Bowl XLV Host Committee office are geniuses. Or have pictures of people. You can’t help but smile.

In other news, hell is real. You can’t help but smile.

Requiem for your ears: Texas sports celebs attempt to sing ‘This Kiss’ (Out of Bounds)

Nolan Ryan, Jerry Jones join Dallas athletes to sing ‘This Kiss’ (DMN)

The Ft. Worth Cats have 9 lives

LaGrave Field, home of the Ft. Worth Cats, got a reprieve today.

Fort Worth Cats owner Carl Bell can hold on to LaGrave Field on the city’s near north side, where the minor league baseball team plays, and some adjacent acreage, at least for the time being.

Dick Smith, the club’s executive vice president and general manager, said attorneys for Amegy Bank in Houston informed Bell in a recent letter that it will not pursue a foreclosure sale Tuesday on the Tarrant County Courthouse steps.

Amegy had posted the property, 46.5-acres at North Seventh and Calhoun streets and along the Trinity River, for the monthly auction after Bell defaulted on $30 million in loans.

As a representative at a local financial institution, I can tell you banks aren’t in a hurry to foreclose on properties.  But just because that’s the case, don’t get cocky with banks and stick your tongue out at them. Remember, they can still take your stuff.

In those meetings, Smith said bank advisers expressed to Bell that it makes more sense for the Cats to be operating than not while he continues loan negotiations.

A new agreement, Smith said, “would essentially give (Bell) time to get the sale of the property done.”

At one time, Bell planned a residential, retail and office development around LaGrave Field.

Smith said the team has been selling 2010 season’s tickets, which begins with a May 13 home opener against the Shreveport-Bossier Captains. The Cats play a 96-game schedule in the American Association league.

The team ended the 2009 season with a 53-43 record.

The club is scheduled to hold auditions March 25th for those interested in singing the National Anthem at a home game, and a two-day team try-out in April.

Bank pulls LaGrave Field out of foreclosure sale (Star Telegram)