World Cup Soccer ... Where Oscar would be proud

Yes, admittedly I am a soccer neophyte.  I don't pretend to know all the rules or nuances (just like hockey) but I do enjoy it.  Here are my top 3 pros/cons:

Pros
Constant continuous action.  No stoppages for commercials like in the Big 3 (NBA, NFL, MLB).  You stop down for about 2 hours including the halftime.  I can plan around this easily.  No stepping out of the plate or off the mound like MLB that make games go up to 3 and a half hours at a time.  No repeated timeouts like in the NBA to take all the momentum out.  The action tests the athletes--can they adjust their play and strategies to the moment?

In my second viewing of a world cup in 8 years I've figured out the gameplay pretty easily.  There are set pieces from free kicks and corner kicks, throw ins from out of bounds, and goal kicks.  Though offsides seems murky to me (hockey has it down with the infamous blue line) I get the basics.  There's not much to digest here.

Just like the NFL there are good, bad, and ugly teams in the Cup.  I enjoy watching the talented teams that can pass the ball, execute plays, and show their clear quickness, speed, and agility.  This showcase offers mainly very good teams.  There are a few dogs out there that one must watch but nothing near the boring game between losing teams on Fox Sunday afternoons.

Cons
For all the pros I see several things that drive me crazy about soccer on TV.  The flopping is ridiculous. Though other sports have an equal share of athletes complaining (or whining) to the officials (MLB, NBA, and NFL) the fake injuries to me bring this game down.  I don't know enough about the world organization FIFA but I think I can say it is their fault.  To allow players to fall down and then get up moments later as if they were healed by an evangelist speaking foreign tongues is ridiculous.  Simply put FIFA doesn't appear to care.  The only way to stop the flopping is to penalize it with yellow and then red cards.  The acting is so bad at times it reminds me of the B-type movies on SyFy (Sharknado for one).  It's laughable and embarrasing.

The lack of a deep talent pool in the MLS and poor marketing of its players by the league (like the NHL) to me are keeping me from watching U.S. Soccer more on TV.  I'm intrigued enough to watch the English Premier League in the next season now that they have more U.S. TV exposure.

The NFL will always be my first sports haven but soccer is rapidly showing up on my radar.

Course Review: Prairie Lakes Golf Course

Overview:

Prairie Lakes Golf Course in Grand Praire offer 27 holes of great golf.  Sitting on the west side of Mountain Creek Lake, is fun and affordable course.  It is great for all levels of  ability and has a high replay value in my opinion.

The course is located just north of I-20 in South Grand Prairie.  It is composed of three separate 9-hole courses (red, white, and blue), each presenting their own unique challenges.  It is a relatively easy course to walk but I recommend riding.  Players will be assigned a front and back nine based on the time of day and traffic.  There are no sand traps, just green side bunkers.  As explained below, water hazards do come into play.

Red course:

A par 36, could be considered the easier of the three.  Relatively wide fairways allow one to let loose from the tee.  The two par 5s are reachable in 2 shots but you have to be spot on.  Several par 4s have small ponds but they are not major obstacles.   Doglegs are mixed in with straight on fairways with trees lining the sides.  On all three courses one can get out of the trees smoothly if you play smart.

White course:

A par 35, tougher than the Red course, it includes the famed Grand Bermuda Triangle.   The White course has wider fairways but water is in play on about half the holes.  The Bermuda Triangle is composed of holes 5-7 and sits on the western part of the lake.  Hole 5 is a long par 3 that intimidates players with the lake on the right a pond on the left--pretty much water all the way to the green.  Winds can be variable, in your face off the lake or going right to left.  Hole 6 is a long uphill par 4 (slight dogleg to the right)  that plays like a par 5.  The lake is to the right of the fairway from tee to green.  To the left about halfway up the course from the tee is a large pond.  A very hairy tee shot here.  The fairway is only about 30 yards wide but if you get a hold of a driver or 3 wood off the tee the fairway opens up.  The other option off the tee is to cut the corner.  Going over the lake on this hole is tough.  The green sits about 20 feet up off the fairway and slopes down steeply to the lake.  Hole 6 coming back to finish the triangle has water on the left and right with a tight fairway.  I love playing the Triangle but have lost a ton of balls before.  It can be frustrating and redeeming at the same time.

Blue course:

A par 36, is perhaps the toughest of the three courses.  Fairways are a bit narrower and on some holes the trees that line the hole are packed tightly.  Get in the trees and you have to punch out or lay up most of the time.  

Notes:

The greens are all large and offer big inviting targets.  They tend to run straight with a few breaks at the last few feet to the hole.  They can be quick but are nothing to fear.  All are in great shape.  No holes or burn spots.  

All par 4s and 5s are have ample yardage markers in the fairway along with the standard 100/150/200/250 marks on the cartpaths.

Traffic

Middays are hotter, approaching 100 degrees affording one a great opportunity to walk on and play.

Rates

Weekends and holidays are $25 (cart fee additional $15) and weekdays are $17 (cart fee additional $15).  Twilight rates are in effect at 3 pm.

Great discounts and coupons for this course as well as Tangleridge can be found at www.grandgolfdeals.com

Website:

www.prairielakesgolf.com

The Word Jerry Jones Will Never Say

R E B U I L D

Most people think that the Indianapolis Colts are about to do it, releasing or trading Peyton Manning and drafting Andrew Luck. The 49ers are doing it and are on the verge of getting back to the Super Bowl. But why won't Jerry Jones do it?

Is it ego, fear, or misguided loyalty? I think it is a mixture of all three with ego being the primary reason. Jerry just doesn't want to admit that his team is broken and is not headed in the right direction. When Public Policy Polling recently surveyed people asking them who is "America's Team" 22% gave Green Bay the nod, double that of the Cowboys. That had to make Jerry twinge. The lack of playoff appearances and wins by the Cowboys has rightfully led America to look for a new winner. The luster the Tom Landry and Tex Schramm put on the star has worn off.

This team IS broke. It is time Jerry puts his ego aside and give Jason Garrett all the tools he needs. Mark Cuban, Nolan Ryan, and the new owners of the Stars have all admitted their franchises were broken at one point and have taken painful steps to get their franchises going back in the right direction. The Rangers and Mavericks are back and the Stars have a bright promise.

I think Jerry is afraid if he uses the world rebuild it will mean an admission that HE messed up. It will mean that he is NOT the football genius he thinks he is. It will be failure and Jerry does not want to admit failure. Call it ego or hubris it's one and the same.

Where does fear come in? With his massive debt on the Death Star/Stajum/Cowboys Stadium, Jerry needs to put people in the seats. Many forked out tons of money on seat licenses. If he admits that rebuilding is needed could he perhaps fear that the season ticket and suiteholders will abandon him? Why would they pay a premium price for a low end product that is rebuilding? So he continues to make minor adjustments and relentlessly saying that the team is headed in the right direction. Jerry needs to trust the diehard Cowboy fan and ignore the bandwagoners. Rebuild, set a plan, commit to it, and ask the fans to stay for the ride. Put fear aside.

Misguided loyalty is a weakness of Jerry Jones. He loves his players and will do anything for them--even giving some huge contracts that outweigh their talent. This past season big names and contracts were finally released but more needs to be done. Jerry is a businessman and knows how to make money. Sometimes losses need to be cut. Long time players he likes need to be shown the door. Bit the bullet and cut overpaid and underperforming players. He can give them a job in the organization if he wants but it's time for some to go.

Rebuilding is not a death sentence for a team. Young, exciting, and hard working players can be added to energize a team. The Cowboys can define themselves for who they want to be: a smash mouth team, an offensive juggernaut, or a defensive stalwart. Rebuilding can also ease a bit of the fans' frustration and get some of the media off the Cowboys' back.

Hiring a GM or addressing the talent evaluation aspect is another topic but it all starts at admitting: Time for the Cowboys to rebuild.

In Search of... the overhyped burger

From 1976 to 1982 a documentary series entitled "In Search Of..." consisted of investigations into the mysterious and paranormal. Narrated by Leonard Nimoy (Spock from Star Trek), this blog would be worthy of an episode.

After finally experiencing both Five Guys and In N Out burgers I am now prepared to voice my opinion about America's overhyped burgers. Both are good burgers, scoring in my book above McDonalds and Whataburger. But one has to ask the question: "Was the bang-to-hype ratio valid?"

I first experienced Five Guys in Washington D.C. a year and a half ago, having heard promises of one of the best burgers in the nation. Since then I've eaten at several locations in the DFW metroplex. The interior is bright white--so white that upon entering the glare almost causes one to don sunglasses. The look is sleek and clean but I don't get the salted peanuts. The burgers are thick and juicy, a clear plus over the chain restaurants. The meat patty is larger than the bun so that is a plus in my book. The portion of fries was huge and a good value. I liked the large cut of the fries as well. Service was friendly though 2 out of 3 times I've waited excessively when the restaurant was not that crowded. Overall grade: B+ (can't give it an A -)

Today my mission was In-N-Out (INO). Again, all white interior? It reminded me of the Progressive auto insurance commercial with that redhead lady. Staff all had crisp and clean uniforms and hats. I kind of felt like I was on the bridge of the Enterprise in Star Trek. Service was both friendly and fast. Employees did not appear to be miserable like I've seen in other chains. The burger I ordered supposedly had fresh ingredients (according to their braggadocio). I could definitely tell. The special sauce was a knockoff of the "thousand island" that the Big Mac has but was not overwhelming. The fries were a smaller cut but good. Overall taste was very good. Overall grade: A -

Both are clearly above the chains we are used to here in Texas but the bang-to-hype ratio was way overboard for both. My preference at this point: In-N-Out.

Goodbye A&M

This Thanksgiving marks the close of the football rivalry between my my Texas Longhorns and the Texas A&M Aggies. Besides the Cowboys game this is THE game I looked forward to all year in college football. I think the end of this is bad for both teams and the fans.

My loyalty is to Texas, having grown up in Austin and attending school there. My Aggie either and I would watch the game together, sometimes screaming so loud we were told to tap the brakes. Bets were placed--usually a cold beverage or a round of golf. No matter who won we had a mutual respect for each others teams. I think the fans will miss this but the high toned athletic directors and chancellors wont because they simply don't care about tradition. It's all about money now.

As for the teams they will find someone to fill in the spot on their schedule but creating a replacement rivalry will be difficult.. A&M will find no friends in the SEC and in the near future no immediate rivalries. Teams need a natural rival--someone to recruit against, despise, and just plain hate. Who will they have as a rival now--Arkansas or LSU? Both are geographically close to College Station and are mutual recruiting possibilities. It's been 17 years since A&M played Arkansas in the Southwest Conference. Most people don't remember it.

Texas states they will fill the spot on their schedule with someone else with ease. Networks will money whip them and probably recommend a slew of non Big 12 teams for the to play on Thanksgiving. but it won't be the same. No build up, trash talking, bonfires, or Aggie jokes. Playing Texas Tech or TCU won't have the same magic for me. Wouldn't it be ironic if Mack Brown or DeLiss Dodds got LSU to play Texas every Thanksgiving? Poor A&M would be left sitting home Thanksgiving out of the spotlight.

So goodbye A&M. Change the lyrics to your war hymn and start working on your media guide for 2012. You might start with a thank you to Texas in the preface. The rivalry made you relevant--giving you precious TV time to a captive audience

Movie Review: Rise of the Planet of the Apes

Grade: A

I went into this experience a little dubious about a movie in which the main characters are CGI-created but left very pleased. Overall, one of the best movies this summer. Whether you have seen the original movie of 1968 or the most recent reboot in 2001 I think you will like it. The special effects, including CGI, where very good but not over the top to kill the movie. The human cast consisted of a few actors who were well developed. Action was mixed in with good plot development

This is a reboot of the Apes franchise, so to speak, that began with the classic Planet of the Apes (POA) movie of 1968 starring the late Charlton Heston. I'm definitely looking forward to the next one. First, a synopisis and then details.

Synopsis: A scientist Will Rodman (played by James Franco) is desperately trying to create a cure for Alzheimers to save his ailing father Charles (played by John Lithgow). The corporation he works for wants to make money. Will is using chimpanzees to test the drug. The story revolves around Will trying to balance his drive to save his father and apes, who he views as intelligent beings. He rescues a baby chimp named Caesar from the corporation when the plug is pulled on his research. Caesar has inherited increased intelligence on the level of a human. Without divulging anymore details the plot leads to the inevitable clash of man and ape (chimpanzee), leading to the beginning or rise of the ape civilization.

Nuggets or references to the original movie were sporadically dropped in which I liked.

The movie ending leads the moviegoer with a sense of anticipation. If you follow the story and the clues you can predict what might lie ahead for humans (those left) and apes.

Again, thumbs up. Remember movie watching is a sport.

Cowboys training camp daily observations WEEK 2

As a lifelong Cowboys fan this time of year brings optimism over a successful Cowboys season and hopeful return to the playoffs. A few things are certain: the Cowboys are broke AND the focus is on the coaching.

Jerry Jones' failure to fill in some gaps in the team lends me to believe that he is broke. The team has too much cap money tied up into HUGE signing bonuses and dead money tied up in Roy Williams. With the new CBA all teams must meet a firm cap of $120 million. Jerry is intensely loyal, to a fault at times, and tends to overspend. I'm not wishing they go out and throw money at just any big name but I do wish they would have done a better job (so far) at addressing spots on the roster. There are still some players on this roster that need to demonstrate they are worth their pay--Martellus Bennett, Terrance Newman, Anthony Spencer, and David Buehler.

Where are their deficiences? Safety, cornerback, and another outside linebacker that can rush the QB and take some of the heat off of DeMarcus Ware.

By not making a huge move Jerry has signaled that Wade Phillips failed as a head coach and a defensive coordinator. Essentially most of the same cards are in the deck. It's now a matter of using the wit and wisdom of head coach Jason Garrett, defensive coordinator Ryan, and the rest of the staff to get the most out of the players.