Each week, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram's Ray Buck and NBC 5's Newy Scruggs go at it in a point-counterpoint on the sporting issues of the day.
E-mail Ray Buck at rbuck@star-telegram.com or Newy Scruggs at info@newdawg.com and maybe your question will appear in an upcoming column.
One critic not chugging the blue Kool-Aid is Jimmy Johnson, who says the Cowboys “are not a mentally disciplined team.” Agree or disagree?
NEW DAWG: Of course, I agree. The Cowboys still committed too many penalties and have a very sorry special-teams unit. Don’t forget the Cowboys won Sunday despite losing the turnover battle against the Redskins. That will hurt them down the road if they don’t get more discipline.
BUCK: The Jimster didn’t go far enough. The Cowboys lack discipline, lack special teams, lack identity, lack leadership ... but they sure don’t lack for rhetoric. They won their “sense of urgency” game — now just shut up and play. Every time the Cowboys get a full belly of accomplishment, they turn into their evil twin. And, please, can someone tell me again: Why did Marion Barber get only 11 touches in the loss to Washington on Sept. 28, when this mess all began?
How is possible for Donovan McNabb not to know that an NFL game ends in a tie when neither team scores in OT, until AFTER it happened to the Eagles on Sunday?
NEW DAWG: Poor Donovan, if he only had Wade Phillips as a head coach to defend him from all you mean media types. The Eagles’ run is over. I see Andy Reid being fired, and maybe they finally trade McNabb.
BUCK: Poor Donovan? Poor fans! Poor teammates! If I’m one of the guys in the huddle, I’m wondering what else doesn’t Donovan get? This will be McNabb’s “Bill Buckner moment” long after he retires.
What does it tell you about this Mavs team that Jerry Stackhouse wants out?
NEW DAWG: Somebody told me Stack and Rick Carlisle didn’t see eye-to-eye in Detroit, either. I see the lottery coming. Why not jump off if you can?
BUCK: Didn’t the Mavericks try to part ways with this guy once before and couldn’t (see Jason Kidd trade)? I like Stack. What I don’t like is how ill-prepared this team was to start the season. Summing up the Mavs’ first 10 games (3-7) in five words or less: Dirk doesn’t deserve this, dummkopf.
Should Jerry Jones bring back Adam “Pacman” Jones again if the latter gets reinstated again by the league?
NEW DAWG: May Pacman never wear the star ever again. He had his chance and it took him 41 days to screw that up. And if he was allowed to come back, how would you practice him? Why give him reps in front of rookies Mike Jenkins or Orlando Scandrick, knowing that Pacman is always one night-out-on-the-town away from getting booted out of the league?
BUCK: Jerry really needs to think with his head, not his heart. Like the video game ... Pacman is so yesterday’s news.
Do you go with the “hot team” or the “home team” when Texas Tech and OU meet Saturday night in Norman, Okla.?
NEW DAWG: I’ll take the Sooners. They don’t get beat at home very often.
BUCK: I hate it when we agree. But Mike Leach’s Red Raiders have been a “destiny team” ... so it wouldn’t totally shock me that we’re both wrong.
Brighter future: Oakland Raiders or Detroit Lions?
NEW DAWG: The Lions. At least, they fired Matt Millen. There is no hope in Oakland with Weird Al Davis running things.
BUCK: At least the Raiders aren’t winless, Newy. Oakland has a much brighter future if you gauge the recent past — i.e., the last 18 games, in which the Raiders are 4-14 and Lions are 1-17. This is the worst 18-game stretch in the Lions’ 75-year team history.
