The Kingdom, The Kids, & The Cowboys

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Personal Foul

February 4, 2025 / / 0 Comments

There’s nothing more to be said about what Dallas Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison did late Saturday night. The shocking and inexplicable trade of Luka Doncic to the Lakers is a demoralizing deal for the team that might take two decades to overcome, and a sucker-gut-punch to all Mavs fans that might not ever go away.

It is foul. And it feels more personal than I ever imagined it could.

I understand the concerns about his conditioning. I get the problems with his inattention to defense. I am continuously frustrated by Luka’s immaturity with referees. But he is by far–going away! indisputable!– the most exciting-must-see-thrilling-can’t-miss superstar in the NBA. “Luka Magic” is a thing, it’s real! Luka makes you tune into a road game against the Raptors on a Tuesday night in November because you know you’re going to see something you’ve never seen before. Just about every night. Luka’s specialty is taking your breath away. These thirteen highlights in the clutch are just a very small sample.

Luka is not even 26-years-old, he’s been All-NBA every season except one, and he was NBA Rookie of the Year that season. He gets league MVP votes every year. He averaged 40 minutes per game in 92 games last season, including the playoffs, which culminated with the NBA Finals. He’s already broken several of Magic Johnson’s and Michael Jordan’s all-time scoring records, and he’s posted more triple-doubles than both Wilt Chamberlain and Larry Bird. If Luka wants to just jog up and down the floor with a cigarette hanging out of his mouth the first half of the season, you let him! He’s a global sensation, a once-in-a-generation superstar. And, again, he’s just about to turn 26. Was there no thought given to patiently allowing him to grow and mature, to realize the value to his own career and the good fortunes of his team in proper conditioning and getting back on D? And while he’s maturing, isn’t it okay to keep winning playoff series and maybe capture a title or two?

Here are 100 Luka highlights. Twenty minutes of Luka Magic. The most exciting player in the NBA. No-look passes, between-the-legs dribbles, and behind-the-back dimes. One-handed, off-balance, corner fadeaway swishes and mind-blowing half-court heaves. Tons of crazy threes. Buzzer-beaters. Game-winners. Series clinchers. And, most of the time, that tremendous smile. And, sometimes, that menacing snarl.

It’s the worst trade in NBA history. Unprecedented. I am as stunned as I’ve ever been in my life, and I have no hope of this ever making any sense. Nico traded away the young dynamic superstar face of the franchise for Anthony Davis, Max Christie, and one first-round draft pick in 2029. Nico did not contact any other teams. He only spoke to the Lakers. And he started the conversation way back on January 7.

For perspective, in 2019, OKC traded Paul George (29) to the Clippers and received five first-round picks and two players. In 2022, the Jazz traded Rudy Gobert (30) to Minnesota for four 1st round picks and five players. In 2023, the Nets traded Kevin Durant (34) to Phoenix for four 1st round picks and three players. And earlier this season, the Nets sent Mikel Bridges (28) to the Knicks for five 1st round picks and three players. Saturday night, Nico gave Luka to the Lakers for Davis (32) and Christie and one pick. It boggles the mind. One total draft pick. And Davis will probably be finished playing before they can use it!

Utah and the Nets each have eleven 1st round picks in the next five years. You think they might have given up at least half of them for a shot at Luka? The other GMs in the NBA had no idea Luka was on the block. You think Memphis would consider giving up Jaren Jackson? You think the Cavs might have been tempted to part ways with Evan Mobley? Could you have pried Giannis away from Milwaukee? We’ll never know. Nico didn’t even ask.

Here is an excellent piece by Jamey Newberg that perfectly captures both the fan’s side of the shock and the lingering nauseating pit in my gut and the detailed point-by-point case for this being the most awful trade in the history of sports. He’s so good. I want Jamey to write my sermons! And you must read this article by SI’s Michael Rosenberg about how you must have a superstar to win championships in the NBA and how difficult they are to handle and how the Mavericks royally messed it up. And, while I am on the record as staunchly opposed to emojis, you need to see Dirk’s immediate response to the news late Saturday night.

I watched a little bit of the Lakers press conference today introducing Luka as the newest member of the team. He talked about the shock of the trade. He talked about the tears he shed when he got the news from his agent (neither Nico nor Kidd made the call). I remembered that Luka was two weeks away from closing on his new house in Dallas; his agent told the Dallas Morning News Sunday that Luka had fully expected to spend his entire career in Dallas. Luka was polite and said all the right things about playing in LA. He posed for pictures with his new purple and gold Lakers #77 jersey. He hugged his new GM, his new coach, and a couple of his new teammates. It was very much like watching your girlfriend get married to your sworn enemy.

And getting Anthony Davis and a 2029 1st round pick in return.

Peace,

Allan

Delusional in Dallas

January 28, 2025 / / 0 Comments

The Cowboys finally got around to officially introducing their new head coach yesterday and wound up, as usual, accomplishing the opposite of what they surely intended. Instead of announcing to the world that Brian Schottenheimer has what it takes to end the Cowboys 29-year streak of not winning a divisional playoff game, the longest current streak in the NFC by an astounding 14 years, the team brass declared that nothing’s really that wrong.

Most of what was said in the rambling 70-minute press conference served to highlight how Jerry Wayne gets in the way of any legitimate on-the-field success for the Cowboys. Among the many gems was Jerry doubling down on the debunked assertion that he alone is the “best man” to get the Cowboys to the Super Bowl promised land. He confessed again that he always wanted to be a head coach and hinted that he could be now if he wanted. Delusional.

With the new coach sitting right next to him, Jerry admitted that hiring Schottenheimer “is a less than glamorous choice.” He reminded everyone that Schotty has “no head coaching experience, not even high school!” And he strangely got defensive against the criticism that this is a safe hire, that he doesn’t like to take chances, by declaring that promoting Schottenheimer “is the biggest risk I’ve ever taken in my life.” Again, Schottenheimer was sitting at the same table!

Jerry also compared Schottenheimer to Jimmy Johnson and Barry Switzer, the last guys to win divisional playoff games with Dallas, as coaches who had never done it at the NFL level before Jerry gave them a chance. Yeah, but Jimmy and Switzer had won national championships at the elite college level. It’s not really apples to apples. It’s more like apples to hamsters. Delusional.

The most glaring thing to me during yesterday’s announcement was the answer Jerry gave to the very first question. The Cowboys owner was asked what qualities Schottenheimer possessed that led to his getting the job. Jerry said it was Brian’s ability to defer. He rambled for a couple of minutes about watching Schotty bite his lip to defer to Mike McCarthy, watching him hold back and do it McCarthy’s way when he disagreed and felt like a different way was better. That’s what Jerry admires about the new coach, his ability to defer. In other words, nothing is changing.

The thing that seems to have upset Cowboys fans the most and hilariously amused the media and Cowboy haters was when Stephen Jones was asked about evaluating the state of the Cowboys. He used his right hand to make air quotes when he referred to “this drought that people say we’re in, in terms of a championship game or a Super Bowl.” Air quotes?!? If 29-years without winning a single divisional playoff game isn’t a drought, then we have no idea what that word means. The Cowboys never went more than six years between NFC Championship Game appearances before Jerry bought the team. The Cowboys appeared in twelve NFL or NFC Championship Games under Tex Schramm and Tom Landry. Yes, twenty-nine years counts as a drought! It’s not something the media made up. It’s not a gray area that can be debated. It’s math. And time. It’s numbers and scores and calendars. It’s completely objective. It’s delusional for Stephen to question that or make light of that.

As an aside, Stephen was introduced by the Cowboys PR man yesterday as executive vice president and co-owner of the Cowboys; that’s the first time I’ve ever heard that. When did that happen? Again, more evidence that things are not going to change. With these Cowboys, “owner” means “GM.”

The bottom line is that Jerry hires coaches who have no other options. No other suitors. No other opportunities. Nobody else wants them. They’re thankful for the opportunity and they’re obligated to the man who gave it to them when nobody else would. All of them. Count them, every one of them, from Barry Switzer and Chan Gailey and Jason Garrett to Dave Campo and Bill Parcells and Wade Phillips and Mike McCarthy. And now Schotty. Nothing’s changed.

The only new development is that now a coach with no options has walked away. Mike McCarthy has no other options and he walked away from Jerry Jones and the Cowboys. He’d rather have no job than the one in Frisco. That’s a new development–rather shocking when you think about it. But now everything’s fixed. Jerry knows Schotty’s next-door-neighbor. He talked to Pete Carroll. Dak’s on board. Delusional.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Look what was waiting for me in the kitchen when I got home after the elders meeting last night: the brand new Blackberry Dr Pepper! And it is really, really good! The berry flavor is very strong, much stronger than what I remember with the old Berries n Cream DP. The smell hit my face as soon as I popped the top. And sweet. It’s very sweet. Delicious! I believe it runs a strong second to the coconut DP they gave us for like three weeks last May. I highly recommend the Blackberry Dr Pepper. Especially after an elders meeting.

Peace,

Allan

8 Down, 492 to Go

January 25, 2025 / / 0 Comments

During the NFL meetings in March 1994, Jerry Wayne famously said, “Any of 500 coaches could win a Super Bowl with the Cowboys.” Then he parted ways with his back-to-back Super Bowl champion coach, Jimmy Johnson, and hired Barry Switzer off his couch in Norman. When Switzer won Super Bowl XXX with Jimmy’s roster and assistants two seasons later, the owner saw it as vindication of his hubris. But, 29 seasons later, the Cowboys still haven’t even won a single divisional playoff game.

Jerry has now hired his 8th coach since he made that memorable late night / early morning quote to reporters in that Orlando hotel bar. The king of optimizing maximum media attention allowed the news to become official at 9:00 on Friday night, giving us all a clue as to how he himself feels about the hire.

Brian Schottenheimer is a career assistant, spending 24 years in the NFL, mostly as an offensive coordinator. He was brought to Dallas as a consultant in 2022, but Mike McCarthy made him the offensive coordinator the following season when Kellen Moore left for Philly. He never called the plays–that was McCarthy’s job–but he reportedly was key to the team’s record-setting offensive numbers in 2023.

Still, nobody’s ever offered a head coaching job to Schottenheimer. He’s never even interviewed for one. My understanding is that he was only contacted one time in his whole career for a head coaching job, by the Bills in 2010, while he was assisting Rex Ryan with the Jets. Schottenheimer declined the request. That was 15 years ago. Nobody’s looked his way since. And, as we all know, that’s how Jerry works. He only hires head coaches nobody else wants. He’s never been in a bidding war for a head coach. Nobody’s ever lining up to interview the guys Jerry eventually hires. Jerry only hires assistants from within or former head coaches who are currently out of work.

Of course, I have lots of questions. If Schottenheimer is going to run the same offense for Dak’s sake, why didn’t Jerry just stay with McCarthy? Jerry only offered McCarthy a one-year extension, but Schottenheimer is reportedly signing a four-year contract. Is it about money? Jerry is certainly no fan of paying big money for coaches. Was McCarthy becoming a bit too popular in the locker room? Does Jerry believe Schottenheimer is better than McCarthy? Are Cowboys fans to believe that Schottenheimer is going to provide something new? Is he going to be better than McCarthy at game management and clock management in his first year ever as a head coach? Are we to suppose that Schottenheimer has had new and innovative schemes to get the Cowboys over the top, but McCarthy just refused to use them?

I have even more questions about the search process. Evidently Jerry went into the last week of the lost season with no plan. He completely missed the bye week window to interview the two hottest coaching commodities, Aaron Glenn and Ben Johnson. And he wouldn’t wait three more days to interview them after the conference championship games tomorrow? He never talked to Mike Vrabel. He didn’t interview Kliff Kingsbury. Jerry and McCarthy parted ways four days after the owner refused to let the Bears interview him. It seems to me the whole search process was a sham. The Cowboys only talked to five candidates, while the other teams on the hunt spoke to nearly twenty each! Conor Orr has written an excellent piece for Sports Illustrated about what the Schottenheimer hire, and the interview process, says to Cowboys fans. I highly recommend it.

There’s chatter out there that Jason Witten might be joining Schottenheimer’s staff as an assistant coach. That also feels like a very Jerry thing to do, like hiring Jason Garrett to work under Wade Phillips, grooming him as the easy hire if things go south.

With the Washington Deadskins playing in tomorrow’s NFC Championship Game, the Cowboys now own the longest active drought of NFC title game appearances. It’s been 29 years since Dallas won a divisional playoff game. The Bears have the second-longest streak at 14 years–a huge 15 year gap between worst and next-to-worst.

Cowboys fans keep telling me that they’re in the same category as the 49ers and Packers and Eagles. Ha! Since the Cowboys last won a divisional playoff game, 29 years ago, the 49ers and the Packers have each been to eight championship games and three Super Bowls. The Eagles have played in nine championship games in the past 29 years and might be heading to their fourth Super Bowl. Shoot, even the Giants have been to three Super Bowls during this time frame and won two of them! In fact, since that ’95 season, every NFC team but Washington and Dallas has appeared in multiple championship games. Multiple! At least two! Even the Carolina Panthers have been twice! And by the looks of things, the Washington team is going to get there again before Dallas does.

Someone tweeted last night that finding out the Cowboys have hired Brian Schottenheimer is like getting socks for Christmas. Yeah, maybe. But I’d add that it’s like getting socks from the disconnected aunt who always gives you socks. Every time. Always a disappointment, but never a surprise.

Jerry famously said any of 500 coaches could win a Super Bowl with the Cowboys. The truth is that as long as Jerry is in charge, none of them can even win a divisional playoff game.

Peace,

Allan

Pictures of Grandkids

January 24, 2025 / / 0 Comments

Today is our daughter Valerie’s birthday–she’s 28–and I’ve got pictures! No, not of her. Of our two grandchildren she’s carrying!

Valerie saw her doctor again this week and we got some pretty amazing shots of the twins via sonogram. One of the little units shows up really clear–a little ham! Evidently, the kid on the left side is mainly behind his/her brother/sister and much harder to see. The second picture shows a precious little hand. How awesome is that!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Valerie says this picture below is the best one of both babies at the same time. But the shy one on the left, in Val’s words, is “upside down, so it’s mostly a booty shot.” If the backside is the most prominent feature, then it’s definitely got lots of Stanglin in him/her.

As always, you can click on any picture to blow it up a little bigger. And, in case you’ve missed it, we know from blood work that at least one of these babies is a boy. It’s either two boys or a boy and a girl. It is not two girls. I’m not sure when we’re going to get visual confirmation, but I can’t wait.

They both measured a bit longer than the doctor expected so they moved Valerie’s due date up to July 22. And, again, they’re likely to come a little earlier. Valerie is checking out in really good health and the two babies are in excellent shape and we are deeply grateful and incredibly excited.

You’re going to get sick of me showing you pictures of my grandchildren before they’re even born!

Happy Birthday, Valerie! We love you, girl!

Peace,

Dad, Granddad

Magic Carpet Ride

January 23, 2025 / / 0 Comments

Okay, I’ve got a new little weird obsession that I’m really excited about. I am substituting the word “sermon” or “preaching” whenever I see the word “poem” or “poetry” and it is opening my heart to new ways of expressing what it’s like to be a preacher. The exhilarating anticipation. The tyranny of the Sunday sermon. The dread. The burden. The indescribable joy and blessing. The honor. The eternal power of the Word that is impossible to harness. The frustration. The surprise. Poetry and sermons have much in common, and so do those who write them.

I’ve come across a short poem from someone named Bill Knot. The poem is entitled “To Myself.” The first word is “poetry,” which I have changed to “preaching.”

Poetry
can be
that magic
carpet

which you say
you want,
but only
if you

stand willing
to pull
the rug out

from under
your own
feet daily.

Doesn’t this poem speak deeply to the sense of adventure there is in preaching? Yes. The mystery. The possibility. The certainty that your apple cart is going to get turned over without warning. The paradox of entering a sacred text hopeful for answers, only to come away with more questions. Continually feeling off balance. Daily.

Peace,

Allan

Coincidence or Strategy?

January 21, 2025 / / 0 Comments

Dan Snyder owned the Washington Redskins / Commanders for 25 seasons, from 1999-2023. And they were horrible. Washington recorded only six winning seasons during that quarter of a century and did not win a single divisional playoff game in that time. They changed owners this past offseason. The NFL basically forced Snyder to sell his team after a long track record of club mismanagement and personal misconduct. Josh Harris bought the team over the summer. In this first season of Harris’ ownership, Washington drastically improved from 4-13 to 12-5, plus two playoff wins and a spot in this Sunday’s NFC Championship Game.

They changed owners.

And, in one season, they are now playing in their first conference title game in 33 years.

Just sayin’.

Peace,

Allan

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