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She Said, He Said: Will the Rangers' June swoon block their path to the playoffs?
Previous Columns
Charean Williams
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- Canty happy to be part of 'tremendous defense’ in New York
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- Former Arlington Lamar player back for more in Buffalo
- My five cents
- Ex-Cowboy Roy Williams hoping to be a hit in Cincy
- Charean Williams’ five cents
- Charean Williams' 5 Cents
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- A look at season’s likely top draft picks
- My Five Cents
- Dallas Cowboys lose fan after nephew drafted by rival
- NFL Draft has a strong Texas flavor
- Texas' Brian Orakpo says he won’t slip in NFL Draft
- Drafting of Orakpo forces Cowboys fan to switch to Redskins
- Charean Williams’ final mock draft
- Wake Forest’s Aaron Curry No. 1 with former Euless resident if not with Lions
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Each Tuesday, the Star-Telegram’s Charean Williams and Ray Buck go point-counterpoint on some of the hot topics in sports. Combined, they’ve covered more than 40 Super Bowls. Charean is also president of the Pro Football Writers of America.
Will the Texas Rangers ever see first place again?
CHAREAN: I don’t think so. The Rangers have a lot of injuries, and the Angels are finally playing like the Angels. But that doesn’t mean the Rangers won’t make the playoffs. Even if they don’t win the division, they’ve got a good shot at the wild-card berth.
BUCK: History, if the Rangers stop to think about it, has grown to boulder-size in their path to the playoffs (a place they haven’t been since winning 95 games in ’99). They’re presently on pace to win about 86 games, which probably won’t get it done. More history, Charean: The AL East has produced the wild card five of the last six years, and probably will again. What the Rangers need to do is stop thinking and start hitting. As we all know, June rhymes with swoon … and Fourth of July can’t come fast enough if that’s when Josh Hamilton’s bat returns to the lineup.
Is T.O. really a willing "scapegoat" for the Cowboys, as he suggests?
CHAREAN: T.O. has left as the scapegoat at his every stop. He’s made himself a scapegoat. He likes to say that the teams he’s left are not better off without him, but the Eagles did pretty well without him last year, and they’re among the favorites to win the NFC this year. The 49ers wouldn’t have been any better with him than they are without him. We’ll see about the Cowboys.
BUCK: Cry me a river, Mr. Loves-Me-Some-Me. The least stand-up guy in the NFL is pussyfooting around again. Spewing more of his rhetoric: "I’ll be scapegoat," he said. Pul-ease. "I wish [Tony Romo] well," he added, wrapping it up for the cameras with a big grin. Of course … T.O. meant nothing he just said.
Would a retractable roof automatically transform the Rangers Ballpark at Arlington into a World Series venue?
CHAREAN: It would certainly help their chances. It is my long-held belief that the Rangers will never win a World Series playing outdoors in Arlington. It’s too hot here for three months of their season, which wears them down no matter their conditioning level. I don’t want to sit out in the ballpark when it’s 103, much less play baseball in that heat. And, please, don’t try telling me it’s a dry heat.
BUCK: The "wearing down" factor is a real one, Charean, which the players are reticent to point out because it makes them sound like whiny millionaires. The Lombardi Packers weren’t crazy about the cold weather, but they turned Lambeau Field into an advantage. Funny how that worked. My suggestion to the Rangers would be to tell the players that they can get their ballpark retrofitted with a retractable roof if they make the playoffs three years in a row. Nice incentive package, for the entire team.
Will TCU ex LaDainian Tomlinson play long enough to surpass Emmitt Smith’s NFL career records for rushing yards (18,355 to 11,760) and/or rushing TDs (164 to 126)?
CHAREAN: I love LT, and I’d love to see him do it, Ray, but I’m worried about him. He’s had injuries the past two seasons that he’s never had before. He pointed out to me last week that he had never had any surgeries, and he’s right about that being a big thing, but I think the hits are starting to add up for him. He needs about five more good years. I see two or three.
BUCK: NFL running backs hit the wall ugly. But if LT really does have three good years left, he’ll have a shot at the TD record. He’d have to average 13 rushing trips to the end zone, and if he plays full seasons, or close to full seasons, he can do that. The rushing yardage record is considerably more out of reach, because LT would have to average over 1,300 for five seasons. Not likely.
Is Cleveland big enough for both LeBron and Shaq?
CHAREAN: It’s big enough for Derek Anderson and Brady Quinn, isn’t it? OK, Ray, that was a joke. Shaq will make Cleveland big enough for the both of them, because all he has left to accomplish in his career is another championship, and he knows LeBron can deliver that. The Cavs are going to be fun to watch next season. I just hope Shaq can hold up for another season.
BUCK: Shaq won with Kobe, so he definitely knows how to make this work: "The King and I," Cleveland style. I think it has a nice ring to it.
