Skip to main content

Author: Russell Dowden

Horns Basketball Face Colorado in NIT

Written by Russell Dowden on . Posted in NCAA BASKETBALL.

AUSTIN, Texas — The University of Texas Men’s Basketball team will host Colorado in the quarterfinals of the National Invitation Tournament (NIT). The Longhorns and Buffaloes will play on Wednesday, March 27 at 8 p.m. Central at the Frank Erwin Center, and the game will be televised nationally by ESPN2.

The Longhorns (18-16) are the No. 2 seed in one of the four 8-team brackets, while Colorado (23-12) is the No. 4 seed. In NIT Second-Round action, Texas defeated Xavier (78-76 OT) on Sunday, while the Buffaloes topped Norfolk State (76-60) on Monday evening.

The winner of Wednesday’s Texas-Colorado contest will advance to the NIT semifinals, scheduled for Tuesday, April 2. The NIT semifinals and championship will be played at historic Madison Square Garden in New York City.

The Longhorns are 8-3 all-time in their five appearances in the NIT. Texas captured the 1978 NIT Championship.

source: Texassports.com

Verlander Sixty Six Million Dollar Man

Written by Russell Dowden on . Posted in MLB.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Justin Verlander thinks the free-agent process is broken. Still, he says that’s not why he decided to sign a new deal with the Houston Astros rather than test the market.

I can’t see a better situation,” Verlander said Sunday after the Astros announced a three-year contract that added $66 million in guaranteed money for 2020 and ’21.

A 36-year-old right-hander, Verlander had been due $28 million in 2019, the final guaranteed season of a $180 million, seven-year deal he signed with Detroit before the 2013 season.

His new deal followed two straight slow free-agent markets and came after agreements during spring training on long-term deals for Colorado third baseman Nolan Arenado, Boston left-hander Chris Sale and St. Louis first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, who all would have been part of the free-agent class after this season. In addition, the Los Angeles Angels gave a record $426.5 million, 12-year contract to outfielder Mike Trout, who could have become a free agent after the 2020 season.

Bears knock off Orange-men 78 to 69

Written by Russell Dowden on . Posted in NCAA BASKETBALL.

The Baylor Bears are victorious in the 1st round of the NCAA tournament in a 78 to 69 win over the Syracuse Orange-men Thursday night in the west region. Both teams came out shooting lights out beyond the arch in the first half as the Bears uncharacteristically rained a barrage of 3 balls hitting 10/18 in the first half and then 5/11 in the 2nd half.

Both teams ended up with a total of 28 three-pointers made in the game, the most in NCAA history for a non overtime game. Baylor regrouped after losing four straight coming into the first round of the tournament.

Baylor guard Mario Kegler (4) and Syracuse forward Elijah Hughes (33) vie for the ball during the first half of a first-round game in the NCAA men’s college basketball tournament Thursday, March 21, 2019, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Jeff Swinger)

Makai Mason # 10 scored 20 points in the match. Ultimately the long ball was the difference and transition play by Baylor that led to easy buckets. Jim Boeheim and the Orange-men were just out hustled by the bears offense. 

Baylor will face # 1 seed Gonzaga in the 2nd Round in Utah this Saturday.

Spurs Beat Blazers 108-103

Written by Russell Dowden on . Posted in NBA.

Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard (0) is blocked as he tries to score against San Antonio Spurs center Jakob Poeltl (25) and guard Derrick White, center, during the second half of an NBA basketball game in San Antonio, Saturday, March 16, 2019. San Antonio won 108-103.

The Spurs eighth straight victory and 10th straight win at home came Saturday. They have not lost at the AT&T Center since losing to the Los Angeles Clippers on Jan. 20th.

DeMar DeRozan led the Spurs with 21 points.

Round Rock Express Embark on Historic 20th Anniversary Season

Written by Russell Dowden on . Posted in MLB.


Andrew Felts, Round Rock Express

With Opening Day on the horizon, the Round Rock Express are set to embark on a new era in the club’s storied history. The 2019 season brings about a new affiliation, new branding and a renewed commitment to the Central Texas community. In conjunction with the team’s historic 20th anniversary season, the Express announced last September that the club is reaffiliating to become the Triple-A affiliate of the Houston Astros, reuniting with their parent club from 2000-2010.

The Express were founded as a Double-A franchise in 2000 by Ryan Sanders Baseball, a group made up of Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan, his sons Reid and Reese, Houston businessman Don Sanders, and his sons Bret and Brad. The team joined the ranks of Triple-A in 2005.

As the newest member of the Houston Astros family, an organization chock-full of top prospects, there should be no shortage of top talent making their way through Round Rock in 2019. Six Astros farmhands appear in MLB.com’s Top 100 Prospects list. Pitchers Forrest Whitley (#7), Josh James (#62), Corbin Martin (#81) and J.B. Bukauskas (#97) as well as outfielders Kyle Tucker (#8) and Yordan Alvarez (#44) all have a chance to suit up for the E-Train in 2019.

To celebrate the team’s 20th anniversary, the Express unveiled new logos, a new color scheme and a new set of uniforms that embodies the heart and soul of the Round Rock community. The team’s primary E-Train logo has been enhanced to more authentically represent the historic trains that came through Round Rock along the Chisholm Trail. The center of the E-Train is also a tribute to the iconic “Lone Star” that Texas is proudly known for. Fans will also enjoy a new “double-R” mark as well, a cattle brand nod to the Ryan family’s love of ranching. The double-R is the focal point of a new custom Express team font that fans can expect to see in 2019.

The new look kicks off the Express’ 20th anniversary season, featuring a 20-year logo showcasing the iconic round rock that the city is named for perched in front of an Astros’ rainbow-inspired sky commemorating the dawn of a new affiliation.

The team has returned to its original navy and a new shade of deep red along with silver. The redesigned home white uniforms feature navy trim and showcase the team’s “Express” lettering across the chest and a 20th season sleeve patch. The new navy home cap features the reimagined E-Train. On the road, the club will don traditional gray uniforms with “Round Rock” displayed across the chest and navy caps featuring the new double-R logo. Two alternate looks include a navy two-button henley and a white pinstripe uniform.

The Express open their historic 20th anniversary season on the road against the New Orleans Baby Cakes (Miami Marlins affiliate) on Thursday, April 4 before returning to Dell Diamond on Tuesday, April 9 for a five-game series against the Nashville Sounds (Texas Rangers affiliate). Single game tickets, season memberships and flex plan ticket packages are on sale now.

For more information on the Express, visit RRExpress.com or call (512) 255-2255. Keep up with the Express on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, and join the conversation during the team’s historic 20th anniversary season using #20STROng.

Lynn shows ‘bulldog’ mentality in Rangers debut

Written by Russell Dowden on . Posted in MLB.

By Dave Sessions March 3, 2019

GLENDALE, Ariz. — The Rangers need Lance Lynn to pitch deep into games to make their investment in the right-hander worthwhile — and he seems eager to comply.

Lynn struck out five and allowed five earned runs on Sunday in the Rangers’ 6-3 loss to the Dodgers, but the most telling moment came just before he departed the game. After Lynn loaded the bases with two outs, manager Chris Woodward jogged to the mound, presumably to relieve Lynn, but suddenly headed back to the dugout.

“He’s obviously a bulldog, which I love,” Woodward said. “I don’t want to ever take that away from him. That’s what you want out of a pitcher, man. You want him to want to stay in the game. … I love guys that don’t ever want to get the ball taken out of their hands.”

Newly signed Texas Rangers pitcher, Lance Lynn, center, wears his new team jersey as he poses for photos with general manager Jon Daniels, left, and manager Chris Woodward, right, after a news conference where Lynn was officially introduced in Arlington, Texas, Tuesday, Dec. 18, 2018. (AP Photo/Stephen Hawkins)

Reliever Jesse Chavez had already opened the bullpen door before Lynn told Woodward he wanted another batter. Lynn surrendered a double, finally ending his outing after allowing three hits and walking two.

“If I started the inning, I want to finish it. That’s just the way I’m built,” said Lynn, who signed a three-year, $30 million deal with Texas in December to become the club’s most significant offseason acquisition. “I don’t want anybody else to clean up my mess.”

Lynn’s outing was hardly a mess. He struck out the side in the first inning and accomplished what he set out to do in his first start this spring after pitching in simulated games early on. Lynn was miffed about issuing two walks but pleased with his performance otherwise.

“The stuff was all right, because there wasn’t any hard contact or any balls that were barreled up, that’s for sure,” Lynn said. “I’ll stay there, fine-tune it a little bit more, get ahead and then quicker innings would be nice.”

Woodward said he was impressed with Lynn, who threw close to 50 pitches despite it being his spring debut.

“Nobody hit a ball hard,” Woodward said. “There were some pretty good hitters out there, and they were all behind, every one.”

Ratcheting up the workload now is especially important to Lynn, who was still an unsigned free agent at this point in Spring Training last season. He signed with the Twins on March 12, and the abbreviated spring likely hurt his performance early in the season, he said. Lynn had a dismal first month, with an 8.37 ERA and 23 walks in 23 2/3 innings over five starts.

“It probably didn’t help,” Lynn said. “Spring Training last year, I think I made two starts. You look at April — gave up a lot of runs, a lot of hits and walked a lot of people in April. Hopefully I can do that this March and not in April this year.”

Lynn has pitched for the Cardinals, Twins and Yankees over the past three seasons, going 21-18 with a 4.04 ERA over 343 innings. With the exception of 2016, when he didn’t pitch in the Majors following right elbow surgery, Lynn has proven himself to be a workhorse. He started 188 games total in 2012-15 and 2017-18, an average of 31 per season during his six healthy years. He also averaged 183 innings pitched per season during that period.

“We were looking more at the total body of work in his career,” Woodward said of the decision to sign Lynn. “He’s been a quality pitcher his whole career, a reliable arm, somebody you can count on.”

Capital City Fight Night

Written by Russell Dowden on . Posted in BOXING.

TSM: We’re here with Keith Underwood of Underwood Promotions. Tell us how many years have you been promoting fights no in Austin?

UP: So we’ve here in Austin promoting fights now for 3 years. I did promote
a few armature fights for 2 years prior to getting my license.

What can we expect from this April 20th bout?

On the main event we have an ex-military kid from Killeen, Reshard Hicks. He is undefeated 11-0-1 and his the Texas State Welterweight Champ, the WBB Intercontinental Champ and the WCF international champ and all those Titles have been won as UNDERWOOD promotions Fights This next title fight will be for the American Boxing Federation US Title. He would be the USA Champion if he wins.

His opponent is a guy name Dennis Knifechief from Oklahoma and he also Oklahoma state champ. So this should make for a good Red River Rivalry.

The fight will be broadcast live on KBVO here in Austin. Also, Fox Waco picked it up and then it’s also on Tape Delay for Regional Sports Distribution across many markets in the US.

The fights are good quality fights, and we do what is necessary to make you feel like your at an event. Big money on lights,big money on security, our VIP seats are fully catered and come with open bar all night, Amy’s ice cream comes out all night and serves dessert.

And then we have general admission for people who just want to come out and enjoy the fight. We spend the money to make this a “real event”. Our philosophy has always been to put on an event that is entertaining and exciting regardless of who’s fighting.

CLICK HERE TO LEARN ABOUT CAP CITY FIGHT NIGHT.

You can get tickets Online at www.UnderwoodPromotions.com
or you can go to Richard Lords boxing gym on North Lamer and pick them up there in person as well.

Why is boxing more fun in person than on TV?

Well you know there is a certain part of it is that there is the event side of it, the ring card girls, music in between rounds, and people are excited and there is nothing like the thunderous cheer during a knockout or a big hit, you just can’t get that experience on TV.

Thanks Keith , any pick for the ABF Title?

I’m not supposed to pick them, you know but, I try to get really good fights for our fans and I try to get competitive fights so nobody knows who’s going to win.

I’m going with Texas Kid Hicks.

Visit: www.UnderwoodPromotions.com to get your tickets for this event.

Poker is Hotter than Ever

Written by Russell Dowden on . Posted in Card Poker Billiards.

Poker is one of the most popular games you can play at a casino, but one variant stands head and shoulders above the others — Texas No-Limit Hold’em.

The game has boomed in recent years, with mainstream television coverage helping to take Hold’em to a much wider audience than had previously been the case.

The World Series of Poker (WSOP) is widely viewed as the pinnacle of the game, with the annual tournament attracting players from around the world to Las Vegas.

Its origins date back to 1970, when Benny Binion invited seven of the best-known poker players to the Horseshoe Casino for a single tournament.

Fast forward to the 49th annual tournament in 2018 and there were a record 78 events where players could win a coveted WSOP bracelet and huge cash sums.

Each year the WSOP culminates with the $10,000 No-Limit Hold’em ‘Main Event’, which since 2004 has attracted entrants numbering in the thousands. The winner of the event is considered to be the World Champion of Poker.

Many amateur players check the best poker bonuses in the run up to the WSOP in order to build up their bankroll with a view to booking their place in what would be the trip of a lifetime.

Pocket Kings
Looking for a Full house more players are showing up in bigger numbers and buying in at bigger payouts in Texas and across the Country. With all these dollars and tables betting, Texas Hold Em continues to grow in the State it was born in.

The winners in 2003 and 2004, Chris Moneymaker and Greg Raymer, both qualified for the main event through online satellite tournaments, while 2007 winner Jerry Yang had only been playing poker for two years prior to his victory.

Moneymaker’s story in particular was the catalyst for many people to take up Texas Hold’em. By playing in a $40 ‘satellite’ tournament, he eventually earned entry into the WSOP by virtue of his success online.

Despite the fact that the event was his first ‘live’ tournament, Moneymaker went on to claim the $2.5 million first prize and the respect of the professionals he defeated.

Since then there have been numerous tales surrounding the Main Event. Busting out of the tournament just before the final table is heartbreaking, but it is an occurrence that can inspire a player to even greater heights.

In 2016, John Cynn was knocked out in 11th place and although he picked up $650,000 for his troubles it was a hugely frustrating experience.

However, Cynn didn’t let it get him down and he bounced back to win the 2018 Main Event and a cool $8,800,000.

The last day of play lasted for well over 11 hours, and the heads-up battle against Tony Miles took the better part of this.

After the longest heads-up battle in the history of the Main Event, Cynn finally got his opponent to commit his chips drawing dead on the turn and he claimed the coveted title. Miles pocketed $5,000,000 for his second-place finish, but the glory and prestige went to Cynn.

The drama of that final match-up is certain to inspire the next generation of players to take up what is undoubtedly one of the best online casino games you can play.

Texas over Oklahoma State 69-57

Written by Russell Dowden on . Posted in TEXAS SPORTS.


By JIM VERTUNO, AP Sports Writer
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — In a Big 12 season of ups and downs for Texas, none was more befuddling than an early loss to last-place Oklahoma State.
The Longhorns made sure there would be no repeat on Saturday.
Kerwin Roach II scored 16 points, Dylan Osetkowski scored 14 on 5-of-5 shooting a 69-57 Texas win that sent the Cowboys to their fifth straight loss and eighth loss in nine games.


“It was our emphasis today to come out, just be aggressive, don’t take these guys lightly,” Roach said. “Respect them. They beat us the first time. We wanted to pay them back.”


Oklahoma State (9-16, 2-10) jumped on Texas early the first time the teams met and looked to do it again with a flurry of 3-pointers, including three by Thomas Dziagwa. Texas responded when the Longhorns pushed out to defend further on the perimeter, and Oklahoma State made just one from long range over the final 9 minutes of the first half.


Dziagwa finished with 23 points behind seven 3-pointers.
“We just shut down everybody else,” Roach said. “We made it tough on him, too, but he still made some tough ones.”
Texas (15-11, 7-6) led 20-19 before closing the first half on a 19-7 run punctuated by Roach’s 3-pointer from the corner with 1 second left in the half.


Texas led by 13 early in the second before the Cowboys cut it 42-38. The Longhorns responded with three straight baskets and a 3-point play by Courtney Ramey to end the threat.


Oklahoma State coach Mike Boynton dismissed three players for team rule violations after a 2-3 start in the Big 12 that included the previous win over Texas. The Cowboys are down to just seven scholarship players.
“That’s kind of a moving target. I put a walk-on on scholarship, but he broke his foot,” Boynton said. “(Texas) has players who weren’t even dressed that could start for us … I still sense a very frustrated group that feels like it cannot win.”


BIG PICTURE
Oklahoma State: The Cowboys had very little working offensively when Dziagwa wasn’t firing away from long range. They were 12 of 30 inside the arc and went 9 of 18 from the free throw line. Dziagwa was 0-6 when he wasn’t shooting 3-pointers.
“Even on a night we make eight (3-pointers) we still don’t get to 60 points,” Boynton said.


Texas: The Longhorns will like the confident shooting stroke from Osetkowski, who came in just 2 of 21 shooting 3-pointers in the previous nine games. He made two from the same spot in right corner in the first half, then made another with 7:12 to play that put Texas ahead by 10. His ability to score away from the basket will be key to the Texas offense over the stretch run of the season.


Osetkowski’s three 3-pointers were his season high.
“I’m looking for seven 3s like I did last season at Iowa State,” Osetkowski said. “It’s great see some going in.”


SCORING DEPTH
Texas’s deeper bench made a big difference. While Oklahoma State had four players log at least 38 minutes and two — Cameron McGriff and Lindy Waters III — played the entire game, Texas has only two players on the court for more than 30 minutes.


The Texas bench outscored Oklahoma State’s 16-2. Longhorns guard Elijah Mitrou-Long had six points and three assists and Royce Hamm Jr. had four points and three aggressive rebounds.


“Those guys gave us a real lift in terms of spirit and energy,” Texas coach Shaka Smart said. “We wanted to take advantage of the fact we had more depth.”


UP NEXT
Oklahoma State hosts TCU on Monday. The Cowboys lost the previous matchup 70-68.


Texas plays Oklahoma Saturday, looking for a season sweep over the Sooners. Texas won the previous meeting 75-72 when the Sooners missed a 3-pointer in the final seconds.

More AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/tag/Collegebasketball and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25

Team LeBron rallies to beat Team Giannis, 178-164

Written by Russell Dowden on . Posted in NBA.


By TIM REYNOLDS, AP Basketball Writer
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — LeBron James was trading lob passes with Dwyane Wade again, one last time. Catching lobs from former teammate Kyrie Irving once again, too. And after making a stepback 3-pointer late, he stared down Joel Embiid to send a message without saying a word.
Oh, this mattered to James — and Team LeBron as well.


Team LeBron, down by 20 in the second half, finally got firing and went on to beat Team Giannis 178-164 in the All-Star Game on Sunday night. MVP Kevin Durant scored 31 points for Team LeBron, the one that James drafted and led to victory in the captain’s-choice format for a second consecutive season.


“You put me on the floor, I love to compete,” James said in the postgame interview room. “I’m a competitor, no matter what it is. I was competing to see if I could get to this table first.”
He wasn’t kidding. He then turned to NBA spokesman Mark Broussard, asked if he was the first player to get into the room and grinned when told he was.


“See what I’m talking about?” James said.
Klay Thompson scored 20 points, and James and Kawhi Leonard each had 19 for the winners.


“It’s all sweet to me,” Durant said after getting his second All-Star MVP award, to go with the one he claimed in 2012. “It’s hard to rank because everything’s special. But it’s cool to be out there with some of the best players to ever play the game. And to win MVP in front of my family and friends is pretty sweet.”


Giannis Antetokounmpo — the first-time captain — led everybody with 38 points on 17 for 23 shooting for the club he drafted. Paul George and Khris Middleton each scored 20 points for Team Giannis, which got 17 apiece from Stephen Curry and Russell Westbrook.


“Just being the leader of a team, it wasn’t as tough as I thought,” Antetokounmpo said. “My teammates, the guys in the locker room, encouraged me to step up and take it serious and play hard.”
The highlights, as would be expected, were absurdly good, time and again.
Curry slammed the ball off the floor on a first-half fast break and watched it ricochet toward the rim with an apex that flirted with the top of the backboard. Too high for most humans — but Antetokounmpo isn’t most humans. The freakishly long Greek star slammed Curry’s unconventional alley-oop pass home, with both benches reacting in disbelief.


Curry then slammed an alley-oop on the last play of the game, to himself, for a dunk that closed the scoring in his hometown.
“I thought we put on a great show tonight,” said Kemba Walker, Charlotte’s lone player in the game.


It was not a defensive showcase, as always.
Team Giannis set an All-Star record with 23 field goals in the first quarter, topping the mark of 22 set on four other occasions — by both the West and the East in the first quarter of the 2017 game, and by the West in both the second and third quarters of the 2016 game.


The 53 points tied a one-quarter All-Star record as well, matching the total by the West in the third quarter of the 2016 games and by the East in the first quarter of the 2017 game. But when it was time to get competitive, things tightened up considerably, at least by All-Star standards.
But when Team LeBron used a flurry of 3s to get back into it in the third quarter, everyone on the bench was standing — sometimes running from the bench and onto the court during play, the celebrations a bit more exuberant than what’s usually allowed.


“We got the win,” said Houston’s James Harden, who scored 12 points for Team LeBron. “That’s all that matters.”


And the All-Star farewells for Miami’s Wade and Dallas’ Dirk Nowitzki— the adds to the game by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, in honor of their career bodies of work — were festive, as everyone wanted.
Nowitzki entered the game late in the first quarter and made his first three shots — all of them 3-pointers — before heading back to the bench. Wade checked in not long after Nowitzki took the floor, then started the second half and achieved his primary missions for his last All-Star Game as a player.


He got an alley-oop lob from James.
And he threw an alley-oop lob to James.
Wade dunked, James dunked, and the close friends who entered the NBA together in 2003 and won championships with Miami in 2012 and 2013 got a couple more moments to savor in their final night as on-court teammates.
Wade finished with seven points in 10 minutes, and Nowitzki never returned after his nine-point, four-minute opening stint. When the third quarter ended, every player gathered behind them as Wade and Nowitzki were honored with commemorative jerseys at midcourt.


“Thank you to the commissioner and the NBA for allowing us to both be on this stage again,” Nowitzki said.
“Exactly what Dirk said,” Wade said as he took the microphone. “We’re very thankful for this opportunity. … The game is in great hands. It’s easy to walk away right now.”


TIP-INS
Team Giannis: Antetokounmpo was awarded a first-quarter free throw — but instead of shooting it, he tossed a pass to himself off the backboard. It isn’t legal, and didn’t work, but he didn’t mind. … Embiid had 12 rebounds and Antetokounmpo added 11. … Team Giannis gave up 96 points in the second half after leading 95-82 at the half.


Team LeBron: James spent part of halftime on the court listening to J. Cole’s performance, then grabbed a hug from New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft. … New Orleans’ Anthony Davis, who was dealing with a muscle strain in his shoulder, played five minutes and made both of his shot attempts.


SPLAT BROTHERS
Ordinarily “Splash Brothers” in Golden State, Curry went splat — courtesy of Thompson. Early in the fourth quarter, Curry shot a 3-pointer from the right wing while getting fouled by someone who’s usually his teammate. Thompson gave a dismissive wave, as if to ask “Why’d I do that?” when Curry’s 3 swished. And Curry made the free throw to seal the four-point play.
“I felt like the opposition for once. … It sucked to be on the receiving end,” Thompson said. “But it’s all fun and games in the All-Star Game and that was a crazy shot.”


DUAL COACHSPEAK
Team Giannis coach Mike Budenholzer of the Milwaukee Bucks and Team LeBron coach Michael Malone of the Denver Nuggets did their postgame news conference together. That doesn’t happen in normal games, and they were asked if they liked speaking alongside one another.
“Probably not a good idea,” Budenholzer said.


OLADIPO SPEAKS
Victor Oladipo’s season is over with a leg injury that kept him from playing in the All-Star Game as well. The Indiana Pacers star, however, was watching. “Wish I could be there playing with you guys but I know this will be a good game to watch!” Oladipo tweeted. “I was on Team LeBron last year but this year it’s all about #TeamGiannis! Lets Go Fellas!!!” Oladipo was replaced on the Team Giannis roster by Brooklyn’s D’Angelo Russell.


NO-FIGHT NIGHT
There were no fights, though that didn’t stop the league from bringing in renowned boxing ring announcer Michael Buffer to deliver his famed “Let’s get ready to rumble” proclamation just before tip-off.
UP NEXT
The next All-Star Game is Feb. 16, 2020, in Chicago.

More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports