Shhhhhh, don’t look now but the Texas Rangers are actually in First Place in the AL West!  It sounds weird doesn’t it?  Usually, anyone who follows the Rangers can count on three columns in any given year about the team’s chances.  The first is about how the pitching staff still sucks and breaks down why they are off to yet another “slow” start.  The second usually comes around the All Star break, when the Rangers somehow manage to pull together and threaten to make a race of the AL West, while the final column is the obituary for another season of futility.  In a nut shell it sucks cheering for a team that never spends money on pitching and who hasn’t won a pennant in almost ten years, but even die hard pessimists have to admit that this years team looks like the real deal...at least so far.

There’s a storm brewing in the Metroplex and I’m not talking about the Microburst that destroyed the Cowboys practice facility.  Back in the Cowboys heyday it was said that the reason why there was a hole in the roof of Texas Stadium was so that “God could watch his favorite team play on Sundays.”  If that is true then maybe the destruction of the practice facility was the Big Guys way of letting the Cowboys know that he expects more from them.  It’s been 13 years since the Cowboys have won a playoff game and with a less than stellar draft and the team facing a tough schedule, Jerry Jones would be smart to keep a look out for lightning bolts from the skies.

When it comes to boxing, two names come to mind, Jesus Chavez and James “Mandingo” Kirkland, but on Saturday night at the Frank Erwin Center Austin was introduced to the Lightweight division in what was one of the most action packed fight cards of the year. Lightweight Lightning, as the card was billed, definitely lived up to its name and even if it did start out like frozen molasses, hopefully it will encourage more promoters to bring their fights to the city of Austin.

As my wife and I entered the Frank Erwin Center we found out that our tickets were in the nosebleed section, not that it mattered much since the first five fights were so boring the round card girls were getting more cheers than the boxers in the ring. Of course you can’t really blame the fans; boxing matches are only place other than a strip club where you can see a woman wearing a bikini and high heels. If you don't believe me just try asking your girlfriend to throw on a pair of heels the next time you go to the beach and see what happens.

In a hard fought game where the lead changed hands four times it was only fitting that the Horns finished off the Buckeyes the same way that the Red Raiders had finished them off on November

I've been watching sports for just about all of my life, of course there was a period of time from ages 0-5 where I was just too young to understand the complexities of a Cover 2 zone, but for the most part I've always been a sports fan. I've also played in many fantasy leagues and won my fair share of them so when it comes to sports I feel like I've got a pretty good grasp on how things work. At least that's how I felt until I visited the City of Sin last weekend and was unceremoniously handed my ass. You see regardless of my sports knowledge, what I failed to recognize was that there is a world of difference between picking winners and picking against the spread. What follows is a blow by blow account of how I lost my ass in Las Vegas.

Getting off the plane in Las Vegas is a surreal experience because as soon as you step off the plane you are surrounded by slot machines bearing down on you like Mexican children selling Chiclets. The only difference is that you can give the children in Mexico a dollar and they'll usually leave you alone. Slot machines on the other hand have no such mercy and will break you down until your wife has to literally take away your debit card and force you to sit out a few plays.

We were staying at the world famous Caesar's Palace and knew that we were going to be in for a unique experience as soon as we looked up and saw the giant heads of Donnie and Marie Osmond plastered on the casino across the street. Dear god it's no wonder Marie fainted on Dancing with the Stars, the pressure alone of trying to dance with that gigantic head must have exhausted her.

Whenever someone asks me to go bowling my first thought is that I'd rather take a Valium, sit in a room, and watch white paint dry. At least that's how I felt up until last Saturday night when some friends of mine dragged me out to chuck a few balls at the local Bowling alley. And while the evening was nothing monumental like a trip to Vegas or witnessing a chick fight, I have to admit, I had a blast.

The night didn't start out that way because the main reason that I've always hated bowling is the fact that I can't wear my own shoes. Maybe I'm a prude, or maybe I'm just a man that doesn't care to bowl or walk a mile in another man's moccasins. I don't care how much antiseptic or 409 you spray in those clown shoes, it's still nasty! But it was my buddy's birthday and he wanted to go bowling and my job tonight, as a man, was to soldier up and have a good time. So when the tattooed attendant handed me my size nine loaners I just smiled and grimly nodded my head in thanks. It didn't matter that the last guy that wore these probably didn't wear socks and had an extra toe on each foot, tonight was about having fun.