The dozen Dallas can't live without

[kriD]

The dozen Dallas can't live without

05:58 AM CST on Saturday, December 23, 2006
[By Tim Cowlishaw / The Dallas Morning News]

Watching Dirk Nowitzki collapse like a bunch of broccoli is always cause for concern. When it happened in Seattle on Wednesday – even though it did not turn out to be a serious injury – it gave birth to a popular barroom argument.

Is Nowitzki the single most indispensable player among the Dallas area's four major pro sports teams?

Fortunately, we are here to provide the answer. A look at the always changing Dynamic Dozen follows.

12. Mike Modano, Stars: Three years ago, he was jockeying with Alex Rodriguez for the top spot on the list. But at 36, on a team that seems to be straddling the line between hanging in there and drifting to irrelevance, he should feel fortunate to remain in the top 12.

The Stars need more offense than he has been able to provide in the season's first half. But what they really need is Modano back on the ice. He still commands attention from the opponents and opens the ice for others. The club's 4-4 record since he went out with a hip injury (the Stars were 18-9 prior to that) speaks for itself.

11. John Danks, Rangers: OK, you may question a minor leaguer who won nine games in 2006 earning a spot on this list. Ah, but you would be wrong to do so.

This young man's $2.1 million signing bonus was money well spent. As he has climbed through the ranks, Danks has been one of the youngest pitchers at each level. Even though Rangers fans have heard his name for four years, he does not turn 22 until April.

Besides representing the franchise's best homegrown pitching prospect in years, he could also be a valuable piece to deal if the timing is right. Hopefully, it won't be and Danks will be a fixture in the Rangers' rotation for years.

10. Jason Terry, Mavericks: He's not a point guard, he's not the ideal size for a two guard, and, yes, he did pick a really bad time to go 7-for-25 against the Heat. Beyond that, Terry has drilled big shots for Dallas for two years.

When the team has struggled this season, it has been when they have failed to get the ball in Terry's hands and get him his shots. He has made well above 41 percent of his threes with Dallas, far above his average with Atlanta. When the Heat series swung in Miami's favor in Game 5, all Terry did was pump in 35 points.

9. Terrell Owens, Cowboys: I know, I know. Most of you think he is more dispensable than indispensable. And after this season, barring a Super Bowl trip, you will be correct.

In the meantime, he is Tony Romo's favorite receiver. Despite the drops and the drama, he makes the offense go more than Terry Glenn, more than Julius Jones, more than Marion Barber.

Since Romo became a starter, Owens has 49 catches and six touchdowns to Glenn's 34 and three. Next season, pray that he's on some other city's list if you like. But the Cowboys need his production to advance in the playoffs.

8. Kevin Millwood, Rangers: For years, Texas has needed not only an ace, but one from another team who would demonstrate the willingness to come to Arlington.

Although he had some poor starts in Ameriquest Field, Millwood won four straight there in the August and September heat to finish with 16 wins while eating up 215 innings. He's a solid top-of-the-rotation pitcher (who would look even better as No. 2 to Barry Zito).

7. Marty Turco, Stars: We all know he hasn't done it in the playoffs when it counts. But he has done it in the regular season, which is harder.

Some goalies inexplicably get hot at the right time. See if you can find Stanley Cup champion Cam Ward of Carolina near the top of any stats this season. Turco has carried the Stars through tough regular-season stretches.

All he lacks is that burst of greatness in May for which he is overdue.

6. DeMarcus Ware, Cowboys: His production may always pale next to the Chargers' Shawne Merriman – the player the Cowboys were considering drafting instead – but Ware is the dominant player among Dallas' front seven.

He leads the club in sacks, in tackles for loss and in forced fumbles. Take him off the field and the Cowboys don't scare anyone.

5. Josh Howard, Mavericks: The closest we have to an underrated great player in Dallas. He gives the Mavericks an element of toughness with his attitude and his defense. Beyond that, there are 10 perimeter players (not centers or power forwards) who average 18 points and five rebounds a game.

Most are known by a single name – Kobe, Vince, Carmelo, LeBron, Tracy. Josh is one of them.

4. Mark Teixeira, Rangers: He might switch places with the No. 2 man on the list if he was a Gold Glove third baseman (which he could be) instead of a Gold Glove first baseman. He slipped a little at the plate last year, although he recovered to have his second-best season in batting average and extra-base hits.

Give me a guy with an on-base percentage of .375 and a slugging percentage of .550 any time.

3. Tony Romo, Cowboys: I understand that Bill Parcells would not place him so high on this list. He might be the only guy in Dallas who wouldn't.

There is one main reason and one only that this team has gone 6-2 and looks completely different with so much more potential than the team that started 3-3. It is the Pro Bowl quarterback.

The possibility that the Cowboys have struck gold without spending a high first-round pick or boatloads of dollars on a free agent gives this team an opportunity to compete for years to come.

2. Michael Young, Rangers: I don't know what else he could do. He hasn't had fewer than 200 hits since 2002, he has missed seven games in four years and he enjoyed career highs in doubles (52) and RBIs (103) last season.

The All-Star Game MVP should see his power numbers increase in 2007 as a regular No. 3 hitter. As a shortstop, his chances have gone up each season while his errors have gone down.

1. Dirk Nowitzki, Mavericks: He has been third in the MVP voting each of the last two seasons. No other player in the area can come close to saying that. Questions about his ability to lead should have been answered in Game 7 at San Antonio last spring.

Nowitzki is still the best player on the local team that is closest to winning a championship. And without him, the Mavericks would be a seventh or eighth seed in the West, at best.

That's why he's the one player you hold your breath for when he's down on the ground. And that's why he tops this list.

[Murphy3]

I think I put Ware ahead of Howard. The Mavs would still have Dirk... they'd still be competing for the top spot in the West although they'd be more likely to finish around 4th without Howard... But without Ware, the Cowboys would have no pass rush whatsoever and would be lucky to make the playoffs.

[dude1394]

I never thought I'd see the day when Tim Cowlishaw showed so much more sports intelligence than Norm Hitzges. Oh well, times does it to all of us I'm afraid.

[jthig32]

Guess we need a new #11....

Also, there was very little to suggest that Tex would be a Gold Glove 3B when he was in the minors. I believe he was generally considered to be poor defensively at the position.

[Murphy3]

He wasn't considered to be as good as Blalock.... I'm not sure if he was considered to be a poor fielder, but that could have been the case.

[chumdawg]

Sorry, but it goes like this:

1) Dirk
2) Romo
3) Owens
4) Howard
5) Ware
6) Jones/Barber
7) Terry
8) Glenn
9) Williams
10) James
11) Adams
12) Young

[Flacolaco]

Originally Posted by chumdawg

Sorry, but it goes like this:

1) Dirk
2) Romo
3) Owens
4) Howard
5) Ware
6) Jones/Barber
7) Terry
8) Glenn
9) Williams
10) James
11) Adams
12) Young

Dallas Stars fans everywhere thank you for the slap in the face. Sorry, but Mike Modano is every bit a part of this town as every single "Ranger" put together. that's a fact.

get some perspective.

[Flacolaco]

in fact this pisses me off seriously.....

#1. Dirk
#2. Modano.

there's no way around it. No one has been the face of his franchise longer than Modano in this town. He's the only one still playing that has brought a championship to this town.

You can't argue this. it's impossible.

[chumdawg]

The question was who could Dallas not live without. Candidly, the Stars could fold up shop tomorrow and the great majority of the city would not even notice.

Sorry, but the Stars are no longer on the radar.

I appreciate your enthusiasm. But the Stars and the Rough Riders are on fairly equal footing.

[dirno2000]

No disrespect Flaco but Chum is right. If the question is who is most indispensable to his team then Modano is in the argument. But if you're going to factor in how much the general public would care if the team collapsed then I don't know how you put any stars on the list.

The only way any Mavs make the top 5 is because last years playoff run captivated the city.

[Flacolaco]

Thanks guys.

way to show an awareness of what's going on outside your particular sphere of influence.

[Flacolaco]

The only way any Mavs make the top 5 is because last years playoff run captivated the city.

or else they'd all be???

players from the awesome team that hasn't won a playoff game in 10 years?

[dirno2000]

Originally Posted by Flacolaco

or else they'd all be???

players from the awesome team that hasn't won a playoff game in 10 years?

...yea but they're the Cowboys.

[Flacolaco]

Originally Posted by dirno2000

...yea but they're the Cowboys.

then why don't we all agree to be biased then?

Im cool with that

the bottom line is, we all love some Mavs, right?

[dirno2000]

I don't think it's my bias speaking. They're a far more Cowboy fans in the metroplex than there are fans the other 3 major sports.

But yea, we're all on board with the Mavs.

[chumdawg]

Originally Posted by Flacolaco

Dallas Stars fans everywhere thank you for the slap in the face. Sorry, but Mike Modano is every bit a part of this town as every single "Ranger" put together. that's a fact.

get some perspective.

Newsflash to Flacolaco: It's not 1999 anymore.

[Murphy3]

Yep, the Mavs pulled in some major ratings last year in the playoffs. It's gone from the city not caring about the Mavericks to the city ALREADY getting apathetic to the regular season because they know that the Mavs are going to work their way to around 60 wins and fight for the top spot regardless..so why worry until the playoffs are here?

It's amazing how quickly the expectations changed. For that, you can thank Dirk, and that is why he's at the #1 spot.

[dude1394]

Originally Posted by chumdawg

Sorry, but it goes like this:

1) Dirk
2) Romo
3) Owens
4) Howard
5) Ware
6) Jones/Barber
7) Terry
8) Glenn
9) Williams
10) James
11) Adams
12) Young

I think you are probably correct as williams/james/adams/young I don't recognize. I checked out of baseball many years ago and hockey....only a hoser would like it.

[dude1394]

when you go out and about town just look at jerseys. It used to be all-cowboys all of the time. But honestly there are more interesting players on the mavs right now and those are the jersies I'm seeing.

[chumdawg]

Originally Posted by dude1394

I think you are probably correct as williams/james/adams/young I don't recognize. I checked out of baseball many years ago and hockey....only a hoser would like it.

Roy Williams, Flozell Adams, Mike Young. I should have put Devin Harris in place of either Roy or Flozell, or both.

[dirno2000]

I'd bump Roy for Devin. Losing a safety shouldn't kill your season. A left tackle is another story.

[chumdawg]

Right. I also had Bradie James in there. I was getting a little carried away with the defense.

Hey, if you can lose Greg Ellis and still survive (or...have we?), you can withstand Williams or James.

[Ninkobei]

dont forget about mr. Greg Ellis. the defense is only average without him.

[Flacolaco]

Originally Posted by Ninkobei

dont forget about mr. Greg Ellis. the defense is only average without him.

Im getting confused about the point of the discussion. Earlier people were making it out to be basically a popularity contest in Dallas, and now we're talking about who is most valuable to his team?

in that case give me

1. Dirk
2. Romo
3. Turco
.
.
.

[MavsX]

Watching Dirk Nowitzki collapse like a bunch of broccoli ??

what the hell does that mean?

[fluid.forty.one]

Mavsx has a good point

[Flacolaco]

Originally Posted by MavsX

Watching Dirk Nowitzki collapse like a bunch of broccoli ??

what the hell does that mean?

you know...how broccoli is always...um.... yeah what does that mean?

[fluid.forty.one]

How about Nash?

Oh wait... last years playoff run. Nevermind.