Playmaker Magazine May 2011 by Bradford Harrison

The Starting Lineup 11 Page 28

no Country for old men After a shocking firstround exit, what’s in store for the San Antonio Spurs as they face an uncertain future? By Adam Sweeney

SPEAKING FOR HERSELF Forward by Tiffany Cunningham Interview by Javi Perez When looking at the career of Jodie Foster, one gets the impression that she doesn’t seem to be afraid to explore the dark, emotional spaces within. She won her two Academy Awards for playing a rape survivor in The Accused and as Special Agent Clarice Starling in Silence of the Lamb. She gained early acclaim playing a streetwise teenager in Taxi Driver. And though she has done her share of light-hearted fare, viewers know her best for her roles that challenge the expectations and emotions of the audience. Now, after more than 15 years away from the director’s chair, she returns to chart the depths of a man – and a family – on the brink of implosion. Her two previous directing credits, Little Man Tate (1991) and Home for the Holidays (1995) both touch on issues of family, mental illness, and acceptance. Her previous directorial outings may have had touching, heart-warming endings, they both have elements of the dark drama that Foster now explores in her third directorial effort, The Beaver. Foster also stars along with Mel Gibson, who plays Walter Black, a man struggling with depression and is on a journey to re-discover his family and re-start his life. Foster spoke with Playmaker Magazine about the choices she has made in filmmaking, her audience expectations, and how she brought the emotional conflict the characters of The Beaver experience to the screen.

Playmaker Magazine: Who is the beaver in The Beaver? Jodie Foster: He’s someone who speaks at arm’s length, speaks in the third person and doesn’t describe Walter’s life in an emotional way. He describes it objectively. He’s the facts man. Little by little… we see the more objective sides of his life. The drama starts taking over as Walter starts having issues with the Beaver taking over his life. And then of course, it descends.

PM: Why was it important for you to play a woman who designs roller coasters for Asian theme parks instead of just a stay-at-home mom? JF: We were really looking for something that told us a lot about her and then told us also, in some ways, where the film was headed that

sPeAKinG for herself Jodie Foster talks about her new movie, The Beaver, and explains why she enjoys dark roles. By Javi Perez

would pay off at the end. I think there’s something about people that are up all night talking to Japan via computers that pretty much tells you they’re alienated and they’re having issues with themselves and they’re unable to connect. So we wanted something like that that was something you could do in the middle of the night that was via computer.

JF: I’ve had a really long career, 45 years in the film business. There’s all sorts of things I’ve done that I don’t really need to do anymore. I don’t need to pick things to make other people happy; I get to pick the things that make me happy. There are certain genres that I’m just not Page 9

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The Six Shooter

The Playmaker staff gives six bold thoughts on Texas Sports.

Out of Bounds with Brett Dennen The folk-pop musician discusses his new album, Loverboy.

14 Carson Smith, Magic Man

The Texas State ace talks fastballs, team unity, and the NBA.

PM: You said you had your eye on this script for a long time. Why did you pick this movie to direct?

Playmaker Magazine

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JODIE FOSTER ON HER RETURN TO THE DIRECTOR'S CHAIR

MAY 2011

true Grit After claiming victory in the first round of the NBA Playoffs, do the Mavericks have enough firepower to make it in the Wild West? By Bradford Harrison

22 Texas Time Machine

An ineXACt sCienCe

24 Settling the Score

What happens when two stars collide? We examine what would have happened if the Cowboys had drafted Randy Moss.

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AN INEXACT SCIENCE THE DALLAS PROJECT By Javi Perez Jerry Jones has been considered “mad” for a long time, but this year he finally had to take on the role of a mad scientist: creating life where there was none. Last season, he had people buzzing about the Dallas Cowboys hosting their return to the Super Bowl.

Instead, those chances were dead upon arrival as Dallas was 1-4 before Tony Romo was injured on Monday Night Football against the New York Giants and the season fell apart. Jason Garrett took over for Wade Phillips and was 5-3 to finish the season, but only two of those wins were against playoff teams and that didn’t cover up the fact that Dallas fell far short of expectations. While the physical traits are always the ones that crowds notice first when looking at the creation of a mad scientist, the scientist knows that it’s the brains that matter most in the monster. So let’s take a look at what Jerry Jones has put together in this draft. Tyron Smith, an offensive tackle from USC, was the team’s first pick at #9 overall. It wasn’t a splash, but it was solid and filled a need at the

So if Smith has the body, then the other offensive line picks definitely have the brains. While Missouri State offensive lineman David Arkin has some work to do when it comes to his technique, he’s shown the instinct, tenacity and leadership to be a successful player. Selected with the 13th pick of the 4th round, his work ethic has the team convinced that he will improve and make a contribution no matter where they decide to play him. Dallas’ last pick was a compensatory pick that they used to take Wisconsin center Bill Nagy. He’s a bit undersized at 6’3, but he helped the Badgers get all the way to the Rose Bowl. In 2010, Wisconsin finished the year 2nd in the Big 10 and 12th in the country in rushing yards per game while allowing only 14 sacks all year. The Dallas Cowboys went right to addressing their defensive needs in the 2nd round, but it wasn’t at corner or safety. They rolled the dice with North Carolina linebacker Bruce Carter, who might have been a top 10 pick if he hadn’t torn his ACL in November. If he heals well enough to get his speed back, it’ll be a brilliant move, but we might not know what he’ll bring to the table for another year, not because of the lockout, but because of his injury.

Cowboy fans that are OU alums.

Dallas only took one more defensive player in the draft. They used their 5th round pick on defensive back Josh Thomas from Buffalo. It’s a good selection. All Thomas is missing is the speed to be a starting corner. By all accounts, he’s got the physical traits and intangibles to contribute in the future. Finally, the Cowboys took one wide receiver: Dwayne Harris of East Carolina in the 6th round. Sure, you’ve never heard of him. But ask yourself this: Did you know who Miles Austin before Dallas signed him? Give Dallas a C+ in this draft for now, but it could go either way over the next couple of years. They could look back on this draft as an A or F depending on how their risks in Carter and Murray pan out. But that’s the nature of being a mad scientist. There’s a fine line between brilliance and madness.

The pick of Oklahoma running back DeMarco Murray is questionable, considering Dallas’ ‘backs like Tashard Choice (below).

The Dallas Cowboys and Houston Texans failed chemistry class in 2010. What did the 2011 NFL Draft do to improve their formulas? By Adam Sweeney and Bradford Harrison

We recap FC Dallas’ win over the 2010 MLS cup champ Colorado Rapids.

That kind of risk should have been followed up by another defensive pick in the 3rd round, but instead Dallas made their only seriously questionable move by selecting Oklahoma running back DeMarco Murray. While many Big 12 fans saw Murray tear up the field with the Sooners, it was a surprise to see Dallas take him. His strengths are his speed and pass-catching ability, but the Cowboys already have two young, quick backs that can catch the ball in Felix Jones and Tashard Choice. A bigger back with some power might have been a better route to take later in the draft, but Dallas missed out on that chance too and took Georgia’s Shaun Chapas in the 7th. Taking Murray in the 3rd round must seem like a strange move even to the

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Letter from the Editor Change is inevitable. That sentiment is particularly true in the forum of sports. In recognition of the shifting undercurrent of sports in Texas, we present to you the May issue of Playmaker Magazine. At the end of April, Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks were the team most expected to be usurped by a lower-seeded playoff opponent. Helped by Jason Terry and a posse primed to earn respect, “The Big Nowitzki” pushed the Portland Trail Blazers out of the first round. Our feature story highlights the only Texas team left in the playoffs as the Mavericks attempt to prove they can make it to the last stand of NBA supremacy. Meanwhile, the dynasty of the San Antonio Spurs appears to be crumbling after losing to the eighth-seeded Memphis Grizzlies in one of the Playmaker Magazine Editor-in-Chief Adam Sweeney greatest upsets in NBA history. We explore what throws out the first pitch on Easter Sunday at Dell Diawent wrong in the Spurs’ 2011 playoff run and dismond in Round Rock, Texas. cuss how they can keep their dynasty intact. We make sure to pay respect to the king of Texas sports, football, in our NFL draft recap. The Houston Texans and Dallas Cowboys did a ton to shake the perceptions of their teams. Just how far will the acquisitions of players like Wisconsin defensive end J.J. Watt and USC offensive tackle Tyron Smith go to improving both teams? The Playmaker staff debates. As if that wasn’t enough, we give some love to Major League Soccer’s FC Dallas in their effort to return to the MLS Cup with a recap of their April duel with the 2010 MLS champion Colorado Rapids.

Publishers Adam Sweeney and Bradford Harrison Editor-in-Chief Adam Sweeney Staff Editor Bradford Harrison Art Director Tiffany Cunningham Story Contributors Adam Sweeney | Javi Perez | Bradford Harrison James Bolton | Tiffany Cunningham Photo Contributors Adam Sweeney | Bradford Harrison | James Bolton | Keith Allison | Ken Regan | David Stluka – Wisconsin Athletic Communications | Reid Rolls | Ben Moon | Texas State Athletics | University of Texas Athletics | Shotgun Spratling/Neon Tommy Copyright 2011 Playmaker Magazine, LLC. All rights reserved. Playmaker Magazine is published monthly. Views expressed in Playmaker Magazine are not necessarily the opinion of Playmaker Magazine, its staff, or its advertisers. Playmaker Magazine does not knowingly accept false or misleading editorial content or advertising, nor is Playmaker Magazine responsible for the content or claims of any advertising or editorial in this publication. No content (articles, photographs, graphics) in Playmaker Magazine may be used for reproduction from the publisher. Playmaker Magazine is available free of charge.

And in accordance with the changing dynamic of Texas sports, we do some shape-shifting of our own as we continue to place more emphasis on the world of pop culture in the magazine. We go “Out of Bounds” with folk-pop singer Brett Dennen and interview the legendary actress Jodie Foster in anticipation of her directorial effort, The Beaver. Thanks for checking out the May issue of Playmaker Magazine. As Dean Acheson said, “Always remember that the future comes one day at a time.” In this case, it’s come one issue at a time.

Adam Sweeney Editor-in-Chief

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eVery month the stAff At PlAymAKer mAGAZine fires off siX bold thouGhts About the Current

1 TEXAS TRIO HEADED TO DRAFT There’s a exodus to the NBA among Longhorn basketball players. At the end of April, Tristan Thompson, Jordan Hamilton, and Cory Joseph all declared for the NBA Draft. None of the three are projected as can’t-miss picks, but their stock is up because many of the NCAA’s top underclassmen have announced that they’re staying in college. The Texas trio would certainly question their decision if the NBA goes through major changes when the new collective bargaining agreement expires next month. A shortened season, a hard salary cap, and restrictions on contract length could mean that first-year players are paid even less than they are under the current rookie cap. While the Longhorns failed to advance past opening weekend in the NCAA Tourney, the team showed promise when Thompson played well offensively and Hamilton got his teammates involved. Now Texas will have to start from scratch again while all three Texas players try to reach a potential that they never showed consistently in Austin.

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2 STILSON NAVIGATES A & M THROUGH BIG 12 As much attention as Taylor Jungmann has gotten at Texas, Texas A&M’s John Stilson has been as impressive in conference play, if not more so. Stilson has been terrific in helping the Aggies hang with the Longhorns for the top spot in the Big 12. Last season, he threw for a ridiculous .80 ERA with 114 strikeouts over 79 innings and 33 appearances out of the bullpen. He’s been just as impressive as a starter this year, but hasn’t always had the run support to pile up the wins. A&M has won the Big 12 Conference Tournament twice since 2007 and has qualified for the NCAA Tournament each of the last four years and yet hasn’t made the College World Series since 1999. After the women’s basketball team won the national championship, it could be an epic summer in College Station.

teXAs.

Photo by Adam Sweeney

Photo by Bradford Harrison

Photo courtesy University of Texas Athletics

stAte of sPorts in

3 UT STOCKED WITH PITCHING ACES

Meanwhile, the Longhorns are going to make sure that everything is on the line when the Lone Star Showdown commences at the end of this month as Texas and Texas A&M play the final series of the regular season. Taylor Jungmann is still on fire. Through six starts, he was 5-0 with a 1.17 ERA and a strikeout rate of more than eight per nine innings. But there’s one Texas pitcher that’s played surprisingly well, and it’s Longhorn reliever Corey Knebel. The freshman from Georgetown had a 0.50 ERA through 11 appearances this season with 15 strikeouts and only one run allowed in 18 innings. Texas ranks among the middle of the pack in Big 12 play when it comes to overall team offense. If this team wants to make it back to the College World Series, then they’re going to have to start putting more runs on the board, because that is the reason that they’ve come up short of expectations the past two years.

4 WHAT IS ADELMAN’S LEGACY? All Rick Adelman did as the head coach of the Houston Rockets was win a playoff series for the Rockets for the first time in over a decade, taking the eventual NBA champ, the LA Lakers, to seven games in the 2nd round before being eliminated, then lead a team to the brink of the playoffs when everyone thought they’d be fighting for the #1 pick in the final year of his contract. So why do the Rockets think that it’s time to go in a different direction? It doesn’t seem to make sense. For a team that isn’t drawing a lot of buzz to attract big time free agents or coaches, Adelman did GM Daryl Morey a big favor by turning a bunch of “trade chips” into a cohesive team that won big games and challenged for the playoffs until the last days of the season. Hopefully Houston doesn’t look back and realize that this was the wrong decision.

5 YOUNG SENDS

6 ASTROS MAY

MESSAGE TO CRITICS

SURPRISE THIS SEASON

Michael Young is sure making the Texas Rangers management look silly with the team’s contract talks by carrying the Texas offense. He’s been especially important since Josh Hamilton went down with a broken bone in his arm. Last year’s ALCS MVP isn’t expected to come back until mid to late June. So the franchise might want to stay on Young’s good side. They don’t need him distracted while he’s among the American League leaders in average and hits. Right after the Hamilton injury, the Rangers didn’t play well. After getting off to the hottest start in the majors, they slipped. Mitch Moreland and Adrian Beltre are going to have to take on roles as offensive leaders to help Young in a way that they didn’t think they’d have to because of Hamilton’s absence. The Rangers are going to have to go into “retro” mode and start piling up the runs to take the pressure off the bullpen, which is where their initial success began before they became American League champs.

Brandon Lyon of the Houston Astros couldn’t have gotten off to a worse start in 20114. In his first appearance of the season, in the opener against the Philadelphia Phillies, Houston was up by one run. Lyon proceeded to give up six hits and only got one out in blowing the save and taking the loss. But he’s bounced back in a big way. In his next eight innings of work, Lyon gave up just one run and two walks, while recording four saves and one win. As for the offense, the Houston Astros are hitting surprisingly well. They’re among the national league leaders in runs scored and hits. Despite their troubles, the Astros are in the early hunt in the division because the rest of the teams have struggled to put together any winning streaks. At one point, the top four National League Central teams were at 9-9. So the path for Houston to pull a stunner and reach the playoffs may be easier than initially thought.

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RETURNING HOME Former Texas Longhorn and current Portland Trail Blazer star LaMarcus Aldridge warms up before Game 5 of their playoff series against the Dallas Mavericks. Photo by Adam Sweeney

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Out of Bounds with Brett Dennen By Adam Sweeney

In an industry increasingly filled with artists who cover up musical deficiencies with autotune and songs that forfeit a message in favor of appealing to the lowest common denominator, folk-pop musician Brett Dennen is a breath of fresh air.

Initially growing interest as a performer by playing songs when he was a summer camp counselor, Dennen’s a natural talent on his way up. His desire to bring meaning to his already infectious melodies sets him apart. Equally comfortable writing a song about the American government’s current foreign policy as he is serenading in a song about winning a girl’s heart, Dennen should be getting heavy rotation in your iPod if he isn’t already. The California based musician has already jumped on the radar by touring with artists such as John Mayer, Ben Folds and Rodrigo y Gabriela, and gained critical acclaim with albums such as Hope for the Hopeless. With his new album Loverboy, a lighter shift from his more serious songwriting nature, Dennen has proven he is ready to be the headliner. We went Out of Bounds with Dennen to talk about his new

album, his growth as a performer and what band he would dream of pairing up with.

You can check out Dennen when he comes to Austin for a show at La Zona Rosa on May 6th. Playmaker Magazine: Your new album, Loverboy, was inspired by your time on the road. For people who don’t know, explain the difference in emotions between playing live and recording an album in the studio. Brett Dennen: Yeah, Ben Harper articulated it very well with his album Lifeline. We [artists] have it backwards. We make an album and then we go tour. We tour for a year or a month, or maybe even ten years. We play the same song every night or almost all the same songs. As time goes on, you learn more and more about the songs, what the songs really mean. The words become fine tuned and then when it’s over you make another album. Ben Harper did it the opposite way, which is what I think a lot of artists wish they could do. You would

ideally write a lot of songs while you’re on tour and then make the album, but that’s not usually the way it works. But with Loverboy, for me, the inspiration and ideas came while touring for the album Hope for the Hopeless. I just knew that I wanted to write songs that were driven and upbeat. They could get the crowd going and get me going. The album would be more upbeat than my previous albums. What I wanted with Loverboy was to have songs that people could sing along to. That’s why the hooks are more catchy than the last album, the rhythm of the songs are more something that people can move to. PM: Do you feel like that was directly inspired by your connection to the crowds you played for while you were on the road? BD: Exactly. The songs from my other albums, I love them and I wouldn’t change them for anything. They’re heartfelt but they’re also very serious, not in a bad way, but they’re very direct and from the heart. I’m not saying Loverboy isn’t straight from the heart but it’s a little more playful. It has a little feel where anything goes. I think we accomplished that, including the band who recorded with me, we made an album where we could say, ‘Wow. This is the album we wanted. It has a bit more drive and playfulness to it.’ PM: That shows. At the beginning of “Queen of the Westside”, there is a bit of an instrumental

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groove and you can feel that you’re enjoying the process. It should translate well in a live show. BD: Yeah, we definitely did that at the beginning of that song, but we also created a lot of space in the song to let it go in different directions when we go on the road. PM: We’re looking forward to seeing it. Do you feel a bit more liberated on Loverboy with your continued growth in confidence with your singing? BD: I do, especially when it comes to songwriting. I used to feel like I really had to craft the hell out of a song, but with this album I tried to let the songs be what they are and let the magic come through on its own. The process of recording the album was very liberating. I didn’t even think about it at the time. I was just so wrapped up in having fun. It’s like everything in life. If you’re having fun doing it, you don’t really think about the process that’s occurring while you do. PM: True You’re going to be coming to La Zona Rosa in Austin and just played at SXSW. What’s your impression of the town? BD: I love Austin. I have friends that live there and friends I made while playing there. That makes it feel like home to me. Obviously, music and Austin are synonymous. I love people in Austin. People are more relaxed. I think that people in the town have a great relationship with music. It’s a part of their everyday lives. It’s not like that everywhere. People there, especially at live shows, are great. It’s the live music capital of the world for a reason. They have an appreciation of live performances and that always makes it a bit more special. Then we can get into the food, the bars, the fashion and art. There are so many great things going on and the town is just reeling with inspiration. PM: Speaking of passions outside of music, what is the last book you read? BD: The last book I read was The Pat Tillman Story, about the football player. PM: Right, the Arizona Cardinals safety who became a U.S. soldier, tragically losing his life. BD: Yeah, did you read that? PM: Not yet. I have seen a documentary about him. He’s an inspiring figure. BD: It’s incredible. I had been wanting to read it because I am a huge fan of Jon Krakauer’s work. A good friend of mine said, ‘This is the one time I read a book about a person that I wish I could have been friends with. I wish I had been friends with this guy.’ When I read it I felt the same way. Of course, the book is about more than just one guy. Krakauer does a great job of starting the story as something very specific and then brings all the other elements in the world that are coming into play. It’s very metaphorical. I loved it. PM: His story crossed genres and it’s inspiring to see someone who would give up fame and fortune for something they believed in. You’ve done collaborations with artists like Natalie Merchant. Who would be the dream artist or band you would love to have a collaboration with? BD: I would love to collaborate with The Dixie Chicks. They’re all such beautiful singers and musicians. America and the world loves them. They write songs and play in a way that everybody likes. Everybody loves a Dixie Chicks song. You can’t deny it. They speak to America and their harmonies are crazy good. Their songs are so heartfelt. Maybe I could write a song for them, do one with them or even just open up for them. I would love to be a part of that. PM Playmaker Magazine

Performing live in austin at La Zona Rosa on May 6th buy The album Loverboy in stores and online now.

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Defense wins championships. No team knows this better than the San Antonio Spurs, who built a dynasty which included four championships, around it. Many NBA fans have complained about the team, claiming they were the most boring legacy the NBA had ever seen and that they were filled with dirty players like Bruce Bowen who got away endlessly with cheap-shot methods of play. Still, what any NBA enthusiast can’t deny is this; through a shrewd draft strategy which embraced the fluid and efficient style of international play, the San Antonio Spurs created the blueprint for championship basketball in the 2000’s. Here’s a sad update for fans of the San Antonio organization. The days of the Spurs’ title runs are so one decade ago. Allow us to put it into perspective. The last time the San Antonio Spurs won an NBA title, Myspace was still cool. While the team has continued to make it into the playoffs since their 2007 championship win over the Cleveland Cavaliers, which they deserve recognition for, they have fallen back to the pack as other teams continue to add pieces in an NBA arms race. The Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics grew stronger with veterans like Pau Gasol, Ron Artest, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen. In the East, the Chicago Bulls are building a team around Derrick Rose and the Miami Heat are gaining momentum with their super-team of Dwyane Wade, LeBron James and Chris Bosh. The Spurs? They’ve decided to stand pat, relying too heavily on the trio of Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili as their skills inevitably decline. In their defense, injuries have played a factor in knocking them off their throne but every team must deal with that variable to some degree. After a defeat to the rival Phoenix Suns in the second round of the playoffs last year, expectations were tempered in San Antonio going into this season. That lasted for all of one or two games as the team employed an altered team philosophy, focused more on offensive efficiency and three-point shooting and less on defensive stops, to get out to a 29-4 start. The expectations became unrealistic and there was talk that they could even beat the 1995-1996 Chicago Bulls’ regular season record of 72 wins on way to a championship (An absolutely absurd notion in hindsight). Rewarded with a No. 1 seed in the Western Conference, the Spurs looked ready to make a run to add a ring to their thumb. So how did the Spurs end up falling on their faces in the first round against Memphis? They were ultimately beaten at their own game. While the Spurs resembled a team in 2011 that was shaped more like the Mike D’Antoni version of the Phoenix Suns of the past, built for the regular season without Page 12

realizing that playoff basketball is won inside the paint, the Memphis Grizzlies’ squad was built more in the fashion of the Spurs’ title teams. They were younger, bigger and more athletic, playing ferociously at both ends. From the start of the series, it was clear that Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol had a clear advantage over Tim Duncan and Antonio McDyess. Statistics illuminate this fact. Duncan and McDyess averaged only 18 points per game combined with an average of 4 free throw attempts a game. Compare that to Randolph and Gasol’s combined 39 points and 12 free throw attempts per game, and it’s pretty clear why the Grizzlies won the series. It’s no knock on the two former All-Stars, Duncan in particular, but their time has passed when it comes to being able to carry a team to a title. Even with an offense that possessed an impressive trio of Duncan, Manu and Parker, the Spurs were dominated overall in almost every game of the series. It seems crazy to think that a 61-win team has to go back to the drawing board but that’s the predicament the Spurs are in heading into next season. They can’t rely on Duncan to be the centerpiece of their franchise anymore and there is a glaring hole in their interior defense. Even in an ideal situation where Tiago Splitter and DeJuan Blair realize their entire potential in replacing McDyess at center (who is set to retire.), both players are undersized; Splitter in weight (He’s not exactly imposing at 6-foot-11, 245 lbs.) and Blair in height (Who is generously listed at 6-foot-7 and somehow played his way out of head coach Gregg Popovich’s main rotation, in spite of being a player who brings great energy.).

“The last time the San Antonio Spurs won an NBA title, Myspace was still cool.”

The Spurs are at a crossroads with a difficult dilemma on their hands. Do they keep their current team together in hopes of one more valiant push to the title? They may have to, as Tony Parker is locked into a long-term contract that pays him $13 million dollars a year, Ginobili will turn 34 in July and gets almost $12 million a year and Duncan, 35, will get nearly $19 million for the remaining year on his contract, when it’s assumed he will retire. If they go down that road, George Hill will have to continue to take on some of the scoring load, which he has thrived at when Manu Ginobili went out this season with injuries. Still, even if they get help from players like James Anderson and strike gold in the NBA Draft (Which is how they’ve built their entire team nucleus), it’s unlikely the team will win a title in 2012 this way. Another option for the Spurs is to begin preparing for the future now. An example would involve the team freeing up cap space by pulling off a threewww.playmakeronline.com

“Even in an ideal situation where Tiago Splitter and DeJuan Blair realize their entire potential in replacing McDyess at center, both players are undersized: Splitter in weight... and Blair in height.” way trade with Tony Parker going to the New York Knicks for a second- round draft pick (Knicks head coach Mike D’Antoni would probably love to have a speedy distributor to pair with Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire, though the coach may not stay with the team for much longer.). With the freed up cap space, the Spurs could then pair up that draft pick with DeJuan Blair and James Andersen and trade the package for center Chris Kaman from the Los Angeles Clippers, who makes nearly the same amount of money as Parker.) George Hill would take the reins from Parker and you make one more playoff push with an improved interior scoring option. At Playmaker Magazine

worst, the Spurs lose early in the playoffs, which they did already this season, and you drop Kaman and Duncan to clear up nearly $31 million dollars in cap room and start anew. The fact is the team is going to have to rebuild one way or the other. It all depends on how they want to do it. The San Antonio Spurs have enjoyed a spectacular run filled with championship dreams over the last twelve seasons, but it’s time to come back to reality. There’s no country for old men in this new era of the NBA and the Spurs, ideally sooner than later, must come to terms with that truth. PM Page 13

By Bradford Harrison When pitching for a team that is currently tied for the top spot of the Southland Conference, Carson Smith stays focused. This 6-5, 215 lb righthanded pitcher from Midland, Texas, has an array of impressive stats – in his first season with Texas State, he he appeared in 24 games (13 starts) and went 10-4, including 3 saves with a 3.10 ERA in a team high 104.2 innings pitched. He ended up striking out 94 batters, with his most impressive stat being six complete games. Playmaker Magazine sat down with Smith to talk about what motivates him, his his favorite pitch, and his pick for the top team in the NBA.

Playmaker Magazine: What are three words you would use to describe your game? Carson Smith: Competitive. Growing up, everything I did was competitive; with older brothers I did everything I could to win, always try to win. Focused: You always have to have focus, to not get out of your game, make sure you stay within yourself, not matter who is in the box or who you are playing. Stay focused and do your best. [And] dedication. You have to dedicate yourself and do the best that you can, and do the maximum to your potential.

PM: You had a breakout year last season. After that great season, what changes have you noticed with your game and about your teammates as you have gone through this year? CS: Last year I felt like we were a good team, and we knew that. I don’t think we had the potential that this team does. I feel like this year we have Page 14

the chance to do big things, go far, and fulfill those goals.

PM: What would you say the best pitch in your arsenal is? CS: Man, I would have to say my fastball. I like all the off-speed, and I get enough flak for throwing more than I should. I also like my slider. It’s my go-to pitch at the end of a game, and on an 0-2 count. As for speed, the highest I have ever heard is 97 [miles per hour]. This year it’s been 95 to 96. My average is about 92.

PM: What makes you a playmaker? CS: What makes you a playmaker is doing your best every day out on that field, and going after every batter with the best stuff you have got. PM

PM: Who in Major League Baseball would you like to reflect your game after? CS: Comparing is always tough. Cliff Lee’s mentality is one aspect. He’s one of the best in the game. He’s always tough. He’s always ready for any moment. Nothing surprises him, and he does a great job in the middle game. Roy Halladay is a great pitcher and does great stuff. That’s what I’d like to be going forward.

PM: We know you have an All-District basketball background from high school. Are you an NBA Fan? If so, who is your pick to win the [NBA] Finals? CS: I like the Dallas Mavericks. I don’t think they are going to win [the NBA Championship title] but I have to stick with them, they are my team. I think the [Chicago] Bulls are going to win it this year out of the Eastern [Conference].

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Speaki n g for herself Jodie Foster on her return to the director s Chair '

Forward by Tiffany Cunningham Interview by Javi Perez When looking at the career of Jodie Foster, one gets the impression that she doesn’t seem to be afraid to explore the dark, emotional spaces within. She won her two Academy Awards for playing a rape survivor in The Accused and as Special Agent Clarice Starling in Silence of the Lambs. She gained early acclaim playing a streetwise teenager in Taxi Driver. And though she has done her share of light-hearted fare, viewers know her best for her roles that challenge the expectations and emotions of the audience. Now, after more than 15 years away from the director’s chair, she returns to chart the depths of a man – and a family – on the brink of implosion. Her two previous directing credits, Little Man Tate (1991) and Home for the Holidays (1995) both touch on issues of family, mental illness, and acceptance. Her previous directorial outings may have had touching, heart-warming endings, but they both have elements of the dark drama that Foster now explores in her third directorial effort, The Beaver. Foster also stars along with Mel Gibson, who plays Walter Black, a man struggling with depression and is on a journey to rediscover his family and restart his life. Foster spoke with Playmaker Magazine about the choices she has made in filmmaking, her audience expectations, and how she brought the emotional conflict the characters of The Beaver experience to the screen. Playmaker Magazine: Who is the beaver in The Beaver? Jodie Foster: He’s someone who speaks at arm’s length, speaks in the third person and doesn’t describe Walter’s life in an emotional way. He describes it objectively. He’s the facts man. Little by little… we see the more objective sides of his life. The drama starts taking over as Walter starts having issues with the Beaver taking over his life. And then of course, it descends.

PM: You said you had your eye on this script for a long time. Why did you pick this movie to direct? JF: I’ve had a really long career, 45 years in the film business. There’s all sorts of things I’ve done that I don’t really need to do anymore. I don’t need to pick things to make other people happy; I get to pick the things that make me happy. There are certain genres that I’m just not interested in. I don’t even mind seeing them; I just don’t want to do www.playmakeronline.com

them. So I do dark dramas. I like dark dramas. I don’t have this big, bad need to be in romantic comedies.

PM: What kind of audience did you make this movie for? JF: A film like this is not a mainstream movie. There will be lots of people that don’t like the film and will be disquieted by having there be some lightness and drama in the same film. I think there are lots of audiences that just don’t like that. I do think that it has a bit more of a European feeling to it. The music is European, the way it’s shot is European, there’s formality to it. Even though it’s an impassioned film that talks about mental illness and suffering and all of that, it has a very intellectual approach. And there’s lot of people that don’t like that. That’s what’s so nice about making an independent movie that is allowed to talk in a different way. It doesn’t have to appeal to every single person on the planet.

PM: Do you think this movie will start a trend in psychology of having adults use puppets to deal with their problems? JF: This is not an accepted methodology, I can tell you that. It’s a fable, but not so far off. Children, they use puppets all the time. For anybody under 10 years old, almost the number one way of treatment for young children to try and get them to talk about themselves is to separate them out into a secondary character and get them to talk to the character. For adults, I don’t know. Maybe this’ll be the new therapy. I think the idea was, if you want to live, you do whatever it takes. If it’s a funny red nose, if it’s walking backwards, you do whatever it takes when you want to live. And the character in the movie felt like he had two choices: he had a life sentence and a death sentence. Somewhere in between he found this way of fabricating this personality and being able to use this puppet as a survival tool. PM Playmaker Magazine

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FRIENDLY COMPETITION The Texas Rangersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Michael Young jokes around with Round Rock Express Third Baseman Chris Davis during an exhibition game between the two teams. Photo by Adam Sweeney

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The Sheriff If one were to assemble a posse to track down playoff foes, whom would it be composed of? You would probably want a leader, a longtime sheriff who could hit any shot on the court, and when the game was on the line, could put a team on his shoulders and score at will. That sheriff would be Dirk Nowitzki. Despite exceptional numbers in the postseason, his teams have fallen short of a championship, and as the face of the franchise he will always shoulder some of that blame; he is a hero who can catch the entire gang of small town crooks, but their mastermind always gets away in the end. Ask the team about their harrowing collapse in the 2006 NBA Finals to the Miami Heat, or the stunning shocker the Golden State Warriors pulled off against them in the first round of the playoffs a year later. Nowitzki was great in the Mavericks’ first playoff rodeo of this season against the Portland Trailblazers. He averaged 27.3 points and 7.8 rebounds on 45 percent shooting, and scored in double digits in three of the team’s four playoff wins in the fourth quarter. Always dubbed as a great team player, the Big Nowitzki has seemed this postseason to begin to demand the ball more in an attempt to take over games. He is even attacking the low post more to take advantage of his long reach and accurate, if unique, jump shot.

By Bradford Harrison

There is an old saying here in Texas that no one can escape his or her past. That, in the end, a person is judged by their actions alone. To be able to rise above such heartache and hopelessness in the National Basketball Association playoffs, players and teams must take their own determination and willpower to the next level. This is no truer than for the Dallas Mavericks, the last team from Texas still standing in this wild, and sometimes rough and tumble, postseason. For Dallas to exercise the demons of their past, they must possess the truest of grit. Page 20

ability where would the Mavericks be? Terry’has averaged over fifteen points a game off the bench for Dallas for the last half-decade. In the Portland series, the former Sixth Man of the Year averaged nearly nineteen points a game, and in the last three games of that series it was over twenty-one. To corral the Lakers, Terry will have to continue draining shots with unnerving accuracy (He has shot nearly 49% in this year’s playoffs) as well as trying to match some of the offensive output of L.A.’s grand assassin and legendary man in black, Kobe Bryant. Nowitzki has stated that Terry is the team’s closer, and he will have to continue to be the coolest shooting customer on the court to weather the cyclone that is the Black Mamba when he comes to town.

The Enforcer One colorful character that the Mavs didn’t have on their last trail ride was a tough as nails big man, a giant enforcer that holds down the paint with ferocious tenacity and guile. Dallas needed a man that was the definition of defense. Luckily, Dallas drew a straight flush when they signed center Tyson Chandler in the off-season. Chandler wasn’t always such a steal. He had been a down on his luck gambler in the Association for the past few years, enduring injuries with the New Orleans Hornets and declining in production due to anonymity with the Charlotte Bobcats. A successful foreign tour with the USA National Team in the World Champi-

Dirk will need to walk a delicate tightrope when he faces the lords of the Wild West, Dallas’ Western Conference Semi-finals foe, the Los Angeles Lakers. He will have to know when to help his teammates out, and when to take the game into his own hands. Like any true leader, Dirk’s success in this postseason will be predicated on his decision making and his ability to rally the team in the darkest of hours.

The Point Man Any good outfit also needs a quality point man, a dependable second option that can go out at any time to make jump shots and three-pointers with startling consistency. Without Jason Terry’s incredible dependwww.playmakeronline.com

onships last summer seemed to rejuvenate the big guy, and today he is the glue of the Dallas D.

as well as going 9-16 from behind the arc.

Chandler is one of the few Mavs who has seen his scoring production decline in the team’s firstround playoff series (his rebounding numbers have remained intact), mostly due to foul trouble (His scoring is down almost four points from his regular season average.) Chandler’s passion is a double-edged sword. It is useful to lift the team’s spirit, but can also sideline him as he picks up careless fouls. Dallas will, without a doubt, depend on his low post play as they face a trio of tall rogues in the deep L.A front court: Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum, and Lamar Odom.

Kidd will also look to distribute the ball effectively. Can Kidd’s assist numbers stay high? The answer to that will go a long way to determining the series. If Kidd can have more outings like Game Five against Portland, where he handed out fourteen assists, the Mavericks will have a puncher’s chance against the defending world champs.

The Marksman

All great teams sometimes need to call in the cavalry. Dallas’ backup is primarily led by two men, wildly different in approach and demeanor, but equally needed to provide game changing moments. One is Peja Stojakovic. The bombardier from long range, Stojakovic is second on the team in three-point percentage and three-pointers attempted. Efforts like his twenty-one points in Game Two against the Blazers will undoubtedly be needed again. The other man is 6-9 forward, starter Shawn Marion. His versatile bag of tricks, whether it is scoring or rebounding, will be needed in the clutch. Marion will also be guarding Kobe Bryant, at least some of the time. Can the very experienced vet help shut down one of the top ten players of all time? Marion must use his unique

Finally, every gang needs a wily veteran cowhand, an improved long-range sniper and assist man who has seen everything across countless shootouts in the wasteland of the NBA playoffs. At 38 years old, Dallas point guard Jason Kidd is a mere few seasons from riding off into the sunset, but so far, if this is to be one of his last playoff performances, it’s been one heck of a show. Paring down his consistently excellent assist numbers, he has raised his scoring average by four points in these playoffs. He has proven to be deadly from long range in the first round as he averaged twenty-one points in the first two games of the Portland series Playmaker Magazine

The Cavalry

energy to confound the Lakers at every turn. It’s written that no one can foresee his or her destiny. The destiny of the Dallas Mavericks this season is unknown as of this writing. Dallas can certainly take heart in the fact that they have made it past the first round of the playoffs for only the second time in five years. They can also claim bragging rights to being the only team from Texas left in the playoffs. In the end, however, local bragging rights fail to impress on a national stage. The Mavericks are well aware of this. Eleven consecutive seasons of fifty-plus wins with no championship banners to show for your work imparts a certain clarity of understanding. As this Dallas posse rides into an uncertain and stormy series with the NBA’s top dog, moments and players will arise to fulfill a season’s destiny. Only then will we will we know the extent of the Mavericks’ true grit. PM

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what if randy moss had been drafted by the cowboys? By Adam Sweeney and Bradford Harrison The 2011 NFL Draft has come and gone, with the Dallas Cowboys using their first round pick on a relatively safe player, USC offensive tackle Tyron Smith. That wasn’t the case last year, as Cowboys owner Jerry Jones gave the thumbs up on picking Oklahoma State wide receiver Dez Bryant, a supreme talent with some baggage. The pick fit with the notion that Jones has been living with the regret of not choosing future Hall of Famer Randy Moss with the 8th pick in the 1998 NFL Draft, choosing instead to go with defensive end Greg Ellis. But what if the Cowboys had picked Moss? Randy Moss has been such a polarizing figure in pro football that we had to jump in the Texas Time Machine TWICE to handle all the potential storylines that would have happened if the All-Pro wide receiver ended up with America’s Team. Buckle up, Playmakers, it’s going to be a wild ride.

Timeline #1: moss saves cowboys from mediocrity Draft day. April 18th, 1998. With the eighth pick in the draft the Dallas Cowboys select Marshall wide receiver Randy Moss. Earlier that year, Michael Irvin met with GM Jerry Jones and convinced him of the need to draft Randy Moss, as he was a “once in a generation talent” (mirroring a phone call in reality from Irvin to Moss apologizing for the team not drafting him.) Moss goes on to revitalize an aging franchise led by Irvin, quarterback Troy Aikman, and running back Emmitt Smith. Moss catches a rookie record seventeen touchdown passes in 1998 (just like in our timeline) from Troy Aikman and future Cowboys’ head coach Jason Garret, filling in early in the season for an injured Aikman. With Moss on the field, Dallas wins three more games then they would have (beating a Moss-less Minnesota, and winning close games with the Chicago Bears and the Oakland Raiders) finishing with a 13-3 record, good for a second seed on the NFC side of the NFL Playoffs. The ‘Boys crush the rival San Francisco 49ers in the divisional playoffs, and upset the number one seeded Atlanta Falcons in the NFC title game (Ironic, since Atlanta upset the number one seeded Vikings and Moss in our reality) The Cowboys would lose to the eventual champions that year, the Denver Broncos, but the inevitable slide towards mediocrity doesn’t occur. Moss’ arrival shakes up the trade history of the Cowboys significantly. The loss of Irvin to retirement in our timeline would lead Jerry Jones to

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trade the team’s first round picks in the 2000 and 2001 drafts to the Seattle Seahawks for wide receiver Joey Galloway, who promptly blew out his ACL in his first game with the team. With Moss anchoring Dallas’ receiving corps, there would be no need for this trade. In 2000, Troy Aikman is released by the team. In a stunning moment of clarity by Jerry Jones, with 180th pick of the 2000 NFL Draft, the Cowboys pick an unheralded quarterback prospect out of Michigan named Tom Brady.

randy moss leads cowboys to super Bowl as rookie. moss and Tom Brady come together in dallas. moss retires as greatest cowboys receiver ever.

Brady and Moss (coming together a full seven seasons earlier than in reality) form a new set of “triplets” with running back Shaun Alexander (who was originally picked 19th by the Seattle Seahawks in the 2000 draft) and go on to have many productive seasons together, including two Super Bowl titles. This success cements Jerry Jones as the undisputed draft guru of the NFL, much to the chagrin of Mel Kiper Jr.

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Randy Moss spends the entirety of his career with the Dallas Cowboys, and becomes the greatest receiver in Cowboys’ franchise history. Moss retires to the Texas Hill Country and only steps back into the public eye when he occasionally appears with country legend Willie Nelson on an anti-drug abuse TV commercial campaign.

Timeline #2: Once bitten by Moss, Cowboys are twice shy Eager to make amends for their floundering 1997-1998 performance, owner Jerry Jones decides to put a little sizzle on the Cowboys’ steak and chooses the freakishly gifted Randy Moss out of Marshall. (In reality, Moss played with a chip on his shoulder the size of Texas after being passed up by teams like Dallas, the highlight of that coming in the Nov. 26th Thanksgiving Day game against the Cowboys where he had 163 yards and 3 touchdowns. Moss ended up as one of the top five wide receivers in NFL history.) That’s not where our story’s headed. Without the factors of extra motivation triggered by the Cowboys’ “disrespect” and the mentorship of potential Hall of Fame receiver Cris Carter, who took Moss under his wing in Minnesota and helped shape him into the Rookie of the Year, the Cowboys’ worst fears come to fruition. Moss refuses to focus his efforts on the field, instead forming a friendship with Michael Irvin, who was already involved in allegations of drug use, sexual assault and altercations with teammates at the time. Nobody will ever question Irvin’s heart when it was time to play but one of the reasons the Cowboys skirted Moss in the first place was that they didn’t trust in Irvin’s ability to handle the apprenticeship of Moss. We figure out why. Moss’ talents are enough to give him adequate numbers his rookie year but he falls well short of the record-setting performance that happened in reality. He does, however, make the cover of Sports Illustrated along side Michael Irvin in a tell-all exclusive titled “Party Boys: Taking the Dynasty out of Dallas.” The 1998-1999 season, for both the Cowboys and Moss, spirals out of control. Irvin suffers an unfortunate career-ending injury a year later and Moss is thrust into the role of No. 1 receiver. He dedicates himself to becoming better on and off the field, which lasts up until Troy Aikman is forced to retire after suffering two concussions in 2000. Without a solid quarterback to get him the ball, Moss throws a tantrum and is traded to the Oakland Raiders. Left with the headaches of the Moss debacle, Jones issues an outright declaration that he will never take on a diva wide receiver again. (I know, I know. This is Jerry Jones we’re talking about here. Bear with us.) Cowboys fans never have to “get their popcorn ready” with Terrell Owens and the team passes on wide receiver Dez Bryant in the 2010 NFL Draft.

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without motivation and mentorship of cris carter, moss loses focus.

Moss does find his way back to Big D, albeit fifteen years later, when he joins Willie Nelson and Darius Rucker to form a country music supertrio called “No Moss.” As a huge taunt to the Dallas organization, he always makes sure to play an encore performance of “Mamas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys.” The moral of the story: if you come to the Lone Star State then you’re going to end up spending time with Willie Nelson at some point.

T.o. and dez never become cowboys.

moss becomes country music sensation (no, really).

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By James Bolton In most defeats, the blame is usually, for wrong or right, placed squarely on the goalkeeper. The mistakes of forwards, midfielders, and defenders are forgotten in an instant because the goalkeeper could not stop one mistake from turning into a goal for the opposition. The only time an outfield player’s mistake can be blamed for a loss is the most tragic own goal. Own goals are never in the front of any player’s mind, but they are all too real and have been known to cost teams at the biggest of competitions. In the final game to determine who would take home the 2010 MLS Cup, an own goal was the deciding factor between FC Dallas and the Colorado Rapids. Dallas’ George John deflected a shot from Colorado’s Macoumba Kandji past goalkeeper Kevin Hartmann and into the back of his own net. In a game that would end 2-1 in Colorado’s favor, that own goal would be the decider in a hotly contested match. In 2011, the two teams would meet again but this time during the regular season. Through the first three games of the season Dallas had not been able to post a win, despite having home field advantage in two of those games, while Colorado would come into the meeting with a perfect record. In a game that most expected Dallas to lose or at best come away with a draw, Dallas managed to impose their will on both ends of the pitch. Colorado was seemingly unable to generate any action on Dallas’ end of the pitch in the first half, while Dallas had Colorado fully backed up into their own third. The scoring would be opened up in the 26’ by Ugo Ihemelu. On a centering pass from Marvin Chavez off of a David Ferreira corner the ball would land to an unmarked Ihemelu, who Page 24

would chip it in from six yards out. Minutes after the goal Chavez would have to be subbed out for a cut above his left eye. Dallas would remain threatening throughout the first half and were to be rewarded with goal in the 40’ by David Ferreira. The Colombian international would add to Dallas’ scoreline off an assist by Fabian Castillo, who in only his second MLS start was able to split the Rapids backline with a pass to an on the move Ferreira who would smartly chip the ball past Rapids’ goalkeeper, Matt Pickens. In honor of his pregnant wife, Ferreira would celebrate his first goal of the night by pulling a baby pacifier out of his shorts and putting it in his mouth while grinning from ear to ear. After the break at the half, Dallas would continue their offensive barrage, when just twenty five seconds in Dallas captain Daniel Hernandez would slot a one time pass to a diving Ferreira, who would cooly tap it in for his second goal of the night and Dallas’ third. Colorado would now start to employ negative tactics in order to apply a tourniquet on the gash the Dallas’ offense had opened through their defense. The scoreline would remain 3-0 for the remainder of the match but Colorado would begin to generate some offense with a powerful shot from Caleb Folan, which skirted just past the side of Kevin Hartmann’s goal in the 54’. With seventeen minutes remaining, second half sub Quincy Amarikwa would put his head onto the end of a Brian Mullan cross, but it too went just wide. When the final whistle sounded a raucous supporter’s section turned into a cacophony of celebration, smoke, drums, and horns. David Ferreira rightly garnered the Man of the Match honors as the Dallas squad stayed on the field to celebrate with fans and staff. With this win, Dallas begins to look a little

more promising for a run to the playoffs. Although they would go on to drop a game to the Portland Timbers who have been called the closest thing to a European environment in an MLS stadium and look to turn Jeld-Wen Field into a fortress that not many teams will look forward to having to play in, Dallas is playing with more determination and focus than the first three games have alluded to. Their schedule for the rest of the month is certainly not going to do them any favors either, starting out with a solid LA Galaxy squad and ending the month against a resurgent Houston Dynamo. Their hardest test will come in a May 22nd meeting with Real Salt Lake who have proven themselves to be the team to beat this season. With this thrashing of Colorado, Dallas has shown that they can rise to the occasion, and their last minute near-rally against Portland shows that this team certainly has heart and is not willing to quit on a match. With a tough month ahead of them Dallas needs to at least come away with some points to keep them in the hunt and sustain them until June which has a more favorable schedule. With the change in playoff formation Dallas will not need to do much to garner a position in the postseason but once there, all the clubs will raise their intensity levels to one more befitting the playoffs and all will be expected to perform at their utmost. With a much different squad than last year, it will be up to coach Hyndman to put the pieces of his puzzle together and motivate his side to the postseason and beyond. PM www.playmakeronline.com

THE DALLAS PROJECT By Javi Perez Jerry Jones has been considered “mad” for a long time, but this year he finally had to take on the role of a mad scientist: creating life where there was none. Last season, he had people buzzing about the Dallas Cowboys hosting their return to the Super Bowl.

line that was desperately needed. The line played horribly, causing the running game to suffer and Romo to miss most of the season. Of course, in the NFC East, the line is critical against the excellent defenses of the Giants and Philadelphia Eagles. So if Smith has the body, then the other offensive line picks definitely have the brains. While Missouri State offensive lineman David Arkin has some work to do when it comes to his technique, he’s shown the instinct, tenacity and leadership to be a successful player. Selected with the 13th pick of the 4th round, his work ethic has the team convinced that he will improve and make a contribution no matter where they decide to play him. Dallas’ last pick was a compensatory pick that they used to take Wisconsin center Bill Nagy. He’s a bit undersized at 6’3, but he helped the Badgers get all the way to the Rose Bowl. In 2010, Wisconsin finished the year 2nd in the Big 10 and 12th in the country in rushing yards per game while allowing only 14 sacks all year. The Dallas Cowboys went right to addressing their defensive needs in the 2nd round, but it wasn’t at corner or safety. They rolled the dice with North Carolina linebacker Bruce Carter, who might have been a top 10 pick if he hadn’t torn his ACL in November. If he heals well enough to get his speed back, it’ll be a brilliant move, but we might not know what he’ll bring to the table for another year, not because of the lockout, but because of his injury.

Cowboy fans that are OU alums. Dallas only took one more defensive player in the draft. They used their 5th round pick on defensive back Josh Thomas from Buffalo. It’s a good selection. All Thomas is missing is the speed to be a starting corner. By all accounts, he’s got the physical traits and intangibles to contribute in the future. Finally, the Cowboys took one wide receiver: Dwayne Harris of East Carolina in the 6th round. Sure, you’ve never heard of him. But ask yourself this: Did you know who Miles Austin before Dallas signed him? Give Dallas a C+ in this draft for now, but it could go either way over the next couple of years. They could look back on this draft as an A or F depending on how their risks in Carter and Murray pan out. But that’s the nature of being a mad scientist. There’s a fine line between brilliance and madness.

The pick of oklahoma running back demarco murray is questionable, considering dallas’ already has ‘backs like Tashard choice (below).

HOUSTON’S UNSTABLE FORMULA By Bradford Harrison In the mad, mad world of the NFL, it sometimes takes a team devoted to weird science to concoct a squad out of the myriad of parts and particles available in the NFL Draft. The Houston Texan were in need of a new formula on defense, and, to give new defensive coordinator Wade Phillips some new designs, the team’s 2011 draft class was very much of the defensive species. Their first round pick at number eleven was a piece for the team’s new 3-4 defense in the person of defensive end J.J. Watt out of Wisconsin. The Texans had thirty-two sacks last season and that number will likely go up as Watt gets used to the teams new defensive system. The 6-foot-5, 290 lb. defensive end will most likely line up at the other

The Texans are looking for a leader to come out of nowhere on defense, as arian Foster (below) did for the offense in 2010.

end position from Mario Williams, and give Houston a dynamic tandem on their line. Philip’s defensive in predicated on generating pressure of the edge, and this will also help out the Texans’ secondary, which was historically bad last season. Houston also further added depth to their D-line by drafting a 6’3” 263-pound linemen out of Arizona in the second in Brooks Reed, who could develop into an ideal complement to Mario Williams in a scheme as a hybrid rush linebacker. The secondary also got a dramatic boost as the Texans spent second, fourth, and fifth round picks on defensive backs. Brandon Harris of Miami, Rashad Carmichael of Virginia Tech, and Shiloh Keo of Idaho give the Texans many more options in a defensive backfield that was the worse in the NFL in passing yards allowed last season. Harris has outstanding ball skills and awareness. He also has experience playing nickel corner and could work his way into the starting lineup. Harris seems to have a tireless work ethic, and an outstanding closing burst. Carmichael has elite speed, a fantastic native trait to have in the NFL, and despite lacking size, also by all reports, has a incredible drive to learn an excel, something that Houston sorely needs in the defensive back ranks. Keo is a good thirty pounds heavier than his drafted counter parts, and looks to be a devastating heavy hitter in the league. In the later rounds, the team addressed deeper needs. They picked up North Carolina quarterback prospect Taylor Yates in round 5, a player who could develop into a quality backup, and a much needed salve to the prospect of just having Dan Orlovsky and an unsigned Matt Leinhart as backup options. In round seven, the Texans picked up a mammoth offensive line prospect out of Arkansas State in Derek Newton. At 6’5 and 311 pounds he is the prototypical size for a right guard in the NFL,

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but only time will tell on how much further development he needs. The Texans also had the distinction of draft this year’s Mr. Irrelevant (the very last pick in the draft), so name because of the perceived assumption that the player will not make a significant impact in the NFL. Cheta Ozougwu of Rice is an undersized defensive line prospect at 6’2 and 247 pounds, and does not have the skill set to make it at linebacker. By all accounts he works very hard, but we will have to see his effort at training camp to give him any further grade. The Texans through trades, the draft, and free agency have assembled one the better offensive units in the NFL. Within this draft the Texans were looking for leaders like Matt Schaub, Andre Johnson, and Arian Foster on defense to build a complete team. Other than choice positions like defensive end and linebacker, the Texans’ D is middling at best. Every draft season is an opportunity to get new ingredients for the concoction we call an NFL team. This draft the Texans knew their needs and went after unique pieces to fill them. Now we only need to see then mixed up together on the field to see if they can reach critical mass and move the team forward.

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