Friday, March 29, 2024 Mar 29, 2024
58° F Dallas, TX
Advertisement
Internet

IM Just Saying: Wes Cox

By Adam McGill |
Image

mavsmoneyball.jpgRemember IM Just Saying? The intermittent FrontBurner feature? “Intermittent” might be a stretch, as there’s only been one other instance of it. Today marks the second. Zac had suggested that I chat up (or iChat or AIM or Adium or whatever form IM Just Saying happens to take) Wes Cox, proprietor of Mavs Moneyball, “an unofficial Dallas Mavericks blog.” The timing was right, as the Mavs are now halfway through the season. Yesterday afternoon, Wes and I virtual chatted about that, soccer, and, um, taxes. Check it out.


4:54 PM
Me: Hello?
Me: Wes?
5:00 PM
Wes: hello
Me: Ah. Success.
Me: (so far)
Wes: My computer blocked this at first.
Me: Your computer doesn’t like me in particular? Or you chatting in general?
Wes: I think it was just because you weren’t on my buddy list.
Me: Understood. So, apologies for the more prosaic questions here at the top, but please educate me and others as to how long you’ve been doing Mavs Moneyball.
[Long pause]
Me: (is your computer not liking me still?)
5:05 PM
Wes: I started the site in February of 2006 out of boredom. I was originally just a free and nameless word press site, but once people actually discovered the blog I moved to my own domain — maverickmoneyball.com . Then more people found the site and I joined SBNation as Mavs Moneyball in july 2006.
Me: When do you predict it’ll be so huge that you’ll be able to quit your day job?
Wes: Never, but maybe I’ll just quit my day job anyway…
Me:…and what is that day job?
Wes: Corporate tax stuff. It’s not very exciting.
Me: Sarbines-Oxley stuff?
Wes: Absolutely.
Me: When I check out Mavs Moneyball–which is not as often as I should (though I’m sure my cohort Zac checks it 20x an hour to make up for me–I’m duly impressed by how much … work … you do on that thing. Is it ever too much work?
Me: I mean, has the thing you started for fun stopped being fun?
Wes: There are times when I think, geez I really don’t want to post anything today and sometimes I won’t. Other times work gets in the way. Leading up to the tax deadline in September I didn’t post anything for three weeks. But for the most part, it’s fun. Even if I didn’t have a Mavs blog, I’d still be watching every game, reading every article etc… I could quit at any time, but I choose not to. It’s definitely not a burden and I wish I could post even more.
5:15 PM
Me: That’s good. Now. Mavs at the halfway point: Promising enough to put last year behind us? Or does last year’s disappointment still linger?
Me:…for you.
Me:…as it’d be mighty difficult to speak for the entire Mavs fan nation.
Wes: There is no forgetting last year. It’s changed the way I look at the regular season, and it’s clearly changed the Mavs appraoch to the regular season as well. Golden State changed the whole teams mentality.
Me: But still, 41 games done and more things are working than not, right?
5:20 PM
Wes: Yeah definitely. Even though I (and I think most Mavs fans) would say the Mavs performance so far has been a bit disappointing(only 10-7 vs. the East, 10-10 on the road), they are still just 1 game away from having the best record in the Western Conference.
Me: Say, can I ask a non-basketball question?
5:25 PM
Wes: Of course.
Me: Is that a Fulham icon I see? [as a AIM avatar]
Wes: Yes it is!
Me: Um…
Me: It’s, uh…
Me: Not such a good year for them, eh?
Me: Like, we might be talking “the r word.”
Wes: Relegation is looking like a very real possibility. I’m holding out hope though because I think they are better than quite a few team ahead of them.
Me: Tough injuries this year, too.
Wes: Apparently McBride is about to come back. If he’s fit it will be big help.
Me: No Fulham Moneyball site in your future?
Wes: I’d love that. I’ve even considered just randomly writing about soccer on my site, but I’m not sure how many people would care. A second site would take up too much time.
Me: About how many hours a week would you say you spend working on Mavs Moneyball?
Wes: It’s been less lately, about 10-15. When I’m really posting as much as I’d like it’s easily over 20.
Me: Wow.
Me: Wait a sec…
Me: Back to soccer.
Cool.
Me: Do you play?
Me: In an over-30 league?
Wes: I do some indoor. And I’m only 25.
Me: Ah. Maybe that was it. (I play indoor once or twice a quarter.) Thought your name was familiar.
Me: One or two more questions.
Me: Or just one: Do you ever hear from any of the players/coaches/Cuban? I know it’s “the unofficial Mavericks site” but it seems like they’d take notice of it every now and then.
5:35 PM
Wes: I haven’t heard from any players, coaches, or Cuban, and I’ve never tried to contact them either. I’m pretty sure Cuban at least knows of my site though.
Me: Yeah, he’s like that.
Me: ‘k. I’m going to let you go (as I have to go myself). Keep up the good work. Any parting words?
Wes: GO MAVS!
Me: Of course.
Me: Oh.
Me: Wait. I forgot I had another genius question: If you had to be one or the other during an entire game, which would you rather be: Mavs Man or Champ?
Wes: Haha, Mavs Man is a little creepy looking, but he gets to use the trampoline… Mavs Man for sure.
5:40 PM
Me: Nice. Thanks, Wes. Have a good one.
Wes: Thanks, later.

Related Articles

Image
Arts & Entertainment

Here’s Who Is Coming to Dallas This Weekend: March 28-31

It's going to be a gorgeous weekend. Pencil in some live music in between those egg hunts and brunches.
Image
Arts & Entertainment

Arlington Museum of Art Debuts Two Must-See Nature-Inspired Additions

The chill of the Arctic Circle and a futuristic digital archive mark the grand opening of the Arlington Museum of Art’s new location.
By Brett Grega
Image
Arts & Entertainment

An Award-Winning SXSW Short Gave a Dallas Filmmaker an Outlet for Her Grief

Sara Nimeh balances humor and poignancy in a coming-of-age drama inspired by her childhood memories.
By Todd Jorgenson
Advertisement