DALLAS City of Winners

Dalias, a city of emotional control? Of sophistication? Of blase reserve? Maybe – but not when the Marvelous Mavs are in town. That’s when The Sixth Man, all 17,000 of him, goes emotionally berserk and strains the moorings of Reunions roof with a decibel level which must be heard to be believed. Its a new, and refreshing, experience for cultured Dallas.

In four short years, the expansion Mavericks have proved to a delighted city that owner Don Carter and general manager Norm Sonju knew exactly what they were doing when they hired coach Dick Motta. The graph of the team’s win percentages looks like the sales curve for Cabbage Patch Dolls:

1980-81 .183

1981-82 .341

1982-83 .463

1983-84 .524

If the name of the game in life is to feel good about ourselves, identifying with our Heroes of the Hardwcx)d has certainly turned out to be one way to do it. And it’s a good way. The flush of athletic victory somehow seems to make us appreciate each other more as well. Differences of age, sex, color, race and economic condition are swept from the mind on the wave of enthusiastic sound that roars and reverberates from Reunion’s rafters when the Mavs are winning.

And wondering Dallas gets treated to the denouement of victory as the triumphant towel brigade leaves the Arena one-way east on Commerce, horns honking, white towels fluttering from open windows, occupants shouting triumphantly to each other.

Authorities on Africa tell us that the roar of the dominant male lion can be heard at distances up to five miles. More and more Dallas citizens are willing to bet that there are many Maverick fans in our city who can match him.