The Cowboys lost their final preseason game and, more importantly, Tyron Smith for what looks like the season. The Wings lost, too. FC Dallas? A draw against Real Salt Lake. That’s a W, considering the competition around town.
Here’s what I’m watching this week:
Tuesday, 8/30—Final Cowboys roster cuts—3 p.m., The Internet
Dallas must trim its roster down to a final 53 by this afternoon, and this year’s edition might mean a few tougher choices than usual. Pay extra close attention to who makes it into the running back room: they may not make much of an impact this year behind Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard, but they could lay the groundwork for a more prominent role in 2023 if Elliott is a cap casualty and/or Pollard walks in free agency.
Thursday, 9/1—Germany versus France, EuroBasket 2022—1:30 p.m., ESPN
We were there when Dirk Nowitzki’s No. 41 got hoisted into the American Airlines Center rafters. And we’ll be there for this one, when his No. 14 gets retired for the German national team, too. Brian Dameris will report back next week from Cologne … and he won’t be the only StrongSide representative chronicling the comings and goings of a Mavericks superstar in this tournament, either. Stay tuned!
Saturday, 9/3—SMU at UNT—6:00 p.m., ESPN+
College football is back, and it’s starting off with some local stakes. Last fall, I called for The Safeway Bowl to start meaning something more now that these two will be conference-mates starting next summer. What better time to start giving us some enmity? Deliver us a real SMU-UNT rivalry, and deliver it now!