The Mavericks got their revenge on Oklahoma City, but 29-year-old Austin Aune’s college football swan song was a sad one, as Boise State defeated the Mean Green in the Frisco Bowl. As for the World Cup Final, well, I can only hope you were watching along with me. (This Dallas sports oracle certainly was.)
Here’s what I’m watching this week:
Thursday, 12/22—SMU versus Iona—2 p.m., ESPNU
It’s getting ugly on the Hilltop in the first season of life after Tim Jankovich. After dropping their last three games, the Mustangs have sunk to 3-7 on the season—just two fewer losses than they suffered the entirety of last season’s 24-9 campaign. Can first-year head coach Rob Lanier outduel the legendary Rick Pitino to get the season back on track?
Saturday, 12/24—Eagles at Cowboys—3:25 p.m., FOX
Yesterday’s miserable loss to Jacksonville all but ended Dallas’ chances of clawing back in the NFC East race, but Saturday is a measuring stick game nevertheless. Whatever fleeting hope the Cowboys have of making a Super Bowl run—and it’s hard not to call it fleeting after a performance like Sunday’s—probably goes through the Eagles. And if Dallas can’t turn in a much better showing than it did in these teams’ first meeting, now that Dak Prescott is back under center, that hope just might be extinguished.
Sunday, 12/25—Mavericks versus Lakers—1:30 p.m., ABC
It’s the Mavs on Christmas Day. It’s Luka versus LeBron. And it’s the debut of the Dirk statue (Brian Dameris will have something special about that for the morning of). Need I say more?