Central Texas Pro Sports Roundtable

Hosted by AJ Hoffman of AM 1300 The Zone, the guys who run all of Central Texas’s most popular professional sports teams will meet in an open forum to discuss the opportunities for local athletes and those who aspire to work in the sports industry as well as talk about the challenges and opportunities of operating in Central Texas.

Panelists include:

Host: A.J. Hoffman - AM 1300 The Zone
Jay Miller (Owner/COO/President) Round Rock Express	Peter Lubell (COO) Austin Toros	Jack Dixon (Director of Operations) Austin Turfcats
Kyle Dalton (Director of Marketing) Austin Aztex	Brian Spieles (VP of Marketing) Texas Stars	Matthew Payne (Executive Director) Austin Sports Commission

Tickets to The Festival make the Best Father’s Day Present

We’ve done the research and the evidence is overwhelming… the best Father’s Day present possible is tickets to The Texas Testosterone Festival. Tickets go on sale Father’s Day - this Sunday, June 21.

Buy tickets online by clicking here and show the printed receipt to Dad - if he doesn’t begin weeping with joy we’ll be shocked. If he does, pull out the camera and record it. We’ll put it on the website. We have the technology, and we have the popcorn.

Prospective Texas Stars Update

Andrew’s Dallas Stars page has updates on the players in college, Europe, and in the juniors, some of which may be Texas Stars next season.

Hockey really is more important

‘”It turns out that this explorer last week was playing hockey with a group of other explorers on the frozen waters that had collected in the basement of the building. None of the men called the police, the explorer said. They, in fact, continued their hockey game.”‘–DetroitNews.com

There’s a homeless-people problem in Detroit. That said, the Detroit Red Wings are awesome.

Texas Stars Prequel

Andrew’s Dallas Stars page (the most awesome resource for the Dallas Stars and their minor league system’s news) has a link up today to an article on SI.com documenting the trials and tribulations of the players who would have been our Texas Stars this season, if there were a Texas Stars this season.

Because of the lack of an AHL-affiliate team this year, all of the Dallas Stars’ prospects are spread out among a number of teams throughout North America. All that comes to an end this fall when the prospects start playing at the Cedar Park Center, and many of us can’t wait.

Mike Modano has a Perfect Life

There are a few athletes that are tough not to like - Michael Phelps, for instance. He’s an exceptional athlete in an obscure sport that gets mainstream attention for only a few minutes every four years. Plus he’s incredibly goofy looking. What’s not to like?

Mike Modano, on the other hand, has been an elite hockey forward for nearly twenty years, a Stanley Cup on his resume, a lifer with a single franchise, more points than any other U.S. born player, and the adoration of Texans (and Canadiens) world-wide. Plus he’s good looking with a beautiful wife (he’s married to Willa Ford from The Ultimate Fighter Season 1 (she hosted the competitions, she wasn’t a fighter) and Dancing With the Stars). You gotta hate him. And his money.

But he starred with Brett Hull in the greatest NHL TV commercial ever (please post it below if you can find it on the web) and you still love him for being an elite hockey player for twenty years, a Stanley Cup on his resume, a lifer with a single franchise, let me think, more points than any other U.S. born player, and has the adoration of (Texans and Canadiens) world-wide. We’ll try to suppress the envy part.

Mike has been named to the Western Conference All-Star team for the eighth time yesterday. His plans include scoring more goals than the Eastern Conference team, going home to his hot wife, looking at his own beautiful face in the mirror, and counting his money until he falls asleep. Damn you, Mike Modano.

If this Doesn’t Get You Excited for Minor League Hockey…

When the game ended, the real fun began. The Flint Journal reports the goaltenders for the Flint Generals and Port Huron Icehawks started having words while heading to the locker rooms after the Icehawks posted 7 goals in their victory over Generals goaltender Chad Alban.

Officials broke up the two. And then Alban got punched in the face by a security guard.

In the hockey tradition, Alban refused to press charges against the security guard. The guard is currently negotiating with the Icehawks to strap on skates and put on the foil before the teams re-match next Saturday.

Go Texas Stars. Hope the hiring goes smoothly over at the Cedar Park Center.

It Took Overtime, But Toros Roll

The Austin Toros took the Albuquerque Thunderbirds into overtime only to tease them before crushing them, 127-121. Don’t believe the headline on nba.com, it was the Toros who have now taken first place in the Southwest Division with a record of 6-3 taking the last two from Albuquerque with one more game with them tonight.

The two teams are definitely growing familiar with numerous personal fouls and heated banter. Look for tonight’s game to contain more than a few fireworks.

Speaking of fireworks, Malik Hairston scored 33 points including a late three pointer to send the game into overtime.

Blake Ahearn was released by the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday.

What’s the Goaltending Future of the Texas Stars?

Seeing the new photos of the Cedar Park Center being built has us all tingly for hockey in Central Texas. So we started surfing around to find information on the players expected to be on the team next season to see if we can find out what we’re in store for. An invaluable resource should be Andrew’s Dallas Stars Page, a blog about the NHL stars where he weekly recaps what is up with the team’s prospects. Props to Andrew and Mark for collecting the info us future Texas Stars fans will need in the drought prior to next fall.

#1 Goalie prospect Matt Climie, if not playing in the NHL next season (or more appropriately, sitting around waiting for a first string Goalie to get injured) should be in Cedar Park next year. He got his first shutout of the season Sunday backing the Idaho Steelheads against the Alaska Aces and is on a bit of a roll lately, getting his record above .500, his GAA to 2.78, and his Save % is now at .900. Quite respectable and an improvement over his first few starts of the season.

Also, keep your eyes peeled for 6 foot 5 Goalie Tyler Beskorowany, currently playing in the OHL. The dude is on the back end of a nightly shooting gallery in Owen Sound (wherever the hell that is. sounds cold.). HockeysFuture.com has him as the Dallas Stars’ #2 junior prospect.

There will be much to be excited about next season for the Texas Stars. Goaltender Matt Climie should be a big part of that excitement. Besides, the dude ought to be excited about getting the hell out of Idaho.

It’s Finally Cold Outside, so Texas Stars Build Indoors

Oooh… the excitement. We can hardly wait for the Texas Stars to begin putting on the foil.

The Texas Stars are the Dallas Stars’ AHL affiliate starting their inaugural season in Cedar Park at a brand new stadium built primarily to keep them happy and to keep those pesky, chocolate-lovin Hershey Bears on the receiving end of the checks and the short end of the sticks (is spearing legal in the AHL yet?).

Said stadium is being built and www.TexasStarsHockey.com has the evidence. Check out the new photos by clicking here. Looks ready to me. Let’s drop the puck!

While the stadium is built, The Texas Testosterone Festival humbly makes the following suggestions:

1. Visitors bench should be 6 inches shorter than the Home bench. Visitors bench should also be 3 inches closer to the boards.

2. Visitors locker room should have a ceiling height of 5 foot 10 inches.

3. Visitors toilets should be in a permanent state of “to be installed soon.”

4. All cheap seats should include individual beer kegs.

5. All French-Canadien player names should include pronunications on jerseys, scoreboards, and game programs for the benefit of us types from more Southern regions.

6. Moment of silence should be held for one random opposing player from the previous home game prior to each game. No explanations. That will scare the hell out the team we’re about to play.

7. Random spectator gets one minute of ice time when the Stars are up by 5 or more goals.

8. Make that 3 or more goals. The Stars can keep a lead.

9. All references to Mike Modano should be held with a divine-like reverence including extremely oversized murals, Greek-like statues, and daily moment of prayer for him to be temporarily demoted to the Texas Stars to rehab a ridiculously minor injury.

10. The Hershey Bears should be held with an irrational contempt, blood-spitting rage, and unsportsmanlike disdain that is both frightening to children and bewildering to the Bears.

That would be fun.