👋 Good morning! I’m back in town from vacation and ready to get back to it… but only after a couple buffer days. Your newsletter will arrive hot off the presses (and hopefully on time) on Monday and Tuesday, but I won’t be back in the DLLS Sports studios until Wednesday. If you have the extra vacation days to do that, I always, always recommend doing so. No one wants to hop off a plane and get right back to the office! Take a couple days afterward to unpack, get your laundry done and your fridge reloaded, and get back in real life mode at your own pace. — Bobby Karalla
It’s Micah’s Fault, Says Jerry
Things got pretty weird on Friday, huh? Micah Parsons went public with his trade request, the Cowboys didn’t immediately budge, and fans all over the world probably spent all weekend worried, angry, sad, anxious, and all sorts of other feelings that don’t have anything to do with fun or football. It would be so simple, we all seem to agree, if the Cowboys just paid their very good player the kind of salary that very good players make.
And yet.
Jerry Jones is standing by his story, according to our Clarence Hill, that the Cowboys put an offer on the table back in spring and Parsons didn’t accept it.
“Micah took it off,” Jones said emphatically. “I’m just saying he took it off.”
Parsons, of course, has privately and publicly said the Cowboys need to take those offers and any further negotiations to his agent, which is how 99.999% of deals get done in sports. But that’s apparently a line the Cowboys front office refuses to cross, for whatever reason. Instead of offering reasons why there hasn’t been progress, Jones blamed Parsons for pressing pause five months ago and told Cowboys fans “don’t lose any sleep over it.”
“And so there’s always negotiation, and the negotiation is to put the best team on the field. And the art of the deal is to get the best players out there for the resources that you have under the cap. And so that’s what we’re doing.”
The problem is this isn’t a normal negotiation. Parsons is a content creator. He knows how to communicate his thoughts and isn’t afraid to speak out. He’s winning this PR battle convincingly. The Cowboys have lobbed insults his way, and all the while Parsons has been at camp supporting his teammates, who have publicly taken his side as well.
This either ends with a massively disappointing trade, or — like we’ve said all along — a record-setting deal just in time for opening night against Philly. But this line in the sand should’ve been drawn five months ago. Instead, Jones said he didn’t know David Mulugheta’s name and has since referred to Parsons as “Michael Parson,” and is now telling fans it’s his fault, actually, so take it easy. That’s not great! But let’s see how it goes.
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Did you know Dereck Lively II only attempted one jump shot last season? He didn’t play a ton of games due to injury, but still. Since hitting that corner 3 in the Finals, he’s only attempted one single jump shot. Will he and the Mavs expand his range in 2025-26? Tim Cato considers the pros and cons here.
It’s been a whirlwind of a last 96 hours or so for the Rangers, who made some huge swings at the trade deadline before suffering an agonizing 3-1 series loss in Seattle against one of the teams they’re battling with for a Wild Card spot. Amid all the additions (and some subtractions), Kumar Rocker was optioned to Triple-A. Jeff Wilson analyzes why this is all part of the process for Rocker, and how getting him regular innings as a starter in the minors is likely much better for his development than relegating him to a long relief role.
Our DLLS Stars crew is talking with folks who cover every single opposing club in the NHL between now and the start of the season! I’m really excited to hear all these outsiders’ perspectives. Friday’s show covered the Rangers and the crew was joined by Mollie Walker and Peter Baugh. Give it a watch!
If you do know, enjoy. If you don’t know… honestly, just don’t ask.
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Bobby Karalla
DLLS Sports Head of Content
[email protected]
