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Millions of bluebonnets will soon bloom across Texas, blanketing parks, pastures and highway shoulders in that most recognizable hue.

This will probably be an excellent year for bluebonnets and other wildflowers across the state, according to a forecast from the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center at the University of Texas at Austin.

“On a scale from one to 10, this year looks like it could be an eight, for bluebonnets in particular, if not even better,” said Andrea DeLong-Amaya, the center’s horticulture director.

Why the optimism? Last summer’s drought and the rain that followed have created ideal bloom conditions.

During a drought, some plants die off, reducing competition in the soil and creating plenty of space for spring blooms, DeLong-Amaya explained. The drought was followed by adequate and well-spaced rainfall in the fall and winter, which is key to wildflower development.

A spate of warm days this month means the blooms, which typically peak in April, should start appearing soon. In fact, bluebonnets have already begun blooming in Austin, said Scott Simons, a spokesman for the wildflower center.

North Texas is typically two weeks behind Austin, so bluebonnets could start showing up in early or mid-March. If March is warm, bluebonnets will quickly pop up. If the month is cooler, the blooms will be slower.

“Wildflowers are all about the weather,” DeLong-Amaya said. “And they are both difficult to predict.”

Joseph McCann-Roush, 4, runs through a field of bluebonnets at Bluebonnet Park on Monday, April 10, 2023, in Ennis. (Smiley N. Pool / Staff Photographer)

Bluebonnets were named the state flower in 1901, beating out the cotton boll and the cactus. More than a century later, they have become an emblem of the state, and Texans flock to fields and highway shoulders to snap pictures with the blooms every spring.

“There aren’t that many places you can see oceans and oceans of bluebonnents. It’s really captivating,” DeLong-Amaya said. “Texans have a lot of patriotism and pride in their state, and bluebonnets are a symbol of that pride.”

The flowers grow particularly well near roadways, which are home to gravelly soil with good drainage.

Home gardeners in North Texas who want to grow bluebonnets should consider installing a gravel bed, mixing pea gravel with soil to allow for better drainage and slightly lower nutrient density, according to the wildflower center.

Contrary to popular belief, it’s not illegal to pick bluebonnets, although trespassing in order to reach them certainly is. The flowers also have only a short period in which to leave seeds for next year, so it’s important not to disrupt their lifecycle.

“You want to be respectful,” DeLong-Amaya said. “Picking one flower isn’t going to ruin the world. But when you pick a flower, that’s one flower someone else, whether it’s a person or a bee, can’t appreciate.”

Related:Where to find bountiful bluebonnets in Dallas-Fort WorthA bee dances amongst the wildflowers at Cedar Hill State Park in Cedar Hill, Texas, April 12, 2023. (Tom Fox / Staff Photographer)

After a record-setting high temperature of 94 in Dallas-Fort Worth on Monday, temperatures Tuesday could break another century-old record.

Parts of Dallas could heat up to 89 degrees Tuesday, although the city of Dallas will likely reach a marginally cooler 88, forecasts show.

The warmest Feb. 27 recorded at DFW Airport was 85 degrees in 1918, according to the National Weather Service in Fort Worth.

More cloud cover on Tuesday will keep temperatures slightly cooler than Monday with most areas of North Texas holding in the upper 80s, according to the KXAS-TV (NBC5) forecast. The normal high for this time of year is 64 degrees.

Humidity should be between 15 and 25%, according to the weather service, with the dry, breezy and abnormally hot conditions increasing the risk of grass fires.

Monday’s high temperature of 94 degrees at DFW Airport was the hottest Feb. 26 on record, smashing a previous high of 90 in 1917, according to the weather service.

Historical data shows there’s only been two other occurrences of a temperature that warm earlier in the year, which was 95 degrees on Feb. 21, 1996 and 96 on Feb. 25, 1904.

Monday was also the 7th-earliest time that the region hit 90 degrees. The earliest was Jan. 31, 1911.

These record-breaking days will likely be followed by a plunge in temperatures as a cold front blows through North Texas later Tuesday, the weather service predicts.

Highs Wednesday and Thursday will only be around the 50s and 60s with gusty winds causing wind chills in the 40s and 50s, the forecast shows. Rain is expected by Thursday afternoon.

Then a warm up will occur going into a weekend, pushing temperatures back up into above-normal highs of 70s and 80s and Sunday would be the next chance for rain.

Related:Record-high heat possible in North Texas early next week. Temperatures expected to climb

WEDNESDAY: Mostly cloudy, breezy and much cooler. Low: 46. High: 56. Wind: N 20-25 mph with higher gusts.

THURSDAY: Mostly cloudy and cool with a 20% chance of showers. Low: 41. High: 56. Wind: N/NE 5-10 mph.

FRIDAY: Mostly sunny and warmer. Low: 42. High: 74. Wind: SE 10-15 mph.

SATURDAY: Mostly sunny and warm. Low: 54. High: 80. Wind: S 10-15 mph.

SUNDAY: Partly cloudy and mild. Low: 59. High: 79. Wind: S 10-20 mph.

With temps topping 90 degrees, Monday was D-FW’s hottest Feb. 26 in more than 100 years

The warm weather in Dallas, Texas, broke multiple daily records, according to the National Weather Service in Fort Worth.

Record-high heat expected in Dallas-Fort Worth on Monday. Here’s the forecast

Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, may experience record-high heat on Monday and Tuesday as temperatures climb into the 90s at the end of February.

The Dallas Stars (34-15-8, first in the Central Division) will continue their recent road trip, facing the Ottawa Senators (23-27-3, eighth in the Atlantic Division) on Thursday at Canadian Tire Centre. Dallas enters the matchup on a three-game losing streak, falling against the New York Rangers 3-1 on Tuesday.

Here’s everything you need to know about the matchup:

Stars at Senators

When: 6 p.m. (Thursday, Feb. 20)

Where: Canadian Tire Centre (Ottawa, Ontario)

TV/Streaming: BSSW; ESPN+ (out of market)

Radio: 96.7 FM/1310 The Ticket (KTCK-AM)

Bottom line

The Dallas Stars aim to break a three-game slide with a victory against the Ottawa Senators.

Ottawa has a 23-27-3 record overall and a 15-13-2 record on its home ice. The Senators are sixth in the league serving 11.3 penalty minutes per game.

Dallas is 17-7-5 on the road and 34-15-8 overall. The Stars have given up 172 goals while scoring 210 for a +38 scoring differential.

Thursday’s game is the second meeting between these teams this season. The Stars won 5-4 in the previous matchup.

Top performers

Claude Giroux has scored 18 goals with 31 assists for the Senators. Brady Tkachuk has six goals and two assists over the past 10 games.

Roope Hintz has 23 goals and 26 assists for the Stars. Matt Duchene has scored seven goals and added six assists over the past 10 games.

Last 10 games

Senators: 5-3-2, averaging 3.1 goals, 4.3 assists, 3.2 penalties and 8.1 penalty minutes while giving up 3.3 goals per game.

Stars: 6-2-2, averaging 3.8 goals, 6.3 assists, 2.8 penalties and 5.9 penalty minutes while giving up 2.8 goals per game.

Injuries

Senators: None listed.

Stars: Evgenii Dadonov: out (lower body), Jani Hakanpaa: day-to-day (upper body), Nils Lundkvist: out (concussion).

The Associated Press contributed to this post.

Find more Stars coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.

The Dallas Stars are exploring an alternative to regional sports network broadcasting agreements that could revolutionize the way fans are able to consume sports.

Stars president and CEO Brad Alberts confirmed to The Dallas Morning News on Wednesday the team has been working with A Parent Media Co. Inc. (APMC) to create an application where the Stars could stream games direct-to-consumer (DTC). Mike Heika with DallasStars.com first reported the news.

It’s a model other professional sports teams have explored in recent years amid uncertainties with regional sports networks such as Bally Sports Southwest.

But the difference is this would be completely free.

“We have to be prepared,” Alberts said. “It’s all about where is Bally? Do we have an RSN or not? We have to have contingency plans. This certainly is an option if Bally isn’t an option.”

The platform would follow an advertising-based video on demand model (AVOD) where all revenue would be supported through advertisements instead of paid subscriptions. Therefore, a consumer would only need to download an app on a mobile device or smart TV to watch a Stars game.

APMC partnered with Dude Perfect, a sports and comedy group headquartered in Frisco, to create a similar platform that it is replicating for the Stars.

Bally Sports’ future has been uncertain since its parent company, Diamond Sports Group, voluntarily filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in March. Bally Sports holds the broadcast rights for 11 teams across the NHL, including the Stars, as well as the Mavericks, Wings and Rangers.

Related:Q&A with commissioner Gary Bettman: NHL is ‘preparing alternatives’ to Bally Sports

Bally has the rights to 70 of the Stars’ 82 regular-season games this season. But the beginning of the 2023-24 season was marked by multiple outages of the Bally Sports+ app during Stars games, raising frustrations among in-market fans.

Fans also have complained that Bally Sports Southwest is not available on the most popular streaming platforms, including YouTube TV, Hulu and Sling TV. The only options for streaming are DirectTV Stream, FuboTV and the Bally Sports+ app.

Plus, the price for in-market fans is higher than out-of-market. Fans in North Texas can subscribe to the Bally Sports+ app to watch Mavericks, Stars and Wings games (Rangers games are a separate cost) for $19.99 per month or $189.99 per season. Out-of-market fans subscribing to NHL Power Play on ESPN+ pay just $10.99 a month or $109.99 per year.

“It’s one of the most complicated business issues I’ve ever worked through,” Alberts said. “Certainly, the challenge is to fix the two problems that we have right now, which is distribution and money to the teams.”

Other NHL teams have explored direct-to-consumer options. Just last week, the Arizona Coyotes announced a new media rights deal with the DTC company Kiswe and Scripps Sports, offering an $11.99 monthly subscription to Coyotes Central where games will be broadcast for the remainder of the NHL season.

The Vegas Golden Knights added a DTC element to their viewing options last year, launching KnightTime+ created by ViewLift in September, which costs $69.99 per season or $6.99 a game.

For both the Coyotes and Golden Knights, Scripps Sports remains a broadcast partner but is expanding to offer DTC options.

While the free model has not been used in the NHL, Alberts said he doesn’t believe the team would lose revenue.

“Nobody wants to lose money,” Alberts said. “We’re dependent on revenues. We’ve got to pay the players. I’m getting more and more comfortable with the economics.”

The plan for now is to stick with Bally but explore other options in case of a collapse. The Stars aren’t the only team doing so, Alberts said.

The NHL and Diamond Sports Group reached an agreement in December to keep local broadcasts for its 11 teams on Bally Sports through the end of the season. Diamond Sports also announced in January a deal to allow for direct-to-consumer streaming through Amazon Prime.

Alberts said he’s still waiting to learn more about the Amazon deal.

For Stars fans who have grown increasingly frustrated with the roadblocks to watching their team play on a nightly basis, an end could be in sight. The solution could make Stars games the most accessible in all of sports.

“Everything’s on the table at this point,” Alberts said. “It comes down to what’s everybody’s risk tolerance? We’re getting comfortable with potentially having to go direct-to-consumer. I think that’s the future.”

On X/Twitter: @Lassimak

Find more Stars coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.

The Dallas Cowboys are good in the passing game. Whether it’s on offense or defense, this is one of the team’s strengths. Led by NFL MVP candidate Dak Prescott, the Cowboys finished with the third-most passing yards for the year. Defensively, they were in the top five in passing yards allowed thanks to a formidable pass rush led by Micah Parsons and his strong assortment of pass-rushing teammates.

When it comes to the run, it’s a little bit of a different story. On offense, they only averaged 4.1 yards per carry this past season. That is their lowest efficiency on the ground since the year 2006. In seven games this past season they were held under 100 yards rushing and only had two games where they rushed for over 150 yards (compared to eight last year). To put that in perspective, those were the same less-than-100/greater-than-150 totals they had in 2020 when Prescott was lost for the final 11 games of the season. That’s not good.

And we don’t need to remind anyone how bad they can be against the run on defense. Since Mike McCarthy took over the team, the Cowboys’ defense has allowed at least 150 rushing yards in 20 games. That’s 30% of their games. Needless to say, the Cowboys aren’t winning many of those games as they finished with a 5-15 record in those contests. And sure, eight of those 20 came during the atrocious Mike Nolan season, but the bleeding hasn’t stopped since. They’ve allowed over 200 yards rushing two times in each of the last two seasons. And when things start to come unraveled in the playoffs, there’s usually a player like Aaron Jones or C.J. Anderson who has had their way in the running game.

It’s safe to say that the Cowboys need to get better in the running game, whether it’s on offense or defense, but where do they need the most help? With limited draft capital this year, the Cowboys need to use their draft picks wisely. Should they be looking at adding one of the top offensive linemen or getting another big-bodied nose on defense? The team has used a first-round draft pick on a top interior line player in each of the last two drafts with the selections of the Smith brothers (no relation) with Tyler Smith in 2022 and Mazi Smith last season.

Today, we thought we’d take a close look at the performance of both the offensive and defensive line over the past four years and try to determine where the Cowboys need the most help. We will be using win rates provided by ESPN Analytics that are used for pass-blocking/rushing and run-blocking/stopping efficiency as defined as the percentage a player holds or beats their block within a 2.5-second window.

OFFENSE

Before we look at their effectiveness as a unit, let’s take a look at the cast of characters that made up the offensive line over this time. The players listed below are in order of playing time as some key starters were subjected to injury.

OFFENSIVE LINE

2020

2021

2022

2023

2020

2021

2022

2023

Connor Williams

Tyler Biadasz

Tyler Smith

Terence Steele

Terence Steele

Zack Martin

Zack Martin

Tyler Biadasz

Brandon Knight

Connor Williams

Tyler Biadasz

Tyler Smith

Joe Looney

Terence Steele

Connor McGovern

Zack Martin

Zack Martin

Tyron Smith

Terence Steele

Tyron Smith

Connor McGovern

La’el Collins

Tyron Smith

Chuma Edoga

Tyler Biadasz

Connor McGovern

Jason Peters

T.J. Bass

Cameron Erving

Ty Nsekhe

Matt Farniok

Brock Hoffman

Tyron Smith

Matt Farniok

Josh Ball

Asim Richards

Here is how each unit performed during these years in both pass protection and run-blocking win rates.

Looking at their success rate compared to previous years shows an improvement in pass protection.

What can we derive from this data? When it comes to pass-blocking, the thing that jumps out is that protecting Prescott has been a legitimate issue in recent years, but progressed to mediocre this past season. Why was that? Was it because they finally got a healthier version of Tyron Smith this last year compared to the previous three years where he missed a collective total of 33 games? Was the group as a whole just better? Possibly. It’s worth mentioning that with the emergence of Tyler Smith, four of the team’s starting five linemen have now earned Pro Bowl honors. This might be the best collective group they’ve had in recent years.

Their run-blocking rankings look as follows…

For run-blocking, the team has performed a lot better than some of us would’ve guessed. They haven’t been terrible at any point during this four-year window and that includes the terrible 2020 season where they were stricken with all kinds of injuries along the offensive line. Both tackles, Tyron Smith and La’el Collins missed most if not all of the season. Just scroll up and look at the guys they had manning the trenches that year.

They made a nice jump up starting in 2021. What changed? Well, they got a lot healthier for starters, but there were some other changes as well. Connor Williams, who had his share of being pushed around in the trenches, left in free agency. Terence Steele started seeing more action and his strength is in his run-blocking. And again, there is the addition of the powerful Tyler Smith in 2022. It may not be obvious, but the analytics tell us that the Cowboys are good at run blocking.

DEFENSE

Here are the players in the mix on the defensive side of the ball during this time frame. Again, the names are listed in order of snap counts, highest to lowest.

DEFENSIVE LINE

2020

2021

2022

2023

2020

2021

2022

2023

Aldon Smith

Micah Parsons

Micah Parsons

Micah Parsons

DeMarcus Lawrence

Tarell Basham

DeMarcus Lawrence

Osa Odighizuwa

Antwaun Woods

Osa Odighizuwa

Osa Odighizuwa

DeMarcus Lawrence

Tyrone Crawford

Dorance Armstrong Jr.

Dorance Armstrong Jr.

Dorance Armstrong Jr.

Neville Gallimore

Carlos Watkins

Neville Gallimore

Johnathan Hankins

Dorance Armstrong Jr.

Randy Gregory

Dante Fowler

Chauncey Golston

Everson Griffen

Chauncey Golston

Carlos Watkins

Mazi Smith

Randy Gregory

DeMarcus Lawrence

Sam Williams

Sam Williams

Dontari Poe

Justin Hamilton

Quinton Bohanna

Neville Gallimore

Trysten Hill

Quinton Bohanna

Chauncey Golston

Dante Fowler

And just like with the offensive line, here’s how the defensive line has performed since 2020 in both pass rush and run-stopping win rates.

Plotting the ranks for the pass rush looks like this…

This data passes the eye test as we already know the Cowboys’ pass rush has developed into one of the best groups in the league. This graph validates such as they’ve finished in the top two in pass rush success in each of the last two seasons. Why have they gotten so much better? In a word, Micah. If you want two words, how about Micah and Quinn? The Cowboys have had good talent and good coaching when it comes to getting after the quarterback.

However, things don’t look as good when it comes to run-stopping…

This graph supports what we already knew and that this team has been bad and remains bad. Between young nose tackles like Trysten Hill, Quinton Bohanna, and now Mazi Smith, they haven’t found a nose tackle who’s been able to come in and make a difference. It’s early still with Smith, so the jury is still out, but this team doesn’t have a good track record at finding good run-stoppers despite throwing some of their top draft resources at the position in recent years.

Looking at the graph, it’s tough to explain why they performed better in 2021 than the other years. Scrolling back up to look at the players didn’t reveal any smoking gun answers. In fact, it got even more confusing when we remember that the team’s best run-stopper, DeMarcus Lawrence, missed over half the season that year. It didn’t make any sense until we came across this:

graphic courtesy of ESPN.com

The graphic above is for the 2020 season when Tarell Basham played for the New York Jets, but the Cowboys were able to sign him to a two-year, $5.5 million deal in the spring of 2021. This might’ve been a more underrated signing than initially thought and explains why his snap counts were so high that year.

WHAT DOES THIS ALL MEAN?

Recapping how each of these units fared in each category goes like this…

The DEFENSE pass rush is fantastic
The OFFENSE run blocking is actually pretty darn good
The OFFENSE pass protection is middle of the road
The DEFENSE run-stopping is hurting

The team could use help in the trenches on both sides of the ball, but the defensive tackle position is screaming at them. Honestly, it feels like it’s been screaming at them for a while now. The Cowboys must prioritize improving their interior defensive line. This doesn’t mean they need to panic and do a Mazi Take-two and use their top draft pick on a nose tackle. A more sensible approach would be to target a veteran free agent but spend a little more for someone more likely to step in right away and make a difference versus their typical bargain bin/vet minimum guy.

The offensive line should still be high on the Cowboys’ wish list. Even if he’s re-signed, we all know Tyron Smith might suddenly be unavailable at a moment’s notice. The Cowboys should take action to keep that unit strong, but they must find a way to finally improve their defensive tackle position group.

High temperatures are expected to be 20 to 30 degrees above normal Monday across North Texas, according to the National Weather Service in Fort Worth.

The record temperatures could also last into Tuesday before a chillier mid-week period.

The weather service forecast predicts a high of 92 at DFW Airport on Monday and 87 on Tuesday.

If the temperature rises to 90, like expected, in Dallas-Fort Worth on Monday, it will break into the top 10 earliest 90-degree day in a calendar year, according to historical data.

It’ll be ranked 7th earliest.

The last time the same record was set was Feb. 21 last year, which tied for second with Feb. 21, 1996. Fourth-earliest is Feb. 24, 1918, followed by Feb. 25 of 1904 and 1917 tied for fifth.

The earliest recorded 90-degree day fell on Jan. 31, 1911. On average, the first 90-degree day in the region is April 19.

There is an elevated threat for grass fires during the hot, dry and breezy conditions the next couple days.

Temperatures are forecast to dip in Wednesday and Thursday, with highs in the 50s and lows in the 40s and 30s, before gradually warming up again in time for the first day of March on Friday, according to the KXAS-TV (NBC5) forecast. The high that day in Dallas is expected to be in the high 60s.

Rain chances are highest on Thursday and Sunday.

TUESDAY: Partly to mostly cloudy and very warm. Low: 67. High: 88. Record High: 85. Wind: S 10-20 mph with higher gusts.

WEDNESDAY: Mostly cloudy, breezy and much cooler. Low: 46. High: 56. Wind: NW 20-25 mph with higher gusts.

THURSDAY: Mostly cloudy and cool with a 20% chance of showers. Low: 37. High: 57. Wind: N/NE 5-10 mph.

FRIDAY (MARCH BEGINS): Sunny and warmer. Low: 40. High: 68. Wind: SE 10-15 mph.

With temps topping 90 degrees, Monday was D-FW’s hottest Feb. 26 in more than 100 years

The warm weather in Dallas, Texas, broke multiple daily records, according to the National Weather Service in Fort Worth.

Record heat expected to start the week

Record heat is expected to start the week before a strong cold front arrives Tuesday night.

Two children have been found safe after an AMBER Alert was issued out of Wilmer on Monday, according to Wilmer Police.

The Wilmer Police Department issued the Amber Alert on Monday afternoon. A short time later it was confirmed the children were safe.

Police were searching for a 9-year-old girl and a 5-year-old boy after it was believed they were abducted around 9 a.m. on Monday by their 26-year-old mother, Jaquelyn Hernandez.

Wilmer police told NBC 5 Monday afternoon that the children had been safely located in Yoakum, Texas, about 280 miles south of the Dallas area.

“I know the kids are safe with CPS in Yoakum,” Rafael Ortega, detective with the Wilmer Police Department said.

The AMBER Alert was born in 1996 when local media teamed up with local police to develop an early warning system to find abducted children following the abduction and brutal murder of 9-year-old Amber Hagerman, of Arlington.

The children were last seen at the EMLI Apartments in Wilmer.

Police said the vehicle in connection to the abduction was last seen on I-35 driven by the woman’s boyfriend identified as Nicholas Falcon.

According to Wilmer PD, Hernandez could face charges as she did not have custody of the children.

“Yes, there will be charges, and yes, it is believed they were in danger,” Lt. John Rhodes with Wilmer PD said.

“We’re still currently getting an arrest warrant for the mother of the children,” Ortega said. “There might be additional charges coming for anybody that helped her with the children.”

Juan Mendez, who identified himself as the father of the two children, said this was the first time his children were taken from him.

“The mother of my kids, she broke into my house,” Mendez said. “By the time I woke up she had already taken the kids. I heard a slam and went running to check what it was. And it was her.”

Mendez reported the alleged abduction to police.

“It was terrifying. I didn’t know where my kids were at. But thank God they’re found,” Mendez said.

Less than an hour after the AMBER Alert was issued Monday afternoon, Mendez was relieved to hear from detectives that the children were found safe.

“They told me she had turned herself in, and that I gotta go pick them up right now,” Mendez said.

“I feel happy, very blessed that they’re found and they’re coming back home,” said Mendez. “They’re good here. They’ve got a good life. I’m going back to them right now.”

The Department of Family Services was not able to provide information on prior history of Hernandez and her two children.

TEXAS STATEWIDE ALERT PROGRAMS

There are eight kinds of alerts that can be issued for missing or endangered people in Texas. They are listed below with links to a page with more information.

Check back and refresh this page for the latest update. As developments unfold, elements of this story may change.

INDIANAPOLIS — During last season’s NBA All-Star weekend in Salt Lake City, no team had more buzz surrounding it than Dallas.

But here in Indianapolis during this season’s All-Star weekend? Barely a peep was said about the Mavericks.

Last season’s Mavericks were 31-29 and carried a three-game losing streak into the break, but they were just five games into the Luka Doncic-Kyrie Irving Era. They were the only franchise with two All-Star starters.

This year’s Mavericks are 32-23. They co-own with Boston the NBA’s longest current winning streak at six games. Dallas is 3-0 since the acquisitions of Daniel Gafford and P.J. Washington, having also recently been fortified by the injury returns of Irving, Dereck Lively II and Maxi Kleber.

And after missing 19 of the last 21 games, Dante Exum’s return appears imminent.

Clearly there’s much more reason to be bullish about Dallas’ post-All-Star chances than this time last season.

“It’s about us and everyone that’s in that locker room and continuing to get that work in on off days,” Irving said of the winning streak. “And doing the little things to be prepared to play whatever amount of minutes that coach asks you to.

“I think once we matured, in that sense of being able to lock into our roles, you’re seeing some highly successful basketball being played.”

Related:Why Mavericks’ Luka Doncic was happy to let others shine in 2024 NBA All-Star Game

Guess what, though? At last season’s All-Star break, the Mavericks were sixth in the Western Conference.

Now they are seventh, albeit just one game behind fifth-place Phoenix, which happens to be the team Dallas will host Thursday night as both teams begin post-break play, both with 27 games remaining.

“Good test for us,” Suns forward Kevin Durant said after Sunday night’s All-Star Game, won 211-186 by the East. “They’ve been playing well lately. They’ve got some new additions to their team that will challenge us.

“It’s a great game to start the second half of the season with.”

That might have been All-Star Weekend’s most lengthy Mavericks-related comment by a non-Dallas player, other than Nikola Jokic quipping after his buddy Doncic’s 7-point performance: “Luka’s really bad for this game. He’s worse than me, 100%.”

Perhaps Doncic, along with his stated disdain that no one tries on defense in All-Star games, also wanted to help the Mavericks remain under the radar, unlike last year in Salt Lake City, where Irving scored a franchise All-Star-record 32 points, plus 15 assists and 7 rebounds.

Doncic did nothing in Indianapolis to boost his profile in Most Valuable Player discussion, but he was far from the only All-Star who played listlessly.

Related:2023-24 NBA MVP race: Where does Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic stack up?

Besides, his MVP chances largely will be dictated by his ability to maintain his averages of 34.2 points, 9.5 assists and 8.5 rebounds and Dallas’ bid to move up in the conference standings.

At the break last season the Mavericks were just 2.5 games behind third-place Sacramento, but then came their buzzkill results coming out of the break.

They lost 6 of their next 9 games, and 10 of their next 15. Their 6-15 record after the break bounced them from Western Conference finalist the prior year to out of the postseason.

If they are able to remain relatively healthy during the final 27 games — far from a given, considering how this season has gone — a near-50-win campaign appears much more likely than a repeat of last season’s swoon.

If the former happens, the lack of buzz surrounding them here in Indianapolis will be immaterial — like Sunday’s All-Star Game itself.

Find more Mavericks coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.

“Slippery little suckers,” Julia Roberts exclaimed as one of her escargots flipped out of her grasp and across a fancy restaurant in the movie Pretty Woman.

I remember that scene when I think about Congress.

Here’s the latest from the slippery little suckers.

As legislation titles go, this one grabs your attention. The “You Earned It, You Keep It Act” is making a second attempt to eliminate the taxation of Social Security benefits. Reintroduced in late January by Colorado Rep. Angie Craig (D), the bill eliminates the taxation of Social Security benefits for all retirees.

It is one of many such bills in a long history of efforts that have gone nowhere.

The bill comes with an assessment of its financial impact on Social Security by Stephen C. Goss, its chief actuary. He notes that while one change in the bill eliminates the taxation of benefits, another — a tax increase — would extend the financial health of our retirement system out to 2054.

Related:Scott Burns: Why the stakes are huge for fixing Social Security

That’s a big improvement over the current estimated drop-dead date. Without any changes, Social Security benefits will have to be cut about 23% in 2034.

Scott Burns(EVANS CAGLAGE – 194187)

I should be thrilled by this legislation.

I’ve hated the taxation of Social Security benefits from the get-go. The reason is simple: It was created in a bipartisan but dishonest, and cowardly, way. When the tax became law with the Social Security reforms of 1983, few Social Security recipients had to pay any tax.

It was a non-event.

Why? The income threshold for the tax was high. Few would pay it.

But unlike virtually every other part of our tax code, the income threshold was fixed. It was not indexed for inflation. It never changed.

But inflation has soared.

Today, the tax is a middle-income problem. There was a time, long ago, when tea was tossed into Boston Harbor to protest “taxation without representation.” Congress, not distant King George, passed a tax that would be significant decades later. It was a generational end run on representation.

The Burns family has a dog in this hunt today. Back then, we didn’t. Back then, we were in our early 40s. Social Security benefits weren’t top-of-mind. Today we receive Social Security benefits. We pay taxes on 85% of our Social Security income. Many retirees find their federal income tax bill doubled.

We’re not talking peanuts here. If you have income from pensions, savings, investments or retirement accounts, ending the taxation of Social Security benefits will dwarf any other tax reform proposal — unless your income puts you in the top 1% or 2% of all taxpayers.

But I don’t want my taxes cut if it is achieved by putting a massive tax increase on others. That’s what this proposal does. Indeed, it’s really a large tax increase being sold as a tax cut for retirees.

Related:Scott Burns: Here’s a Social Security fix, using an online calculator anyone can access

The proud press releases brag on ending the taxation of benefits. The press releases are thin on how the system will gain enough revenue that its financing improves. Retirees get the prize. But high-income workers pay a much larger tax bill.

Here’s how that happens.

In 2023, the employment tax that provides retirement and disability income stopped at an income of $160,200. Under “You Earned It, You Keep It,” the tax will also apply to all earned income over $250,000.

That leaves a doughnut hole of untaxed earnings between $160,200 and $250,000. It will disappear as the wage base maximum rises to $250,000. The actuaries project that will happen by 2035.

After that, all earned income will be subject to the employment tax. It’s a lot of money. It will easily cover the loss of revenue from the taxation of Social Security benefits. At the same time, it will push the cash crisis of Social Security 20 years down the road.

The top earners will pay a lot more in taxes. Will they get anything for that burden?

Related:Scott Burns: ‘Die Sooner, Not Later’ is one way to make Social Security solvent

Yes. They get a stick in the eye. All earned income over the wage-base maximum will be credited at a 2% rate on their Social Security earnings record. Virtually nothing.

What most people don’t realize is that the highest effective tax rates are hidden inside the benefit-crediting system of Social Security. This isn’t a crime. It’s a social insurance program. It’s not a pension system.

Under current law, workers with indexed monthly income under $1,174 are credited at a 90% rate. Workers with indexed monthly income over $1,174 but less than $7,078 are credited at a 32% rate. Workers with indexed monthly earnings over $7,078 but less than the wage base maximum are credited at a 15% rate.

This legislation would create an additional step crediting all indexed income over the wage base maximum at 2%.

As the Pretty Woman said, “Slippery little suckers.”

SURPRISE, Ariz. — The first week of Texas Rangers spring training brought us this nugget of information: Manager Bruce Bochy, like many, spends his downtime on Instagram watching golf videos.

The second week further peeled back the layers of the veteran manager’s social media acumen.

“I don’t do YouTube, and all that,” Bochy said Thursday.

The prompt: Dude Perfect — the Frisco-based sports entertainment group that rose to YouTube fame thanks to their trick-shot-making-ability — was at the Rangers’ spring training complex on Thursday at the invitation of starting pitcher Dane Dunning.

Kevin Sparkman of Dude Perfect tries to make a catch at the outfield wall while shagging balls in batting practice during a Texas Rangers spring training workout at the team’s training facility on Thursday, Feb. 22, 2024, in Surprise, Ariz.(Smiley N. Pool / Staff Photographer)Texas Rangers infielder Josh Jung plays works with first base coach Corey Ragsdale during a spring training workout at the team’s training facility on Thursday, Feb. 22, 2024, in Surprise, Ariz.(Smiley N. Pool / Staff Photographer)Texas Rangers infielder Josh Jung wears a compression sleeve on his injured left calf during a spring training workout at the team’s training facility on Thursday, Feb. 22, 2024, in Surprise, Ariz.(Smiley N. Pool / Staff Photographer)Texas Rangers infielder Josh Jung plays catch with first base coach Corey Ragsdale during a spring training workout at the team’s training facility on Thursday, Feb. 22, 2024, in Surprise, Ariz.(Smiley N. Pool / Staff Photographer)Texas Rangers infielder Josh Jung signs autographs during a spring training workout at the team’s training facility on Thursday, Feb. 22, 2024, in Surprise, Ariz.(Smiley N. Pool / Staff Photographer)Texas Rangers infielder Matt Duffy, infielder Jared Walsh and infielder Nathaniel Lowe head to a back field for a spring training workout at the team’s training facility on Thursday, Feb. 22, 2024, in Surprise, Ariz.(Smiley N. Pool / Staff Photographer)Texas Rangers pitchers stretch during a spring training workout at the team’s training facility on Thursday, Feb. 22, 2024, in Surprise, Ariz.(Smiley N. Pool / Staff Photographer)Texas Rangers position players stretch during a spring training workout at the team’s training facility on Thursday, Feb. 22, 2024, in Surprise, Ariz.(Smiley N. Pool / Staff Photographer)Texas Rangers outfielder Evan Carter participates in a baserunning drill during a spring training workout at the team’s training facility on Thursday, Feb. 22, 2024, in Surprise, Ariz.(Smiley N. Pool / Staff Photographer)Texas Rangers infielder Ezequiel Duran participates in a spring training workout at the team’s training facility on Thursday, Feb. 22, 2024, in Surprise, Ariz.(Smiley N. Pool / Staff Photographer)Texas Rangers infielder Ezequiel Duran participates in a spring training workout at the team’s training facility on Thursday, Feb. 22, 2024, in Surprise, Ariz.(Smiley N. Pool / Staff Photographer)Texas Rangers infielder Ezequiel Duran (left) talks with infielder Abimelec Ortiz in a dugout during a spring training workout at the team’s training facility on Thursday, Feb. 22, 2024, in Surprise, Ariz.(Smiley N. Pool / Staff Photographer)Texas Rangers infielder Ezequiel Duran laughs with teammates during a spring training workout at the team’s training facility on Thursday, Feb. 22, 2024, in Surprise, Ariz.(Smiley N. Pool / Staff Photographer)Garrett Hilbert of Dude Perfect tries to make a diving catch while shagging balls in batting practice during a Texas Rangers spring training workout at the team’s training facility on Thursday, Feb. 22, 2024, in Surprise, Ariz.(Smiley N. Pool / Staff Photographer)Cody Jones and Tyler Toney of Dude Perfect prepare to take the field to shag balls in batting practice during a Texas Rangers spring training workout at the team’s training facility on Thursday, Feb. 22, 2024, in Surprise, Ariz.(Smiley N. Pool / Staff Photographer)Texas Rangers pitcher Nathan Eovaldi greets member of Dude Perfect during a spring training workout at the team’s training facility on Thursday, Feb. 22, 2024, in Surprise, Ariz.(Smiley N. Pool / Staff Photographer)Coby Cotton of Dude Perfect tries to make a sliding catch while shagging balls in batting practice during a Texas Rangers spring training workout at the team’s training facility on Thursday, Feb. 22, 2024, in Surprise, Ariz.(Smiley N. Pool / Staff Photographer)From left, Coby Cotton, Cody Jones and Cory Cotton of Dude Perfect relax in the bullpen during a Texas Rangers spring training workout at the team’s training facility on Thursday, Feb. 22, 2024, in Surprise, Ariz.(Smiley N. Pool / Staff Photographer)Gear bags for Dude Perfect in the bullpen during a Texas Rangers spring training workout at the team’s training facility on Thursday, Feb. 22, 2024, in Surprise, Ariz.(Smiley N. Pool / Staff Photographer)Tyler Toney of Dude Perfect tries his hand at a catching drill during a spring training workout at the team’s training facility on Thursday, Feb. 22, 2024, in Surprise, Ariz.(Smiley N. Pool / Staff Photographer)Texas Rangers executive vice president & general manager Chris Young trains his camera as Tyler Toney of Dude Perfect tries his hand at a catching drill during a spring training workout at the team’s training facility on Thursday, Feb. 22, 2024, in Surprise, Ariz.(Smiley N. Pool / Staff Photographer)Tyler Toney of Dude Perfect (left) fist bumps Texas Rangers catcher Jonah Heim after trying his hand at a catching drill, wearing Heim’s chest protector, during a spring training workout at the team’s training facility on Thursday, Feb. 22, 2024, in Surprise, Ariz.(Smiley N. Pool / Staff Photographer)Dirt covers the front the jersey of Tyler Toney of Dude Perfect during a Texas Rangers spring training workout at the team’s training facility on Thursday, Feb. 22, 2024, in Surprise, Ariz.(Smiley N. Pool / Staff Photographer)Tyler Toney of Dude Perfect (facing) shakes hands with Texas Rangers catcher Jonah Heim after trying his hand at a catching drill, wearing Heim’s chest protector, during a spring training workout at the team’s training facility on Thursday, Feb. 22, 2024, in Surprise, Ariz.(Smiley N. Pool / Staff Photographer)Texas Rangers pitcher Nathan Eovaldi hugs Kevin Sparkman of Dude Perfect during a spring training workout at the team’s training facility on Thursday, Feb. 22, 2024, in Surprise, Ariz.(Smiley N. Pool / Staff Photographer)Texas Rangers infielder Abimelec Ortiz participates in a sliding drill during a spring training workout at the team’s training facility on Thursday, Feb. 22, 2024, in Surprise, Ariz.(Smiley N. Pool / Staff Photographer)Texas Rangers pitcher Chasen Shreve throws in the bullpen as fellow pitchers (from left) Nathan Eovaldi, Andrew Heaney and Kirby Yates look on during a spring training workout at the team’s training facility on Thursday, Feb. 22, 2024, in Surprise, Ariz.(Smiley N. Pool / Staff Photographer)Texas Rangers minor league development coach Josh Johnson hits infield grounders during a spring training workout at the team’s training facility on Thursday, Feb. 22, 2024, in Surprise, Ariz.(Smiley N. Pool / Staff Photographer)Texas Rangers infielder Justin Foscue passes a baseball card back through a fence while signing autographs for a fan during a spring training workout at the team’s training facility on Thursday, Feb. 22, 2024, in Surprise, Ariz.(Smiley N. Pool / Staff Photographer)Texas Rangers infielder Ezequiel Duran (right) laughs with outfielder Evan Carter as they ride back to the clubhouse on a golf cart after a spring training workout at the team’s training facility on Thursday, Feb. 22, 2024, in Surprise, Ariz.(Smiley N. Pool / Staff Photographer)

“I knew nothing about them, I had never seen them before,” Bochy said of Dude Perfect, whose YouTube page now has 60 million subscribers. “Dane Dunning comes in my office and talks about them that they’re coming here. ‘Who are they?’ … then I started looking at them, and it’s incredible what they have accomplished.

“We’re excited to have them here. They all know ‘em, the players, trust me. This grandpa doesn’t know too much about them, but I’m looking forward to seeing them interact with our players.”

The group was out and about on the practice fields Thursday dressed in team uniforms, shagging fly balls, attempting catcher’s drills and meeting with Rangers players and officials.

“I’ve watched their YouTube videos and stuff,” said outfielder Wyatt Langford, whose batting practice fly balls were fielded by Dude Perfect. “We were having a good time hitting it to them.”

Texas Rangers pitcher Nathan Eovaldi hugs Kevin Sparkman of Dude Perfect during a spring training workout at the team’s training facility on Thursday, Feb. 22, 2024, in Surprise, Ariz.(Smiley N. Pool / Staff Photographer)

On Twitter/X: @McFarland_Shawn

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