The Final Score: Touchdown Dallas

DALLAS, TEXAS - In this part of the sports universe, bigger is always better. We’re in snowy Dallas to cover the NBA All-Star Game for Solar TV. We’re also in Dallas to witness how this city redefines what “NBA All-Star" caliber means. Dallas’ ultimate goal is to attract an NFL Superbowl crowd to watch an NBA All-Star game. We’re not talking packed house here. We’re talking game attendance of mammoth proportions. Supersize trumps bite size is the mindset. Why else would Dallas choose the Cowboys Stadium as site for the 59th All-Star Game? If All-Star week in Vegas was about pageantry and the Los Angeles edition was about glitz, the 2010 version is about magnitude. Sports Americana agrees with Dallas. This is, after all, the home of America’s Team, The Dallas Cowboys. Dallas has a right to rewrite basketball history because of its contribution to sports history. Tom Landry’s sideline grace, Herschel Walker’s burst of speed, Troy Aikman’s golden arm and the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders were immortalized here.

Ask any sports fan in any part of the world to name an NFL team and chances are they’ll say Cowboys. In a sense, the Cowboys are football’s version of the Yankees. Even if the Cowboys have neither the success rate nor Babe Ruth-pedigree of the Yankees, the Cowboys still have Yankees-level international brand recall. Who needs pinstripes if you own the tag “America’s Team" forever? Dallas is also home to two of American sports’ most vocal, hands-on, media-savvy and vibrant team owners. Jerry Jones owns the Cowboys. Mark Cuban owns the Mavericks. And they own their teams the way Sinatra owned the Rat Pack. They’re always at the games. They go after talent the way Wily Coyote goes after the Road Runner. Their imprints on the team are undeniable. Their vision for sports is larger-than-life. Jones is the guy who’ll bring Manny Pacquiao to Cowboys Stadium in March. Cuban, when he’s not screaming at referees for fun, lifts weights and runs on the treadmill sporting a Mavericks jersey. They love the media and hate to lose. The bumper sticker says Don’t Mess with Texas. If Jones and Cuban had bumper stickers made, it would say Don’t Mess with Dallas. If You Do Let’s Make Sure We Strike A Winning Deal and Find A Way To Let The World Know About It. As it turned out, even the weather wants prime-time attention during All-Star week. The city woke up to falling snow today. Weather forecasters here in Dallas talk about snow on TV the way our newscasters talk about strong rains in Metro Manila. Will flights be cancelled? Will freeways close down? Will classes be postponed? Will the Superbowl-edition of the NBA All-Star Game turn into the Icebowl-version of the NBA mid-season gala? Knowing Jones and Cuban, however, they won’t let white slush slow-down All-Star week. If any, they’ll ensure snow makes the 2010 All-Star Game even more memorable. Welcome friends to the NBA Snowbowl. - GMANews.TV