Mike Piellucci

SMU Is Off to a Historic Start in the ACC. Why the Streak Matters - D Magazine The Mustangs have yet to lose a conference regular-season game since joining the ACC last year. That's a big deal for a number of reasons.

Rhett Lashlee mentioned that he doesn’t know if any team has done what SMU’s currently doing since joining the ACC.

My latest column looked into seeing if he was right, and why it matters:

www.dmagazine.com/sports/2025/...

SMU Is Off to a Historic Start in the ACC. Here’s Why Their Conference Win Streak Matters. The Mustangs have yet to lose a conference regular-season game since joining the ACC last year. That's a big deal for a number of reasons.

A lot of SMU milestones have gotten attention since 2024. Relative to those, its perfect record in ACC regular season games hasn’t.

@yeahlikethebook.bsky.social
dove in to see just how historic the streak is, the biggest challenges to it, and how much it matters

www.dmagazine.com/sports/2025/...

I'm sure absolutely nobody will take objection to David Moore's position that the Cowboys should stand pat at the trade deadline. No anger at all.

But hear the man out:

www.dmagazine.com/sports/2025/...

YouTube video by D Magazine D Magazine presents StrongSide: Episode 1 - Dirk Nowitzki

Hey. @machinesports.bsky.social
and I have a show now. It’s good.

Dirk Nowitzki is the first guest. That, too, is good.

So give it a watch and a like/subscription, please, and tell your friends. In exchange, we will make more good shows with more good guests.

Enjoy!

youtu.be/n7yVK8wdjZA?...

The New-Look Mavs Tip Off Tonight. Here’s What to Expect in 2025-26. Expect Dallas to play very differently than it has in recent seasons. This is what we know about how that will look.

We know what the Mavericks' roster looks like. What matters is how it's utilized. So with the season tipping off tonight, Brian Dameris dove into what to expect on the floor and how the pieces are moved around.

Here's how Dallas wins in 2025-26:

www.dmagazine.com/sports/2025/...

The Stars have looked like a different team in each of their first five games. What do we do with that? Let the great @tiffin.bsky.social sort through what we know so far:

www.dmagazine.com/sports/2025/...

Why Can’t the Cowboys Win a Division as Flawed as They Are? The best passing attack in football demolished another NFC East team. Given the state of the competition, perhaps that can be enough to overcome a leaky defense and get Dallas back into the postseason...

Dallas' season could have nosedived yesterday. Instead, a dominant win fueled by the best passing attack in football has Jake Kemp wondering: why the Cowboys can't win an NFC East as flawed as they are?

www.dmagazine.com/sports/2025/...

The messed up thing is that Eberflus actually is Trying Some Stuff in a way you don't normally see. And it's still not working.

The Cowboys’ Defense Is Beyond Salvaging Yes, it's only been six games. But a flawed scheme, mismatched personnel, and an overall lack of talent doom any chance of improvement this season.

. @riversmccown.bsky.social is making the call: barring some major overhaul, the Cowboys' defense is already beyond salvaging this season. That's what happens when a group already light on talent plays in a scheme that isn't maximizing it:

Smart stuff here:

www.dmagazine.com/sports/2025/...

Here’s What Mavericks Preseason Taught Us The defense was as suffocating as expected. The shooting was just as bad, too. But we learned plenty along the way.

Skip out on Mavs preseason? The great @boweman55.bsky.social has you covered. Here's everything we learned over the four games, expected and otherwise:

www.dmagazine.com/sports/2025/...

Dak Prescott’s Cowboys Legacy Isn’t Up to Him. Just Ask Danny White. The conversation about Dallas' current starting quarterback is sounding a lot like the one about Tony Romo. But as a Dallas quarterback who preceded both will tell you, plenty about how we remember th...

We're starting to talk about Dak Prescott in the same way we talked about Tony Romo. Which, as it happens, is the same way we talked about Danny White.

So David Moore called White to talk about all the things outside a QB's control.

A must-read:

www.dmagazine.com/sports/2025/...

Glen Gulutzan Is Looking For Tone Setters. Here Are the Early Candidates. A new style of play goes as far as the players who help implement it. A few names stand out in the early going.

A brief dive into who Glen Gulutzan chooses to be his champion when it comes to setting the tone for the 2025-2026 Dallas Stars (and why the obvious candidate may not be the best; but also why they could be). www.dmagazine.com/sports/2025/...

Glen Gulutzan Is Looking For Tone Setters. Here Are the Early Candidates. A new style of play goes as far as the players who help implement it. A few names stand out in the early going.

I'd submit that the Stars' results so far, even in Central play, matter a lot less than setting the right tone early in the Gulutzan era.

With that in mind, here are some very wise words from
@davidcastillo.bsky.social on the players doing just that:

www.dmagazine.com/sports/2025/...

The Cowboys' Margin For Error Is Gone After Losing to Carolina - D Magazine Another terrible defensive effort led to another unacceptable loss. Now Dallas' season is on the line, with no room left to mistakes.

The story of the yesterday's loss to Carolina is the story of the Cowboys' year so far: there is no margin for error. And that means their season is already on the brink. Here's Jake Kemp:

www.dmagazine.com/sports/2025/...

LFG

Skip Schumaker Was the Rangers’ Only Candidae to Succeed Bruce Bochy. Here’s Why. The playoffs were barely underway before Texas tabbed the 45-year-old as its next manager. And from familiarity with the organization to a track record of overachievement, he has plenty working in his...

There’s a reason Skip Schumaker was the Rangers’ only real candidate to succeed Bruce Bochy. Many reasons, actually. Here is @zcrizer.bsky.social with the full breakdown of why Texas moved so fast on him.

www.dmagazine.com/sports/2025/...

The Search for the Stars’ Next Captain Begins Tonight Tonight's season opener is Dallas' first without Jamie Benn since 2009. As their leader recovers from a collapsed lung, the Stars have an opportunity to identify the player who will eventually take up...

For the first time in 17 years, Jamie Benn won't be in the opening-night lineup. It's a reminder that sooner than later someone will emerge as the Stars leader.

On that opportunity for whomever becomes the Stars next captain

My latest for @DMagazine

www.dmagazine.com/sports/2025/...

The Search for the Stars’ Next Captain Begins Tonight Tonight's season opener is Dallas' first without Jamie Benn since 2009. As their leader recovers from a collapsed lung, the Stars have an opportunity to identify the player who will eventually take up...

Jamie Benn is the Stars. The Stars are Jamie Benn.

But for the first time since 2009, that won't be the case on opening night. That means the search for his successor as captain informally begins now.

Excellent stuff only @seanshapiro.bsky.social can write:

www.dmagazine.com/sports/2025/...

It's a remarkable talent

Matt Eberflus Will Determine Where the Cowboys’ Season Goes From Here Dallas has answered any lingering questions about its offense. Defense is another story. And the Cowboys' first-year coordinator faces plenty of challenges as he tries to right the ship.

Think we can safely put to bed any questions about the Cowboys' offense. The defense? Entirely different story.

That's why, as David Moore writes, so much of where this season goes rests on Matt Eberflus' shoulders:

www.dmagazine.com/sports/2025/...

Remembering the Pint-Sized Buddy Young, Dallas’ First Pro Football Star An excerpt from the upcoming book A Big Mess in Texas: The Miraculous, Disastrous 1952 Dallas Texans and the Craziest Untold Story in NFL History.

The outstanding @flemfile.bsky.social has a book coming out about the original Dallas Texans, and it is predictably great.

So I'm thrilled to be running an excerpt of it. Meet Buddy Young, a 5'4'' RB who was Dallas' first pro football star. You'll love this:

www.dmagazine.com/sports/2025/...

The Cowboys Offense Finally Has a Plan B For far too long, Dallas had nowhere to turn when its go-to options failed. Those days are over.

Jake Kemp's piece about yesterday's smackdown of the Jets begins by referencing French philosophy from 1897. It's also the best piece about yesterday's smackdown of the Jets. I will let you decide if these two things are related.

www.dmagazine.com/sports/2025/...

Where Do the Cowboys Go Next After Another Packers Haunting? Dallas has been stuck in neutral since its playoff shellacking by Green Bay two seasons ago. Now, after another missed opportunity against its northern rival, it must plot a course forward.

Beginning on Sunday, the Cowboys’ schedule softens up a bit. Will that help them rebound from another missed opportunity against the team that’s haunted Dallas since January 2024?

Here’s David Moore:

www.dmagazine.com/sports/2025/...

Let's talk about the Javontessance.

Javonte Williams Looks Reborn For the Cowboys. Here’s Why. Dallas entered the season with a major question at running back. The 25-year-old surprisingly looks like the answer.

The Cowboys have made more than their share of dumb signings, cheap signings, and dumb and cheap signings. Javonte Williams is not one of them.

Here's @riversmccown.bsky.social with an excellent look at why the 25-year-old looks reborn and why it can stick:

www.dmagazine.com/sports/2025/...

New byline dropped 🤞🏿

Dirk is Anchorman! - D Magazine Six years after retiring from the Mavericks, he's made a career move that would shock his younger self. And that's far from the only thing he's been doing since hanging up the jersey.

Good morning! My cover story on Dirk Nowitzki is now online.

TV, life after retirement, the Mavs, Harvard business school, secret hoops training sessions, the next Nowitzki hooper, Dirk playing jazz flute -- it's all in here. I hope you enjoy.

www.dmagazine.com/publications...

The Wings’ Problems Run Deeper Than Vickie Johnson Dallas' decision not to bring back the head coach for a third season is justifiable. But the organization needs a systemic overhaul even more than a coaching change.

Relevant once again, just change out the coach’s name as necessary: www.dmagazine.com/sports/2022/...

SMU Still Has Everything to Play for As ACC Play Begins The Mustangs have their issues after an underwhelming performance in nonconference play. But all of them are surmountable, if they can tighten up on defense.

After the Kevin Jennings story, we got requests for more SMU pieces on StrongSide. We are happy to oblige -- and we got a great one in @yeahlikethebook.bsky.social writing them.

Here's his first, on where the Mustangs stand heading into ACC play this weekend:

www.dmagazine.com/sports/2025/...

Dak Prescott Snatched a Tie From the Jaws of Defeat Against Green Bay - D Magazine Yes, a win would have been better. But the Cowboys wouldn't have just lost on Sunday without their quarterback—they'd be lost without him.

Just about everything from last night's game goes back to Dak Prescott. Because just about everything in this Cowboys season will, too.

Here's Jake Kemp on why Prescott looked back to his 2023 form on a weird night of football.

www.dmagazine.com/sports/2025/...