SportsDay Insider: Cowboys’ disaster, Aggies’ title hopes and a World Series for the ages

The Dallas Stars filed a counterclaim late Tuesday night against the Dallas Mavericks, seeking to “restore normal operations at the American Airlines Center and prevent the Mavericks’ attempted hostile takeover.” In other news, the future of the region’s rapid transit system could take significant hits when city leaders in Plano, Highland Park and Farmers Branch consider ballot measures to withdraw from Dallas Area Rapid Transit; a grocer with a devoted fan base is finally readying a spot in a growing North Texas city. Trader Joe’s is planning to open a store in the city of Frisco, according to the company. The small-format grocer did not disclose a location and timeline for the store; The 2025 Michelin Guide Texas included 140 restaurants, only adding 30 to 2024’s picks and removing none. Over the past year, the French company anonymously visited, then rated restaurants in five Texas cities and surrounding areas for the influential Michelin Guide. Dallas now has 2 restaurants with one Michelin star, double what it had last year. After being open for less than two months, Mamani received the 1-star distinction. Tatsu Dallas kept its star. Dallas added a new Recommended restaurant as well, Sushi Kozy. No new restaurants in Fort Worth were added to the Michelin Guide. Now that the awards have been bestowed, what’s next for restaurants that were recognized? What about those that weren’t included? You can read more at DallasNews.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

SportsDay Insiders Kevin Sherrington, Evan Grant and Calvin Watkins discuss [00:50] the Cowboys’ loss to the Broncos, which Evan says doesn’t qualify as a disaster because it wasn’t a surprise. Here’s a surprise: If Jerry Jones waves the white flag and trades his most marketable asset, George Pickens. [25:59] The guys give their take. Texas A&M picked up another road win against a ranked team with an impressive performance against LSU, getting the Tigers’ coach fired in the process. [56:05] Can the Aggies win their first national title in nearly 90 years? Shawn McFarland joins the group to discuss that and other college football as well as an 18-inning thriller in Game 3. The question: Is Shohei Ohtani better than Babe Ruth? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A yearlong breakdown in the Mavericks and Stars’ relationship came to a head Tuesday morning, when Dallas’ NBA franchise filed suit against the city’s NHL team. The News also reported Tuesday that the Stars are eyeing a $1 billion arena at the Shops at Willow Bend Mall site, a move that could see the hockey franchise leave downtown Dallas for the first time in its history, two people with knowledge of the team’s efforts told The Dallas Morning News. The 107-acre mall property on W. Park Boulevard has emerged as the favorite to land the NHL franchise after discussions with cities including Frisco, The Colony, Arlington and Fort Worth if the team leaves the American Airlines Center after its lease expires in 2031. In other news, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is suing the makers of Tylenol, accusing the companies of failing to warn consumers about risks of taking the drug while pregnant; and Woodrow Wilson High School Principal Chandra Hooper-Barnett will not return to the school, according to a Tuesday letter from Dallas ISD Superintendent Stephanie Elizalde to families. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Bob Doll, CEO and Chief Investment Officer at Crossmark, on models for managing investments, the Federal Reserve's independence and the give and take between entitlements and inflation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Federal Aviation Administration on Monday issued a ground delay for flights departing to DFW International Airport due to staffing issues. Flights bound for DFW had an average delay of 18 minutes. A spokesman for DFW Airport said, “The FAA implements air traffic management programs based on its capacity for safe operations. As always, we encourage travelers to check their flight status with their airline.” In other news, kids today already use or have access to artificial intelligence tools. That’s according to Pat Yongpradit, chief academic officer for Code.org, a nonprofit promoting computer science education. What matters, he says, is teaching children how to use AI properly and he is worried schools are falling behind in this regard; the economic impact of automobile and personal loans is larger in Texas than any other state, according to new data; nd the University Interscholastic League isn’t ready to add any new sports, and Monday it signaled that it is content for now with the 14 sports that it sanctions. During the UIL’s legislative council meeting, the state’s governing body for public school athletics denied, rejected or took no action on proposals to add pickleball, boys volleyball, lacrosse and ice hockey as UIL-sanctioned sports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the year since Tatsu Dallas became the first — and currently only — North Texas restaurant to receive a star, Michelin has loomed like a shadow in the background of daily life for Tatsu and Hiroko, who oversees front-of-house operations for the restaurant. The pressure to perform at the highest level is ever-present. In other news, the search for a stolen pickup carrying stoves and refrigerators led Dallas police last week to arrest four people who are accused of stealing several vehicles and dismantling them for parts; the Dallas Mavericks claimed their first victory of the season in a 139-129 rout of the Raptors on Sunday. Rookie Cooper Flagg led the Mavericks with a career-high 22 points along with four rebounds, four assists and a block; and if you thought pickleball was the hottest social sport in Dallas right now, it’s time to learn about padel. Texans will likely pronounce the sport’s name like paddle, though some in other parts of the country say it as puh-DELL. Whatever you choose to call it, Dallas’ first facility dedicated to the fast-growing racket sport Padel is set to open in the Design District in 2026. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Before El Califa de Leon abruptly exited its Dallas area pop-up, The Dallas Morning News food team used the backdrop of Michelin-starred tacos to discuss what they expected to see ahead of the Texas Michelin Guide announcement on Oct. 28, 2025. Dallas chef Dean Fearing also dropped by to discuss why he missed the 2024 Michelin awards ceremony, how he helped create the iconic Mansion on Turtle Creek tortilla soup recipe and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Texas Education Agency will remove Fort Worth ISD’s elected school board and its superintendent, instituting the second-largest state takeover in Texas history. Education Commissioner Mike Morath announced the move Thursday. In other news, when Dallas County’s adult probation director cut a $32,800 check to a contractor in May, he said it was to replace checks issued two years earlier the consultant forgot to cash; former NBA player and coach Damon Jones was among more than 30 people charged in connection with schemes involving illegal sports betting and rigged poker games backed by the Mafia. Jones, who played collegiately at the University of Houston, was arrested on Thursday after he allegedly provided inside information about NBA games to co-defendants who used it to place sports bets; and a Preston Hollow mansion known for grandiose holiday decorations that attract droves of visitors has once more become the subject of both awe and ire. After neighbors complained, the city’s code compliance department issued the home notices for light glare and noise violations, which were found to be resolved in later inspections. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Fair officials acknowledged the decline in a release on Sunday. More detailed numbers Wednesday revealed this year’s fair attendance is the lowest over the past eight years. The drop has implications for the city of Dallas as well as the State Fair. A fair spokesperson said that several factors likely contributed to the drop in attendance. In other news, millions of Texans could lose food benefits at the end of this month if the government shutdown continues. In a letter to states this month, the U.S. Agriculture Department warned the federal government will have insufficient funds to pay for the Supplemental Food Assistance and Nutrition Program, known as SNAP, if the shutdown continues past next Monday; the Dallas City Council agreed Wednesday to pay Dallas County for jail services after a monthlong delay and approved an $8.7 million annual contract for housing and processing people arrested by Dallas police. The decision follows weeks of debate over performance measures and city concerns about delays in the jail intake process; and Big Tex needs a new pair of boots. The Big Tex Boot Design Contest, presented by Lucchese Bootmaker, opened Wednesday morning. To enter, draw, paint or illustrate the design on the sheets provided on the State Fair Design My Boots page and submit it with the entry form. Contest entries are due by Jan. 31, and the winning design will be announced March 2, next year.  All entries must be original works of art with no copyrighted material and include the Lucchese brand logo. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

SportsDay Insiders Kevin Sherrington, Evan Grant and Joe Hoyt [00:15] ride the Cowboys rollercoaster for another week, wondering if Sunday's defense against Washington can last. Will it be good enough to take advantage of what looks like Dak Prescott's finest season? And will that make them a playoff team? [20:00] Mike Curtis joins Kevin and Evan to give a preview of the Mavs' opener Wednesday against San Antonio. Cooper Flagg has made an early impression, but will he, Anthony Davis and the defense be enough to hold things together until Kyrie Irving returns? [36:43] Kevin and Evan take a look at the teams in Texas with a best shot at the CFP and close with their predictions for the World Series. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices