SportsDay Rangers, Episode 18: The one with David Murphy

Dallas Love Field and DFW International Airport ranked among the top five airports in North America for their respective categories in J.D. Power’s annual survey of airport satisfaction. DFW Airport moved up one spot to be named the fourth-best airport in the mega airport category. Love Field, the home base of Southwest Airlines, finished third in the large airport category. In other news, a second man has been arrested in connection with a fatal shooting last month in northwest Dallas. Dallas police officials announced Wednesday that 23-year old Jeremiah Grice was booked into the Dallas County jail on Sept. 4 in the death of 34-year-old Juan Hernandez Esparza. The Texas Rangers whiffed on an opportunity to win the Silver Boot Series for the first time in nine seasons. Their playoff chances might’ve gone out the window with it. The Rangers were swept by the Houston Astros capped off by a 5-2 loss Wednesday night, to drop the season series against their in-state rival. And the Conquistador, a popular ride at Arlington’s Six Flags Over Texas, is going away after more than 40 years. The ride was one of the cornerstones of the Spain section of the park, which has been closed since last year due to construction of a “record breaking dive coaster” slated to open in 2026. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

SportsDay Insiders Kevin Sherrington, Evan Grant and Calvin Watkins discuss [2:30] the Cowboys’ OT win over the Giants. Dak Prescott’s resolve to run this year after the Cowboys put him on a leash last year has made a big difference on offense, restocked by the likes of George Pickens and Javonte Williams. But the defense? Big problems. [25:48] Evan is in Houston for one of the season’s biggest series, and Kevin says [42:12] Texas A&M’s win over Notre Dame in South Bend doesn’t rise to the level of Johnny Football’s upset of top-ranked Alabama in Tuscaloosa, but it sends a similar message. Plus: What’s up with Arch Manning? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dallas County is poised to become the largest jurisdiction in the U.S. to hand-count paper ballots as the local Republican Party has decided to manually tally election day ballots during its March primary. In other news, for the third time, Robert Roberson III is scheduled to be executed by lethal injection next month in Texas. The 58-year old Roberson was convicted of capital murder in 2003 for reportedly shaking his 2-year-old daughter, Nikki, to death.; the McKinney City Council abandoned plans Tuesday for a deck park meant to reconnect the city’s east side to its historic downtown after losing $15 million in federal funding as a result of President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act; and SMU had been quietly conducting a rebrand until Board of Trustees Chair David Miller made a bold statement to an arena full of SMU fans Friday night. Miller said “‘Pony Up’ has died a natural death.” It led to an outpouring of frustration from fans on social media. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

CEO of the Baylor Health Care System on leveraging AI to transform a legacy system, empower people and drive the future of healthcare. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dallas-Fort Worth hasn’t seen a drop of rain since the first weekend of the month, but shifting air masses will bring a new pattern to North Texas at the end of the week. That’s according to the National Weather Service’s Fort Worth office. Rain chances are highest on Thursday, with a 40% probability of precipitation, but are expected to continue through Sunday. In other news, years into its famous growth story, North Texas has notched another distinction — the country’s top large metro area for attracting workforce talent. for nearly 90 years, Oak Cliff’s Glendale Park has served as a gathering place for the Black communities that surround it. For years, Dallas city leaders have promised to invest in it. Residents are still waiting, but the city is slowly moving forward; Collin County Animal Services paused dog adoptions as it investigates a possible disease outbreak, according to a social media post by shelter officials Sunday. The post did not disclose which disease or when adoptions might resume. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Autonomous trucking companies have been strategically relocating their headquarters to Texas to test driverless long-haul trucks across the region. State lawmakers have recently signaled they’re paying more attention to the flock of driverless trucks that increasingly traverse Texas roadways — and changes are coming. In other news, the senior pastor at Friendship-West Baptist Church has announced a temporary leave of absence after a medical diagnosis, according to a news release Sunday from the church. Frederick Douglas Haynes III has served at the church in Dallas for over 40 years; the Dallas Cowboys beat the New York Giants 40-37 in overtime after Brandon Aubrey booted a 64-yarder to force OT and a 46-yarder to win it; and Scottie Scheffler closed with a 5-under 67 to win the Procore Championship for his sixth PGA Tour victory of the year. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

John and Evan introduce us to the Legend of Michael Helman and continue to fumble for words on the Rangers rebound. David Murphy drops by to help them out, explaining how he came up with “The Little Rascals” description of the team, what he’s liked about watching them, his initial bitterness about analytics and how he’s transitioned into broadcasting. Finally, John explains how he manipulated an MLB record for a Ranger and the guys remember 9/11 with the team in San Francisco. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Lab-grown meat is now banned in Texas. So what's the deal and why? The Dallas Morning News food team discusses that intersection of dining and politics, along with recent restaurant openings and moves. They also talk about the new "straight to jail" social media trend in which folks share their absolute must-orders at iconic restaurants in Dallas-Fort Worth. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk in Utah on Wednesday sparked an outpouring of shock, fear and mourning from local religious leaders. Leading Christian, Jewish and Muslim voices grieved and condemned the murder of the 31-year-old activist. In other news, Irving-based subprime auto lender and dealer Tricolor Holdings filed for bankruptcy Tuesday and plans to liquidate its assets, according to court filings. The case comes after allegations of “significant fraud.” Also, a motel manager was attacked and decapitated by an employee following an argument Wednesday. And UT Southwestern scientist Steven McKnight won the 2025 Albert Lasker Basic Medical Research Award. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hemp-based THC products such as gummies and drinks infused with the cannabis compound will be restricted to adults age 21 and older while state alcohol regulators study how to further regulate the burgeoning industry, under an executive order issued Wednesday by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott. In other news,Texas lawmakers offered an outpouring of prayers and condemnation after learning that popular conservative activist Charlie Kirk had been killed at an event in Utah; a former Texas Christian University student filed a federal lawsuit Wednesday against the school, arguing its sexual assault policies do not protect students from rape and seeking $100 million in compensatory and punitive damages; and Dallas Area Rapid Transit riders will feel service cuts aimed at saving the agency $24 million per year early next year. Approved by the transit agency’s board Tuesday, the changes include frequency reductions on many buses, weekend peak frequency changes from 15 to 20 minutes on light rail and the discontinuation of seven low-performing routes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices