 | | Munsch
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| Welcome home, Zach.
The Dallas Cowboys signed veteran linebacker Zach Thomas, formerly of the Miami Dolphins, to a one-year contract last week. Thomas, the Dolphins' fifth round pick from 1996, played at Texas Tech before jumping to the Miami where he played for the Fish from 1996-2007.
Now he's back where he belongs - the Lone Star State.
Thomas sat out a large part of last year because of concussions and migraines, but if fully healthy, and the Cowboys are obviously counting on that, he brings leadership and experience - and yes even play-making ability - to the Cowboys' linebacker corps. He's expected to be penciled in as a starter.
Although it's nice to have Thomas in a Dallas uniform, Cowboy fans can't help but think he could have been here from the very start. Former Dolphins coach Jimmy Johnson took Thomas in the fifth round of the 1996 draft. Lots of teams passed up Thomas, who's had a productive career, including last year, when he had 52 tackles in five games.
The Cowboys didn't pass up Thomas this time.
Better late than never.
What's in a name?
While we're on the subject of Thomas, I failed to mention Thomas played his high school ball in Pampa - home of the Harvesters.
Harvesters is one of my favorite high school nicknames in Texas. It just makes sense, as the Pampa community - and the Panhandle in general - is known for agriculture.
Other cities/schools with apropos nicknames: Dallas Highland Park Scots, Arlington Bowie Volunteers, Italy Gladiators and Shamrock Irish and the Hamlin Pied Pipers. Just to name a few.
School officials can come up with unusual nicknames, too, such as the Hutto Hippos, Winters Blizzards and the Robstown Cottonpickers.
High school sports fans here will be interested in what nickname is selected for the new George Ranch High School that will open in 2010. A reader last year suggested Pioneers be adopted as the nickname, as a way to give a nod to the area's early settlers.
Works for me.
But the nickname selection process is still some time away, and I wouldn't be surprised if a four-legged critter - Panthers, Bobcats or Wolves - is selected. That's the route many other districts have taken lately.
The “Devil” is No Longer in the Details
While we're on the subject of names, a Major League Baseball team has altered its nickname.
Tampa Bay will now be known as the Rays, rather than the Devil Rays, which, let's face it, was one of the worst pro sports teams nicknames of all time, ranking up there with the Montreal Expos, Orlando Magic, Miami Heat and San Jose Earthquakes.
What, no Seattle Pilots, you say? Hey, I liked that name. It was catchy. Nothing catchy about Tampa Bay Devil Rays, even with the rhyming first and second names.
The Rays, who are perennial basement dwellers in the American League East, are trying to rehap their image with the new name, but they will apprarently keep the mantra ray mascot in the secondary logo.
Still, not better way to start anew than to admit you had a goofy original nickname.
Don Munsch can be reached by e-mail at: dmunsch@fbherald.com.
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