By Brian Bateman
brianb@texasjewishpost.com
Did you notice something strange during the Dallas Cowboys’ regular-season opener?
No, it wasn’t the lackluster offense and no, it wasn’t the injury to Dez Bryant.
What may have been more puzzling to those listening on the radio was a new voice calling the game for KRLD. Brad Sham skipped his spot in front of the microphone, this time in observance of Rosh Hashanah.
“It’s always the first thing I look for when the schedule comes out,” Sham told The Dallas Morning News. “I don’t look for opponents, whether games are home or away, or anything like that. I look to see if there will be a conflict with the Jewish High Holidays.”
Verne Lundquist filled in for Sham, his first time calling the Cowboys since 1983. Sham returned to the booth Sunday as the Cowboys defeated Philadelphia, 20-10, in their second straight NFC East matchup.
The Dallas Cowboys weren’t in sync during their regular-season opener, but managed to win, 27-26. After injuries to receiver Dez Bryant in the first game and quarterback Tony Romo in the second, those hearing Sham’s voice on the radio will likely take a bit of solace in that normalcy.
Feldman out for season
One of the best Jewish pitchers in Major League Baseball won’t be with his team down the stretch.
Astros starter Scott Feldman (5-5, 3.90 ERA) sprained his right shoulder Sept. 11 and will miss the remainder of the season. He left his start against the Seattle Mariners in the third inning.
It’s the second injury of the year for Feldman. He missed 7 weeks with arthroscopic knee surgery. He’s expected to return in 2016, but no timetable has been set.
It’s a tough blow to the Astros, who watched their long-held AL West lead slip away to the Texas Rangers last week. Houston is still expected to make the playoffs.
Rising star at UCLA
Did you stay up late Saturday night to watch the UCLA-BYU game? If you did, you may have seen one of the best Jewish college football players in the nation and not known it.
Josh Rosen, credited by many scouting sites as the No. 1 quarterback recruit in the nation last recruiting cycle, led his then-No. 10 Bruins to a thrilling comeback and 24-23 victory over then-No.19 Brigham Young.
Rosen, who was also the No. 2 overall recruit in 2015, played for a Catholic high school in Manhattan Beach, California last year. He has helped ease UCLA through the departure of Brett Hundley to the Green Bay Packers. Through three games, he has completed 61 of 100 passes for 680 yards, five touchdowns and four interceptions, all for a quarterback rating of 126.6.
Three of those interceptions came against BYU, in what Rosen called “probably one of the worst games of my career” in the post-game press conference. “And we still beat a top-20 team,” he added.
The 18-year-old has plenty of room to grow, but UCLA could be in the mix during the next few years for the College Football Playoff if he continues to improve.
Israeli hockey team in Dallas
Israel’s national hockey team played an exhibition game against the Dallas Stars Alumni team Sept. 12 in Frisco.
Former Stars goaltender Marty Turco and defenseman and current TV analyst Brent Severyn led the Stars Alumni.
The Israeli team featured Sergei Frenkel, the all-time leading points scorer for Team Israel; Daniel Mazour, the all-time leader in games played for Israel; goaltender Tevgeni Gusin; and former Fort Worth Brahmas defenseman Daniel Spivak.
“We are very excited for the opportunity to participate in a charity game with Team Israel,” said Stars Director of Alumni Bob Bassen in a press release before the game. “While the Alumni Association is dedicated to helping support hockey programs in Texas, we jumped at the idea of taking on an international team and helping to grow awareness for the game of hockey in Israel.”
The Stars Alumni won, 8-3.
Israel has competed in the International Ice Hockey Federation for 25 years. The IIHF ranks the team in the top 30 internationally. Roughly 1,500 players are enrolled nationwide.
