Ashton’s “Heat the Homeless” Coat and Blanket Drive Dec 1-14th

by Press Box Grill on December 4, 2012

What happened when an 8 year old girl saw a homeless man and understood that he had no home? She started an annual coat drive! Now 10 years old, she is collecting gently worn or new items, including: coats, hats, gloves, sweaters, socks, etc.

“Heat the Homeless” runs December 1st-14th, 2012

Drop off available at both Press Box Grill locations:
GRAPEVINE – 451 E. Northwest Hwy, NW corner of NW Hwy and Dooley
DOWNTOWN DALLAS – 1623 Main Street, SW corner of Elm and Ervay

Click here to see the Dallas Morning News article about Ashton’s “Heat the Homeless”

We thank you all for your generosity and support!

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NFL Football: Dallas Cowboys Season Preview

by pbgtyler on September 5, 2012

It’s like Christmas morning for football fans. The Dallas Cowboys kick off their season tonight in the dreaded land of the NY Giants – reigning Super Bowl Champions, nemesis, and the hated rival of your Dallas Cowboys. What a way to open the season!

So how are the Cowboys going to do this year? Every fan has their own opinion, but in recent years this team’s surprising ability to under-perform, or our (us fans) ability to over-expect, makes one question how excited to get. 7-9 two years ago. Improvement to 8-8 last season. I expect the upward trend.

My crystal ball is telling me that Romo will have another stellar year throwing the ball. Dez Bryant will become the star that he’s capable of being. Murray will run for 1,000+ yards and the running game will muster 12 TDs. Ware will accumulate 18 sacks.  The defense will rank in the top 10 overall and top 3 against the run. Brandon Carr and Morris Claiborne will pick 13 passes off combined. Dan Bailey will rank among the NFL elite in FG percentage. And all this leads to what? 10-6 and a playoff birth. With a win/loss here or there they could wind up 9-7 or 11-5, but ten wins would be great with this schedule and another tough December.

Let’s start with Romo. Last season he threw for 4,184 yards, 31 TDs, 10 Ints, 66.3% Completion Percentage, and a 102.5 Passer Rating, all while being behind the worst line he’s ever had. They let him get sacked 36 times last year. The line should be improved this season with the simple switching of the tackles. That should help. If the line can keep him vertical a little more and only give up 25-30 sacks (that’s reasonable right?) and Dez Bryant finally breaks out, Romo could have a career year and lead the League in a few categories. Some people give Romo a hard time about not being very good, but his numbers don’t lie. If you take him from the equation, then the Cowboys are the cellar dwellers of the NFC East and making Lottery picks in the draft without having to trade up.

As previously mentioned, Dez will break out. He will have 1,000+ yards receiving. Partly because I believe Austin will have another injury plagued season – leaving Bryant as the primary aerial weapon for Romo – but mostly because I think Dez wants to be the player people keep saying he can be. We know he has the ability, but he has lacked the drive. I think he has found it and we will see it this season.

Murray will bust the 1,000 yard mark this season behind an O-line that very few backs would have success with. He showed an amazing ability last year, before getting sidelined and he’ll pick up where he left off.  He and Felix will break the goal line a few more times this year, getting 12 rushing TDs combined. They need more, but in Garrett’s high flying attack, there isn’t a lot of opportunity for rushing touchdowns. Did you know that the Cowboys have never finished a season above .500 when rushing for less than 10 touchdowns? Last year they were 8-8 and only had five. FIVE!

D-Ware will accumulate sacks like it’s child’s play. He plays at another level year-in and year-out. I don’t expect anything less. And with Ware causing such a ruckus, the defense will be a top tier D. They’ll finish in the top 10 overall. They’ll give up a low number of TDs, especially in the Red Zone. Rushing against them? Forget about it. They will rank in the top 3 in the league against the run. Claiborne will have his rough patches, struggling from time to time, but he will also show his playmaking ability here and there. He will get picked on a lot since Carr controls the other half of the field. The Cowboys finally have a shutdown corner again. They haven’t had one of those since Deion Sanders! Expect 13 INTs between two of them. The entire team only had 15 last season. The biggest question marks with this D is the Inside Linebacker and Safety positions. That’s it, and Sean Lee and Gerald Sensabaugh aren’t too shabby. It will be a lot of fun to watch this defense this season.

Dan Bailey looks like he can finally bring consistency to the kicker position that the Cowboys have long been searching for. Bailey looks like the guy who will be able to hold the job for the foreseeable future. He finishes the year ranking in the top of the kicking class and will really help if the offense struggles to score touchdowns from the redzone like they have shown in recent years.

So with all that coming together, the Cowboys finish 10-6 and take the NFC East Division Title, just barely getting over the Giants. Playoff predictions? I’m not going there right now, but the homer inside of me screams to put in the call for the Super Bowl, versus… The Texans. An all-Texas Super Bowl. I don’t know if that will happen, but it sure sounds fun.

As far as my prediction for tonight’s game goes, I don’t see the Cowboys winning. WHAT?!? For starters, they have really struggled when playing on NBC lately. Last year I believe they were winless when playing with Al Michaels and Chris Collinsworth calling the game. Secondly, it’s against the Giants in the the land of the Giants. That’s a tough place to play, especially for the Cowboys. Thirdly, the Giants have the Super Bowl Champion tag to try to live up to. On the other hand, the Cowboys have better corners to match up against Cruz and Nicks. The Giants will have trouble with Bryant and Austin. And the Cowboys may be slightly perturbed that they missed the playoffs because of the Giants last season. I guess we will just have to wait and see.

What do you think? Think I’m crazy? Think I’m spot on? Come to Press Box Grill-Dallas tonight to let me know. The game starts at 7:30pm. There will be $.50 “naked” wings all night and the beer will be flowing. $.50 WINGS! You can’t pass that up. Come out, get some cheap wings, give me your HSOs, and cheer on your Dallas Cowboys with us. See you tonight!

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PBG-Grapevine Classic Wheels Cruise-In – September 9th: Monthly Vintage Car & Motorcycle Show & Shine Event

by pbgtyler on August 28, 2012


Come out to the PBG-Grapevine Classic Wheels Cruise-In on the 2nd Sunday of each month through November (9/9, 10/14, 11/11)! Bring your favorite classic motor vehicle – it can have 2 wheels, 4 wheels, 6 or any number – or see the ones others bring! (No fees, no awards, display only.) We’ll have a FREE Chips N Dips Buffet, Happy Hour and our $2 Any Draft Sunday drink specials. 50′s and 60′s rock ‘n’ roll, r’n'b, rockabilly, surf tunes & more provided by DJ Dr. Skotch. There will also be some rockin’ raffle prizes from Eurosport Cycle, Press Box and more, and raffle ticket sales will be donated to Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children.

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PBG-Grapevine Classic Wheels Cruise-In: Monthly Vintage Car & Motorcyle Show & Shine Event

by pbgtyler on August 6, 2012


Come on out to Press Box Grapevine this Sunday from 4-8 pm with your favorite classic motor vehicle – it can have 2 wheels, 4 wheels, 6 or any number – or see the ones others bring! (No fees, no awards, display only.) We’ll have a 50′s Pin-Up Girl Contest, a FREE Chips N’ Dips Buffet, Happy Hour prices till 7 pm (see our Locations page for details), and our $2 Any Draft Sunday drink special. There will also be some rockin’ raffle prizes from Press Box and our sponsors – raffle ticket sales will be donated to Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children. For complete details check our Facebook event page.

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Update: Texas Rangers Trade Deadline in MLB Baseball – Rangers add Dempster and Soto

by pbgtyler on July 31, 2012

In my last update, I glazed over today’s newest Ranger, Ryan Dempster, because I just didn’t see it coming at all. Today, I eat some of my words. (Though shortly after my last post, I saw the Rangers trade for Geovany Soto and I got a gut feeling they were acquiring him to tempt Dempster to open his trade market a bit.)

As the 3pm CST trade deadline rolled around, I was glued to the wire. Who’s going where?… What’s that?… Dempster was seen leaving the Cubs clubhouse?… He’s going somewhere… The Yankees are reportedly getting Dempster? Crap!… There are only 2 minutes left!… What’s going to happen?!?… The Rangers have reportedly sent two class-A guys to Chicago for Dempster… YES!!! We got what we needed!

And needed badly. That good news came on the coattails of the news that Neftali Feliz would be out for the rest of the season. He’s going under the knife for the dreaded Tommy John surgery. That’s two starters lost for the year to a torn ulnar collateral ligament (lost for most of 2013 as well). And he most likely will never make it into the starting rotation once again – flat out depressing. I remember buying seats by the bullpen when he was first called up just so I could watch him warm up. That dude could make a catcher’s mitt pop. The buzz in the air around the Rangers bullpen when he was getting loose was better than the game itself. It was awesome. Now, I just wish him the best and a strong recovery.

The Rangers sent over Christian Villanueva and Kyle Hendricks, both Class A guys. I’ll give you a little more on them later.

I’m glad the Rangers made a move and I like Dempster, though he isn’t what will get us over the hump. He will definitely help out our rotation, but he is less likely to be the guy that pushes us to a World Series title. He’s not Cliff Lee, circa 2010.  But here is what he is…

He a 35 year old veteran who’s been pitching well. He was the Cubs ace, their go to guy. But he was only 5-5 this year while posting a 2.25 ERA. That’s a pretty darn good ERA, but your ace is suppose to nail down wins. The Cubs just haven’t given him consistent offense to back him up.

He’s got 5 pitches that he can throw consistently. A 4-seam fastball, a 2-seam fastball – both in the low 90s – a cutter in the high 80s, a slider, and a splitter. The cutter will be called upon here to get the ground ball outs that are required to have success when pitching at The Temple. But really all his pitches work well in our park…he just has to keep them down, obviously.

Dempster is all about control and wits. He is a crafty guy who doesn’t overpower hitters, but he gets ahead in the count, works the corners, and trusts his defense behind him to stop the ball.

Though his ERA is at 2.25, that is definitely going to rise pitching in the Rangers’ hitter-friendly park. Against AL teams in interleague play this season, he went 2-1  with a 1.71 ERA against the White Sox (Loss – 6.0 IP, 4 ER), Twins (Win – 8.0 IP, 0 ER), Red Sox (Win – 7.0 IP, 0 ER). That’s not too shabby. His most impressive game came against the Twins on June 10th when the Cubs visited Target Field and Dempster tossed 8 strong inning, giving up no runs on 4 hits, striking out 6 and walking only 1 batter. What was most impressive was his ability to get the ground ball out, 16 in total. Now he just has to do that here!

I won’t nitpick too much on the guy just yet… I’ll give him a chance to settle in and meet with Nolan, Wash, and Mike Maddux and the rest of the pitching staff to figure out how he’s going to have success here. I’m glad we made something happen and we didn’t have to give up much.

But what did we give up? 3B Christian Villanueva, 21 years old out of Mexico. It’s hard to say much about him, but he really doesn’t look like he has a whole lot of professional potential and you will probably never hear his name again. The other man in the mix is Kyle Hendricks, a 22-year old RHP with some stuff. I don’t really know if you will ever hear his name again, but being that he’s a 22-year old pitcher in single-A, he will probably get lost in the farm system and jump from team to team, hoping to catch a break somewhere.

As far as the Geovany Soto deal… Soto is a former All-Star catcher. He’s a career .252 hitter, with 77 home runs and 264 RBIs – not impressive stats. His best year came in 2008. I believe the Rangers made the deal for Soto to A) spark the offense a little and finally end the Torrealba experiment, and B) to open the door for Dempster. Dempster had already turned down a trade to the Braves and been adamant  about going nowhere but the Dodgers. Then today, he suddenly expanded his options to the Yankees and the Rangers. I understand the Yankees, but why here? Soto. And a good chance at a ring.

So if he wants that ring, he’s going to have to earn it. We need the help. Let’s right the ship and take the West once again Rangers!

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Update: Texas Rangers Trade Deadline in MLB Baseball – Greinke an Angel… Now What’s Left?

by pbgtyler on July 30, 2012

Well… The thing I wished, hoped, and prayed wouldn’t happen, happened. Greinke landed with the Angels. I’m really starting to dislike this new Angels GM. Who does he think he works for, the Yankees? They spend money at an alarming pace this offseason, then go after Greinke when there M.O. over the last decade has been to build and win from within. I guess they really hate losing the West to Texas.

So now we are left to find something out of the second tier pile. Josh Johnson. Nope. The Rangers were unwilling to put Mike Olt on the table for Greinke, so why change their mind for Johnson – and the Marlins are asking for the top 2 prospects from any team interested in Johnson. Profar and Olt? HA! I think they are pretty much content with keeping Johnson this year.

Ryan Dempster is still out there. But he’s an innings eater and the Rangers have said that they want a top-of-the-rotation guy, not an inning eater. Plus they have shown no public interest in Dempster.

James Shields name keeps popping up. I just don’t see it happening. Again, they big question is, ‘Is he a top-of-the-rotation guy?’ I think the kid can pitch and he has done well for Tampa. I wouldn’t mind him in our rotation, but at what cost? Profar and Olt? No, that’s obvious. Perez and Scheppers? Maybe, but I doubt JD pulls the trigger and I doubt the Rays would be OK with that package.

Then there is Lee. The Phils want to trade him. Then they don’t. Now they do again. They need to dump cash. They are trying to avoid the Luxury Tax and trading Lee would pretty much solve their problem. Do the Rangers just take the contract? No. Really, to get the deal done, Ranger Man, Michael Young would probably have to be sent over to offset some of the cost and he might be willing if he gets to play 3rd base. Do the Phillies really want Mikey playing 3rd? I wouldn’t trust Mike at 3rd on a Triple-A team… Sorry MY.

So that’s probably not going to happen. What will happen? The Rangers might make some smaller moves for bullpen support and stick with having the best bullpen in the Majors and that kind of makes sense. If you can’t stack your starting rotation, then bolster your bullpen and play smart matchup baseball in the postseason.

With the news of Feliz’s elbow soreness recently, it’s possible that he might be shelved for the remainder of the season. Lowe, Koji, and Taty will all be returning soon and Ogando may get stretched out for a return to the rotation. I’m on board with that. I like having him in the ‘pen, with what he brings, but last year in the rotation he went 13-8 with a 3.51 ERA, struggling late in the season as he wore out. He might be fresh and able to bring a serious whallop to the back of the rotation. If so, I don’t mind filling the void from within the organization.

The deadline is so close. I hope to hear some surprising, and good, news soon. Ranger fans need it. We are 18 games over .500, but not far enough out in front of the Angels or Athletics to feel comfortable. After seeing Greinke wind up an Angel, we need some encouraging news of our own. That and Josh Hamilton to catch fire again.

As soon as the Ranger news breaks, I’ll be all over it, sharing more of my hot sports opinions. Drop me a comment to let me know what you think the Rangers might do in the next few hours leading up to the deadline!

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Update: Texas Rangers Trade Deadline in MLB Baseball – Hamels Signs Extension

by pbgtyler on July 25, 2012

Here’s an update to try to stay on top of the situation as much as possible – things can move real fast at this time of the year!

Hamels is out. 6 years for $144M to stay in the “City of Brotherly Love”…so much for wanting to test free agency.

And now the need for a true ace is even more prevalent with the loss of Colby Lewis for the season. (A big tip of the cap to Lewis for what he did coming back from a stint in Japan. That guy goes down on my All-Time Ranger Favorites list.)

Hopefully by the time you read this I will need to do another update to give you a back ground on the Rangers newest #1, but it might go down to the wire. With Hamels out, Greinke is now the big fish. Milwaukee is trying to tie him to a longer contract, but there is less of a chance that will happen than the Hamels deal. (But still a chance.) Josh Johnson, out of Miami, has taken the #2 place on the list and Cliff Lee has some how made his way into the picture. Imagine if Lee came back…

OK, stop. It’s likely not going to happen. In order for Lee to be wearing a Ranger uni again, JD would have to give up some prospects and take the majority of Lee’s backloaded 4-year $87.5mil deal or the Phillies would have to eat some of his contract, but really they want to offload that space for next year (especially considering what they just dropped for Hamels).  The upside to that happening would be that we would have Lee for 4 more years.  The downside would be less flexibility in FA in the coming offseasons. I wouldn’t mind his return though.

Greinke could still happen – Rangers are the front runner on that deal. Those pesky Angels are lurking behind us though. The Rangers almost certainly have to deal Olt, but Milwaukee has no use for a 3rd or 1st baseman, which is where Olt would play. The price may have risen for him to the point that Feliz may have to be a part of the deal. And it looks like he was just fatigued and made a strong start against Lee and the Phillies last night. He even homered off Lee to help himself out (though it wasn’t enough to secure a win).

The other possibility is Josh Johnson. He’s 28 and he has good stuff, but he hasn’t pitched well as of late. He is also a bit of health concern. I just don’t feel comfortable trading off some good, young prospects for Johnson. I could be way off though. If he can really help our rotation and be an ace in the postseason, then get him.

I know the Rangers will make a move. Which one? I don’t even venture to guess. JD is crafty! Just when you think you have him figured out, he pulls a rabbit out of a hat you didn’t even know existed in the first place. If I’m in Daniels place, I line things up like this: #1. Greinke for anything but Profar. #2. Johnson for anything but Profar and Olt and even Perez might be out on that deal, but that’s negotiable. #3. Lee, but only if the Rangers have to give up very little or the Phillies take some of his contract.

So that’s where we stand as of today. And just to be fully in the loop… Oswalt, though questionable in my mind, will make his next start. Perez will go to the pen. Feldman achieved another shot in the rotation (until a trade is made) and Feliz is two rehab starts away from his major league return, barring any setbacks.

Questions? Comments? Debates? Leave them in the comment section below and I’ll be happy to give every bit of knowledge I have on this team. (I’ve been a Rangers homer and baseball fanatic ever since I could remember.)

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Sports Commentary: The Looming Texas Rangers Trade Deadline in MLB Baseball

by Press Box Grill on July 25, 2012

Today we’re talking baseball! There is no hotter sport than the great summer classic. MLB. The Texas Rangers. The looming trade deadline – we are just about one week out. What’s going on? Let’s set the scene for those who may not be up-to-date on all the goings on, from the Rangers aspect at least. There are a few key names that will be rolling off the tongue: Zach Greinke, Cole Hamels, Jurickson Profar, Mike Olt. Those are the key players. Greinke and Hamels are ace pitchers, but they are “rent-a-players.” They are both in their last year of their contracts with the Brewers and Phillies, respectively, and they are highly unlikely to re-sign here after the season. I think of the two, Greinke has a higher chance of being re-signed, if the Rangers pursued him, but that would be unlikely if they decide to pursue Josh Hamilton.

Zach Greinke: 28 years old, former AL Cy Young winner (2009). Throws a hard 4-seam fastball around 92-96 and uses the 2-seam fastball in hitter friendly parks to induce more ground ball outs – not a bad idea at the Temple (the Rangers Ballpark In Arlington) – a curve, a slow curve, and a devastating slider. The slider and the 2-seamer would be especially effective here. He does have some problems though. One that worries me most is that his fastball velocity has dipped. Maybe it’s just fatigue, maybe it’s more. The last thing the Rangers want to do is trade off top prospects for a guy that’s going to go on the DL for the remainder of the season! He is also a bit of a head case with social anxiety disorder and depression. These are certainly no laughing matter, but I don’t think that scares the Rangers one bit. Heck…they traded for Josh Hamilton.

Cole Hamels: 28 years old, 2008 NLCS and World Series MVP (with a 4-0 postseason record then). Throws a 4-seam fastball in the low 90s, circle change, curve, and cut fastball. What stands out to me is the postseason success – that’s what the Rangers need. No game is guaranteed, but I really like putting the ball in Hamels’ hand in Game 1 of each series. There isn’t much that worries me about Hamels. He would almost certainly not re-sign here, even with the Rangers pursuing, but that’s OK. I see him in Dodger blue and gray next season.

Now you know the pieces the Rangers are interested in. Both have been scouted by the Rangers and calls have been made. But who would the Rangers trade off? That, I can’t tell you. The Rangers farm system is so deep that they don’t have to give away their top couple of prospects to make a deal happen. But here are my thoughts on those top two…

Jurickson Profar: 19 years old, SS. Profar goes no where. He will enter the majors with “Texas” across his chest and a “T” on his cap. Profar is truly untouchable. While we do have a log jam at shortstop, Elvis won’t be with us much longer. I love the guy; he’s so much fun to watch. He loves the game and it really shows. He’s a great “locker room guy”. But he’s a Scott Boras client, and Boras clients go for the money. The Rangers don’t even want to deal with Boras. So Profar stays, waiting in the shadows…honing his game. Then, when Elvis is in the final year of his contract and the trade deadline comes calling, maybe the Rangers become sellers and can trade Elvis for some top prospects to replace the ones they trade off for Hamels or Greinke.

Mike Olt: 23 years old, 3B. I hear how he is untouchable, but I don’t think he really is. Adrian Beltre is here for 4 more seasons at least. Olt wouldn’t touch the Rangers diamond unless he changes postions (possibly to 1B) or Beltre gets hurt, or until he is 27. I believe, when the Rangers say he is untouchable, they are merely polishing one of their many golden coins. I think Olt goes, but only if the trade is for Hamels. And if he does, I really don’t think we will ever regret it.

What else would the Rangers need to throw in? A young prospect pitcher would have to be in the deal. Who? I don’t know. Grimm, Perez, Scheppers? One of them could be mixed in. Grimm would be the one that I would hate to see go. I think he has it (whatever that “it” is). They would need more, but there are plenty to choose from.

Do the Rangers make a move? I don’t think they necessarily have to, but JD will pull the trigger and they will make a trade. It might be closer to July 31st, but it will happen. They will watch the next couple of starts out of Roy Oswalt and if he shines, maybe the Rangers stand pat. If he continues to faulter? Well…

Bring on Hamels. If you are going to rent a player for a World Series push, he is better suited for the task.

Here’s what I say JD: send Olt and Perez and maybe some younger guys to Philly, and bring in Hamels. If you need me to go help him pack, just let me know – let’s make it happen! We are stocked for the future, but we want to win NOW. Let’s leave nothing on the field.

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Press Box Grill-Grapevine Vintage Car & Motorcycle Day

by Press Box Grill on July 20, 2012

A HUGE thanks to everyone who came out on Sunday, July 8th, and made our first event of this kind (now known as our “Classic Wheels Cruise-In”) such a success! We gave away a ton of great prizes in our raffle and raised over $300 for the Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children. Click here to see and purchase pictures from the event, then mark your calendar for our next event on Sunday, Aug. 12th from 4-8 pm!

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Press Box Grill Bar & Restaurant Blog for Sports, News and Event Info!

by Press Box Grill on July 19, 2012

Welcome to the new Press Box Grill blog! We will be posting lots of great stuff here including sports news & commentary, upcoming event info and event recaps, news on new offerings from Press Box, and more. Stay tuned for some great content!

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