The Dallas Park and Recreation Board saved all nine community pools from the chopping block, at least for now, after city staff recently recommended their closure. But the reality is that city officials will probably have to close pools eventually. Most community pools are decades old, costly to maintain and severely underused.

The emotional attachment to the community pools is understandable. Many children learned to swim there, and Dallas families all over made memories in their neighborhood pools. There are also concerns about equity given that most of these pools are south of Interstate 30 in Black and Latino neighborhoods.

But the truth is that the community pools don’t see as much traffic as they once did. Their deterioration over the years has made them less appealing. And families and young people simply have more recreation options today than previous generations did.

The cold facts are what they are. A community pool like Martin Weiss, in west Oak Cliff, cost the city $139,069 last year, averaging 65 visits per day and generating less than $25,000 in revenue, according to Park and Recreation data. The Martin Weiss, Walnut Hill and Grauwyler pools — all built before 1955 — were closed this summer to repair leaks of thousands of gallons of water, Park and Recreation director John Jenkins said.

Finding parts for these pools is virtually impossible. The city is running out of salvaged parts from older facilities. If the pools run into structural issues, repairing them will be too expensive.

More modern Dallas facilities like The Cove at Crawford and the Kidd Springs aquatic centers, while not exactly money makers, do much better financially and generate stronger attendance numbers.

Right now, the Park Board is buying time. While the community pools will remain open only three days a week, per the Park Board’s recommendation, city staff will also update the Dallas Aquatic Master Plan. This formal assessment will help decide which pools should close permanently, which ones could be updated and which ones should be turned into spray grounds, Jenkins told us.

Rebuilding a pool can cost more than $4 million, but the city will have to wait several years for a new bond package or to find a corporate sponsor. Jenkins told us there is at least one private sponsor interested in investing in a community pool.

While the city decides what to do with its aquatic infrastructure, it should pursue strategic partnerships with school districts to ensure kids can learn to swim, even with fewer city-owned pools across Dallas in the future.

As things stand right now, some of these community pools will fail from old age. Keeping them open without substantial investment is a financial burden that could lead the city to redirect funding for other recreation programs toward pool repairs.

This is a case where the heart says one thing and the head says another. Lean times are here. Ignoring the facts, hard as they may be to swallow, will leave Dallas treading water.

We welcome your thoughts in a letter to the editor. See the guidelines and submit your letter here. If you have problems with the form, you can submit via email at letters@dallasnews.com

The newest NBA 2K game is right around the corner with 2K25 coming out on September 6th and more details are coming out about the Dallas Mavericks in the game.

Dallas received an 84 overall as a team, putting them in Tier 2, and are tied for the second-highest overall in the game with the Phoenix Suns, New York Knicks, and Indiana Pacers. Only the Boston Celtics have a higher rating at 86.

READ MORE: Dallas Mavericks Rumored To Face Western Conference Rival on Christmas

The big surprise comes in the player ratings. Luka Doncic comes in at a 97 overall, which is tied for the third-highest rating in the game behind just Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid. Kyrie Irving took a massive jump from last season, listed as a 94 overall, good for a tie as the 13th-best player in the game with Jalen Brunson, and is ahead of Donovan Mitchell and Finals MVP Jaylen Brown.

One of the newest Mavs, Klay Thompson, is listed as an 82 overall as is Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively II. Dallas’ other starter P.J. Washington is an 80 overall. Lively improvement to an 82 is up 10 from where he was last season, easily the biggest jump of anyone on the team.

Every other Maverick is in the mid-to-low 70s. Quentin Grimes, Naji Marshall, and Dante Exum are listed as 76s, Spencer Dinwiddie and Maxi Kleber are 75s, and rising second-year player Olivier-Maxence Prosper is a 72.

The Mavericks should be one of the more popular teams to use on 2K25 with Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving’s scoring and playmaking abilities while being able to dish out to a sharp-shooter in Klay Thompson, two great rim-protectors and lob threats in Lively and Gafford, and great depth.

READ MORE: Dallas Mavericks Icon Dirk Nowitzki Celebrates as Germany Wins Gold in 3×3 Women’s Basketball at Olympics

Stick with MavericksGameday for more FREE coverage of the Dallas Mavericks throughout the NBA Offseason

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The anticipation for the 2024 season is high for the Dallas Cowboys, with free agency and the NFL Draft behind them. Now, the focus shifts to fine-tuning their roster and playbook during the summer, with preseason playing a crucial role in this process.

In mid-May, the Cowboys received their official regular season schedule. Now, they also have their preseason schedule, which includes some intriguing details.

The three preseason games are scheduled as follows:

• August 11: at Los Angeles Rams, 3:30 pm CDT (Sofi Stadium)
• August 17: at Las Vegas Raiders, 9:00 pm CDT (Allegiant Stadium)
• August 24: vs. Los Angeles Chargers, 3:00 pm CDT (AT&T Stadium)

With numerous changes in the coaching staff below Mike McCarthy, and roster changes such as parting ways with many players, all eyes are on the Cowboys. The big question is whether they can not only achieve another winning season but also make it to another Super Bowl.

Here is the full 2024 schedule (all times Central, home games in bold):

• Week 1: at Cleveland Browns (Sun. 9/8, 3:25 p.m. on FOX)
• Week 2: New Orleans Saints (Sun. 9/15, 12:00 p.m. on FOX)
• Week 3: Baltimore Ravens (Sun. 9/22, 3:25 p.m. on FOX)
• Week 4: at New York Giants (Thurs. 9/26, 7:15 p.m. on Prime Video)
• Week 5: at Pittsburgh Steelers (Sun. 10/6, 7:20 p.m. on NBC)
• Week 6: Detroit Lions (Sun. 10/13, 3:25 p.m. on FOX)
• Week 7: BYE
• Week 8: at San Francisco 49ers (Sun. 10/27, 7:20 p.m. on NBC)
• Week 9: at Atlanta Falcons (Sun. 11/3, 12:00 p.m. on FOX)
• Week 10: Philadelphia Eagles (Sun. 11/10, 3:25 p.m. on CBS)
• Week 11: Houston Texans (Mon. 11/18, 7:15 p.m. on ESPN)
• Week 12: at Washington Commanders (Sun. 11/24, 12:00 p.m. on FOX)
• Week 13: New York Giants (Thurs. 11/28, 3:30 p.m. on FOX)
• Week 14: Cincinnati Bengals (Mon. 12/9, 7:15 p.m. on ESPN)
• Week 15: at Carolina Panthers (Sun. 12/15, 12:00 p.m. on FOX)
• Week 16: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Sun. 12/22, 7:20 p.m. on NBC)
• Week 17: at Philadelphia Eagles (Sun. 12/29, 3:25 p.m. on FOX)
• Week 18: Washington Commanders (TBD)

The 2024 season promises to be an exciting one for the Dallas Cowboys, filled with new challenges and opportunities. Fans are eager to see how the team will perform and whether they can finally reach the Super Bowl.