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What’s an MFFL? What to know about Mavericks fans as the NBA Finals come to Dallas

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What’s an MFFL? What to know about Mavericks fans as the NBA Finals come to Dallas


The Dallas Mavericks are back in the NBA Finals for the first time since 2011. Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving have led a spectacular run to get Dallas to the sport’s biggest stage, taking down three higher-seeded teams in the Clippers, Thunder, and Timberwolves to get to this point.

While the Celtics present a massive challenge for the Mavericks — proven by the 2-0 series lead they built in Boston — the American Airlines Center will have incredible energy with the NBA Finals back in Dallas. If you’re joining the bandwagon for the first time since the 2011 championship run, here’s what to know about Mavs fans:

How did calling fans MFFLs start?

If you are a Mavs fan, you are considered an “MFFL,” which stands for “Mavs Fan for Life.” The term originated in the early-to-mid 2000s around the time the Dirk Nowitzki era in Dallas was beginning to gain momentum. Prior to Nowitzki, the Mavericks were a bit of a laughing stock in the NBA and didn’t have a strong following around Dallas.

Mark Cuban popularized the term during his time as the primary owner of the Mavs. It stuck and has become a staple of Mavs fandom. The promotion of the term “MFFLs” is impossible to miss when attending games at the American Airlines Center.

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Where did they play before AAC?

Reunion Arena was the home of the Mavs from 1980 to 2001, until the Mavs and Stars both moved to the AAC in 2001. Reunion Arena’s capacity for Mavs games was 18,190, and it was officially demolished in November of 2009.

“Reunion Rowdies” are the original MFFLs. Those are the fans that lived and died with the team from the early 1980s. Back then, the Mavericks games would occasionally be relocated to Moody Coliseum at SMU because other events were being held at Reunion Arena. This even happened during a playoff game against the Seattle SuperSonics. In a much smaller venue like Moody Coliseum, it was significantly louder.

(April 26, 1984): Moody Madness took place as the Mavericks had to move out of Reunion Arena because of a tennis conflict and play at SMU’s Moody Coliseum, where they won Game 5 against Seattle, 105-104, in overtime and moved on to the second round of the playoffs. Ro Blackman led the way, but the Mavericks lost to the LA Lakers in five games in the next series.

“The tickets were cheap, the beer was cheap, and it was the place to be,” remarked longtime journalist Mike Fisher.

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Longtime Mavs owner Mark Cuban was also once a Reunion Rowdy himself, which explains his unique passion for the team he owns.

Who are the ManiAACs, and what else do they have?

The old Reunion Rowdies turned into what we know as MFFLs, but there’s another unique sect of Mavs fans. The Mavs ManiAACs became the first all-male performance squad in the NBA in 2002.

The Mavs ManiAACs dance during the Mavericks watch party at AT&T  Discovery District in...
The Mavs ManiAACs dance during the Mavericks watch party at AT&T Discovery District in Dallas, TX on Friday April 21, 2024.(Nathan Hunsinger / Special Contributor)

The ManiAACs are usually located around the top of the AAC’s lower bowl, constantly performing during timeouts. They go out and perform on the court with dance routines and eccentric outfits, and have become a true staple and one of the more fun aspects of attending a Mavs game. You can’t go to a Mavs game without seeing a ManiAACs performance.

The Mavericks have also evolved their in-game entertainment aside from the ManiAACs. The “Mavs Hoop Troop” is a co-ed entertainment squad brought in under the guidance of CEO Cynt Marshall in March of 2020.

Who is Guitar Slayer?

Arguably the most entertaining part of attending a NBA game is the showmanship of the starting lineups.

The Mavs’ starting lineup announcements are no different. Amid an incredible highlight montage with incredible music (more on that next), Justin “GuitarSlayer” Lyons adds his own touch to the intro song. Lyons is up on a stage at midcourt amid flashing lights, pyrotechnics, and more. He provides incredible guitar riffs to enhance the Mavs’ longtime intro song, “Eminence Front.”

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Justin "GuitarSlayer" Lyons performs as the team is introduced before Game 3 of the NBA...
Justin “GuitarSlayer” Lyons performs as the team is introduced before Game 3 of the NBA basketball Western Conference Finals against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday, May 26, 2024, in Dallas.(Smiley N. Pool / Staff Photographer)

Lyons is from the Dallas area, specifically in Oak Cliff. The 38-year-old began his career in gospel and later transitioned into blues.

“I’m honored to be able to re-craft [a song] that’s been part of the team’s legacy for 23 years,” he said in an interview. “I’m going to channel all my winning energy into the building and pray it helps them keep winning.”

“Eminence Front”: Mavs’ intro song

Since 2001, The Who’s “Eminence Front” has blared in the AAC as the Mavs introduction song. If you’ve been to a Mavericks game before, you recognize it immediately.

It is a rhythmic mixture of synthesizers, guitar riffs, and drums. The Who’s Pete Townshend is a fan of the song’s usage.

“That’s a wonderful use of the song,” he said.

Matt Fitzgerald, the Mavs’ former marketing chief picked the song when the team moved to the AAC in 2001. He wanted a song without lyrics building towards a crescendo like the Chicago Bulls’ iconic intro song “Eye in the Sky” by the Alan Parsons Project.

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“It’s become iconic,” Mark Cuban said. “It isn’t going anywhere.”

What’s the deal with the City Edition uniforms and court?

NBA teams each unveil a new Nike NBA City Edition uniform every year. The Mavericks’ 2023-24 City Edition uniform has become quite popular partly because the team has often worn them during an incredible playoff run, but also because the sleek black uniforms are incredibly popular with the fans.

The new uniform is named “Trinity River Blues” and pays homage to the history of Southern Blues music. The Mavs collaborated with Grammy Award-winning recording artist and North Texas native Leon Bridges in the creation of the uniform.

The font for the “Mavs” on the front of the uniform is a tribute to vintage Texas R&B album covers, according to the Mavericks team website. On the shorts is an outline of the state of Texas with audio waves of the spoken words “Leon Bridges”.

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    Five thoughts: Mavericks in dire situation as Celtics take 2-0 NBA Finals lead

Find more Mavericks coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.





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Dallas, TX

Dallas park board approves land for Wings practice facility in Oak Cliff

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Dallas park board approves land for Wings practice facility in Oak Cliff


The Dallas Park and Recreation Board approved on Thursday usage of land in Far West Oak Cliff for a new Dallas Wings practice facility.

Board members specifically authorized using a portion of Joey Georgusis Park at 1200 North Cockrell Hill Road for the WNBA team’s facility, which will cost $55 million.

While some board members had questions about other options considered for the facility and why this location was chosen, support for the item was generally widespread.

“I just appreciate that southern Dallas is on the table,” Council District 3 representative Vana Hammond said. “And we appreciate the Wings for considering southern Dallas.”

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Council District 8 representative Bo Slaughter said he’s “sick and tired of teams saying that they’re Dallas teams, but they’re in Fort Worth or in Mesquite or something … so I’m supportive of this.”

The park board’s action comes a week after the City Council approved a proposal 12-3 to design the facility at the park that would open before next season. The Wings’ offices would also be based in that area of southwest Dallas.

Some council members at the May 28 meeting wanted to delay the vote to learn more about how public dollars will be spent and were confused about why they weren’t briefed about the new site before the meeting.

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But the maneuvers are the result of delays to the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center redevelopment that pushed back the Wings’ move-in date, The Dallas Morning News reported May 23.

The team expected to move to Memorial Auditorium in 2026 under a 15-year, $19 million use agreement that also included the construction of a practice facility.

The April 2024 agreement with the Wings binds the city to its duty to provide the facility on time. The Dallas City Council will vote June 11 to adjust its contract with the Wings, who practice and play home games at UT-Arlington’s College Park Center.

For the park board, approving the land was “a no brainer,” board president Arun Agarwal said.

Council members Paul Ridley, Kathy Stewart and Jesse Moreno recently wrote in a signed memo to the city manager that spending $55 million on the practice facility “raises significant concerns.”

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They asked the city manager to reconsider support for the project and to refer it to the appropriate committee for further review and discussion. The council members said the Wings “may utilize interim practice venues until the permanent facility is constructed.”

    Dallas park board to consider approving land for Wings practice facility in Oak Cliff
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Find more Wings coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.



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Dallas may need an additional $178 million for police academy project

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Dallas may need an additional 8 million for police academy project


Dallas officials estimate they need an additional $178.5 million to build a 20-acre police academy at the University of North Texas at Dallas and a 60-acre public safety complex that could be constructed near Wilmer-Hutchins High School in southeast Oak Cliff.

That’s in addition to $96.5 million already secured by the city, which would bring the total estimated price tag of the project to $275 million.

City officials are hinging their bets on covering the funding gap with nearly $50 million in private fundraising and proceeds from the sale of city-owned real estate to cover 20% of the gap. They also anticipate a potential $6 million sponsorship for the public safety complex, according to a presentation.

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick recommits $5M for Dallas police academy. Council still has concerns

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“I’d like to see more certainty about how we can reduce the cost of the facility or raise more money to close that gap,” council member Paul Ridley told The Dallas Morning News.

Nearly a dozen public speakers arrived at City Hall on Wednesday to voice opposition to the academy. A handful called instead for resources to be devoted to other social issues.

Council members spent a significant portion of the day behind closed doors, where they were scheduled to discuss the agreement between the city and UNTD to lease the training academy site. However, after four hours of closed session deliberations, the City Council adjourned the meeting within moments of returning at about 5:30 p.m.

“We decided to defer the remaining items for the briefing because our executive session went so long,” Ridley later said. He added that the City Council wanted to discuss the academy with fresher eyes.

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City officials are expected to vote June 11 on whether to enter an agreement with the UNTD college campus to lease the site of the facility to train new recruits.

“I think we need to get each hurdle cleared before we go to the next one,” council member Paula Blackmon said.

‘Partially baked’: Dallas officials struggle to explain changing police academy plans

The first hurdle is nailing down the real estate needed for the second facility. The next step is finalizing the property and the pieces that will go into it. “We just need to be very thoughtful and methodical and just clear each hurdle,” she said.

This is the second delay. City officials had planned to update council members with the academy’s progress on May 21, but the briefing was pushed back.

Another question the city will have to consider is how it prioritizes revenue from real estate sales, especially as Dallas continues to suffer billions of dollars of deferred maintenance on existing roads, buildings and neighborhoods.

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Mandates outlined by the passage of Proposition U in last year’s election also hang over the city. The ballot measure required the city to maintain 4,000 officers in the force and divert half of any new revenue year over year into the uniformed pension system as well as other public safety initiatives to recruit and retain more first responders.

Council member Cara Mendelsohn said she supports the academy initiative.

“It’s the most important investment for Dallas to make,” she said. “We must be able to have a space that helps us recruit, retain, and [professionally] train our police officers. It shows we prioritize public safety and value those who take the oath to protect and serve.”

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Changing plans

The News revealed in February the city quietly changed plans for the police academy, despite millions of dollars committed to the project. UNT Dallas’ campus in southern Dallas had been billed since 2021 as the training site for all future Dallas police hires.

The current police academy in Red Bird has been a pain point for years for officers. It spans 63 acres across two sites in industrial warehouses. Mold and sweat, weathered training rooms, insufficient storage and limited parking spots spurred talk about a new state-of-the-art facility.

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Despite past fanfare about the UNTD space housing new recruits, documents obtained by The News showed the city decided to move the academy to an undetermined location. UNTD, according to the documents, would house only a training facility for officers already in service.

Since then, plans have continued to change.

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The latest iteration harkens back to the original idea of UNTD housing a facility for new recruits, but added a separate “public safety complex” with a driving track and shooting range. Officials have said they’d begin a feasibility study this year to determine the best site for it.

Of five locations reviewed by the city, including Hensley Field and Cadillac Heights, officials appear to be leaning toward the Wilmer-Hutchins High School area, noting it in Wednesday’s presentation as the site that “meets most of the criteria.”

Similar facilities have carried budgets between $180 million to $1.5 billion, the presentation noted. Three facilities the city reviewed had average budgets of $330 million.

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Opposition during public comment

Tamera Lanay, a district two resident, highlighted the uncertainties in Wednesday’s briefing. The city is yet to finalize the project’s location for the complex, which also includes a simulated tactical village.

The briefing, Lanay said, also does not acknowledge that Dallas’ violent crime has seen a decline in the last four years. The city’s focus on the new facility comes amid deep uncertainty in the job market and withdrawal of rental assistance through potential U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development cuts.

“When you look at the city budget, there’s a stark difference in public safety funding compared to social services,” Lanay said. “In fact, I got no help from the city of Dallas for rental assistance and instead relied on mutual aid from my community.”

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People resort to crime when they don’t have the wages and job needed to pay bills, afford mental health and put food on the table for their families, she said.

“This new facility is not a crime deterrent,” she said. “To make us feel safer in our city, investing in our health, job stability, food security and housing security is a true crime deterrent. We know all of you are going to proceed forward with this facility, but you will see this poor investment will have dire results.”

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Lindsay Linderman, a law student at the UNTD, said the new project and “a militarized police force” would not prevent crime. She suggested more resources for the community in education, housing and food security.

The current policing structure and constitutional language, Linderman said, punishes rather than protects residents, and does not match the expectations of what public safety entails.

“I wonder why proposition F, which allocated millions of taxpayer dollars to this facility, was labeled as public safety facilities,” she said. “I believe that Prop F was intentionally confusing, misleading and vague by lumping together this academy with necessary repairs to fire stations in our area.”



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Heavy rains bring major flooding to Dallas-area roadway

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Heavy rains bring major flooding to Dallas-area roadway


A busy Dallas-area road was seen deep underwater around midnight on Tuesday after rounds of heavy rain pushed through North Texas.

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FOX 4 crews found a section of I-35 East under deep water following the storms.

DFW Freeway Underwater

What we know:

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Reports just before midnight said cars on I-35 East were in water up to their windows on the road.

One report said cars traveling north on I-35 were stuck at a standstill in water up to vehicles’ frames. 

The standing water came shortly after flash flood warnings were issued for Dallas County and surrounding areas. The warning was issued until 2 a.m. Wednesday.

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What we don’t know:

At the time of reporting, officials had not provided comment on road conditions in the area. It’s not known what other roads may be affected by the flooding.

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Severe DFW Weather

In the midst of severe weather warnings throughout the area from Tuesday afternoon through the early hours of Wednesday, torrential rain was seen in the north Dallas County areas, including Addison, Garland, and Plano.

Isolated, short-lived tornado warnings were issued in some counties within the FOX 4 viewing area. As of now, tornadoes have not been reported, nor has severe weather damage.

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What you can do:

Anyone in areas where severe weather is expected over the coming hours is urged to remain indoors or within other shelters until the threat has passed. Those forced to drive in areas with flash flood or other severe warnings are reminded not to attempt to cross roadways covered in deep water.

For live severe weather alerts, follow @Fox4Weather on X. Current severe weather alerts are also listed and updated on the FOX 4 website.

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The Source: Information in this article comes from FOX 4 reporting in the field.

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