The saga continues, ye faithful readers of the Jig and Twig...

In the interest of full disclosure, I should tell all of you that I have no personal stake in the success and/or demise of the Dallas Mavericks. Unlike true believers Heath Huston and Mason Orr, I shed no tears and produce no jeers when the Mavericks exited playoff stage left for the second straight season in the first round. Does that mean I cannot adequately describe the collective pathos of the Mavs' fanbase? Absolutely not. I've seen how sick these people have become, and it is my duty to pass that along to you, the concerned reader.

The aforementioned patron saint of the Jig and Twig, Bill Simmons, had a landmark column a few years ago when he unveiled his "Levels of Losing" theory. This theory has been expounded upon at this very blog by the infamous Jig when he described the most recent playoff loss by America's Team as a "de-leveler". In that vein, the Mavs' loss in the 2006 Finals to the Miami Heat was what Simmons described as an "Achilles Heel" game. Sure, the loss in 6 games hurt, especially since 2 of those games were won by those on the court wearing gray shirts and black slacks, but they also revealed that the Mavs were simply not winning a title with the Dirk Diggler leading them or the Little General coaching them. Sure, they posted the NBA's best regular season record in 2006-2007, but how long ago does that success seem now?

Today, the Mavs have a new coach (Rick Carlisle), a new Cheech (Josh Howard), and a new corpse (Jason Kidd). When the Mavs traded for Kidd this year, they expected the trade to move them into the category of elite contender instead of mere pretender to the throne, but instead their collective window is closing even more quickly and it does not seem they are capable of an Indiana Jones-esque slide in the face of danger. In the past three years the Mavs have lost in the NBA Finals (in 6 games), lost in the first round as a #1 to an #8 seed (second time in history), and lost in the first round as a #7 seed.

A quick glance into the next five years does not reveal a great deal of hope if you are a Mavs fan. They now have a coach who presided over the glory known as "The Malice at the Palace", a "star" in Nowitzki that should be re-classified as one of the league's top second bananas, and a fanbase desparately wants success to mirror that experienced by their I-35 neighbors, the Spurs. If Jason Kidd continues slip defensively as much as he slipped this year (when he looked he was standing still as he attempted to guard Chris Paul), I could see the Mavs finishing around the 7-9 range in an increasingly strong Western Conference.

In summary: From the NBA Finals in 2006 to the NBA's best regular season record in 2006-2007 to a #7 seed in 2007-2008 to a potential playoff absence in 2008-2009.

Add all of that together and here's what you get: A Mavs' Fanbase Mass Suicide Index rating of 85 out of 100.