Arizona Sports Scene

The Suns are Done?

2011-03-07T21:30:00.000-07:00

With Channing Frye out two to three weeks, one local radio host is calling the Suns' season over. With just over 20 games remaining and the Suns sitting a game and a half out of the 8th and final playoff seed, can they make up ground without a starter?

Mark Asher, of KTAR's afternoon duo Gambo and Ash, says no. With this team's recent history, can anyone blame Ash for bailing? Vince Carter can score 30 points a night, but only against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Grant Hill can still defend anyone in the league, but forgot to contribute offensively in last night's overtime loss. Steve Nash is still a top 5 point guard, but his medical issues are pushing Aaron Brooks into a bigger role that anyone had expected.

At the end of the day, Ash may be right and the Suns may miss the playoffs. It just seems a shame to call the season over now.

The Super Bowl and the Dallas Ice Storm

2011-01-31T20:47:00.000-07:00

With the Super Bowl in Dallas this year, no one was expecting temperatures to rival those in Detroit a couple years ago. But here we are. At least the Steelers and Packers (and their fans) will be comfortable, even if the people of Dallas are frozen solid. And in the next couple years the Super Bowl will be held in Indianapolis and New York. Let's remind the NFL that Phoenix doesn't get ice storms. All the more reason to bring the Super Bowl back here more than every 7 or 8 years

What Will it Take for the Coyotes to Get Recognized?

2011-01-25T20:38:00.001-07:00

There is a significant chance that, in 2011, only one professional sports team in Arizona will make the playoffs. So why do the Coyotes get no respect?

Much is structural: the Coyotes are competing against team that have been in Arizona much longer (Cardinals and Suns) and against a team that won Arizona's only professional sports championship (Diamondbacks).

Part is based on the personal experience of Arizonans. Most of us grew up playing baseball, basketball, and football. Before the Coyotes moved here, hockey in Arizona was something that Canadians did.

When will the Coyotes get the recognition they deserve? Not until they get the ownership issues cleared up. And not until they can produce a consistent winner. Arizona sports fans have options. There is no need to support a bad team just because they are in your town. Once the Coyotes can prove, not just say, that they will be here long term, that process can begin.

How Long Is The Honeymoon with Kevin Towers?

2010-12-27T20:55:00.000-07:00

Since the Arizona Diamondbacks' season ended (officially) in September, nothing has been constant but the changes. Former Padres' General Manager Kevin Towers is the Dbacks new GM. Kirk Gibson is now the manager, finally losing the "interim" tag. Brandon Webb has left to join the Rangers. Mark Reynolds has been banished to be a DH in the American League, where he will fit right in. Xavier Nady and Melvin Mora have joined the team, giving Gibson some much needed flexibility in filling out the roster. The bullpen has been completely reconstructed.

So how long of a honeymoon period does Kevin Towers have? Everyone in Arizona knows that the fans here will not stand for mediocre teams. There are too many teams in town and the weather is too nice to pay attention to a bad product. You can call it a "bandwagon" town, if you'd like, but I think we're maybe just a bit smarter than people who cling to awful sports teams for decades. See Browns, Cleveland.

If the season opens in April and the Dbacks again have a bad bullpen and too many players swinging for the fences, what is the fallout? Towers has been given a free pass by everyone, based on his (well earned) reputation. His teams in San Diego always had a strong bullpen and always seemed to be competitive. That is what the fans are expecting. I just hope they give the man some time to work his magic.

Do We Want the Cardinals to Win in Week 17?

2010-12-27T20:40:00.001-07:00

The last week of the NFL season is looming over the Arizona Cardinals. A win over the arch-rival 49ers would do the team and its fans good. The 49ers have owned the Cardinals for the last several years, so beating them to end the season would be a very welcome surprise.

Or would it? The "historical" Cardinals fan would be forgiven for looking forward to the draft next year. If the season ended now, the Cards would have the sixth pick in the draft. That's right. We're in Cam Newton territory here. Even if the Cards didn't want to draft Newton, they would be in great position to draft a quarterback that they believe in. (No offense meant, John Skelton.)

Do we want the Cards to throw the last game of the year? Of course not. But this is one of those rare opportunities in life where a loss may be better than a win in the long run.