Bickley: Arizona sports need to find their way out of the yuck

We need a jolt in Arizona. We need more star power. We need more than Devin Booker, Corbin Carroll and Trey McBride.

We need Marvin Harrison Jr. to become a high-wattage performer. His training camp began with a dropped pass that went viral. But at some point, a different wide receiver emerged in practice, the one who produced an electric toe-tap touchdown against the Packers defense on Wednesday. That play went viral, too. And if you observe the unbridled joy of his teammates, you see a team that knows how good Marv can be, a team that is really pulling for him to succeed.

We need Ketel Marte to load up on the apologies, make good with his most cynical teammates, and never walk out on the Diamondbacks ever again. Marte will likely return to action in a high-profile series against the Phillies next week, and if he helps the Diamondbacks make the playoffs, he can easily slug his way to redemption. Many heavy questions remain about Marte and his actions over the past three seasons. But he was the driving force of their 2023 run to the World Series, a player that shined on the biggest stages. The moment and the manager are both calling him now, and Marte’s response must be urgent and forceful.

We need Jeremiyah Love to be a great running back. Because great running backs are rare and they lift everyone around them. They turn good offensive linemen into Pro Bowlers. They become the focus of the opposing defense, creating space and opportunities for everyone else. They bring a rare kind of energy that makes everyone in uniform play harder, just like James Conner did in his first season with the Cardinals. If Love is that good and Harrison Jr. is finally finding his stride, the Cardinals offense will be unstoppable in the very near future.

We need Kenny Dillingham to be the quarterback whisperer. Unlike his rivals in Tucson, who’ve had quarterback Noah Fifita on campus since Jan. 2022, Dillingham has dealt with dramatic turnover at the game’s most important position. This year, he will unveil his sixth different quarterback in four years. By contrast, the quarterback in Tucson has started 34 career games. Bottom line: with a highly underrated roster around him at ASU, we need Cutter Boley to be good enough to win the Big 12.

We need the Suns to work. I clearly have my doubts. I think the starting lineup is problematic and incoherent, with too much weight on one side of the plane. I don’t think Miles Bridges is as good as the organization believes or that Jalen Green has a superstar’s psyche. But the Suns are deep, the chemistry is excellent, Jordan Ott is extremely smart and the NBA is full of surprises.

We need the Diamondbacks to make the playoffs. We need Eduardo Rodriguez to be the Merrill Kelly of 2023. We need Ryan Waldschmidt and Jordan Lawlar to gain precious postseason experience and continue to ascend. We need Mat Ishbia to not lose any more money and somebody even richer to buy our way back into the NHL.

The turn of the century was good for Arizona. The 2000s brought us a World Series parade; a Super Bowl berth; a two-time NBA Most Valuable Player; a Suns team that competed for championships and revolutionized the sport; two WNBA titles; a new football stadium; and a new hockey arena. It also showcased eight future Hall of Famers, many recently enshrined.

Ever since, there’s been a lot of yuck: the Robert Sarver Era and the shrinking status of Michael Bidwill, whose underfunded teams have been floundering for most of the past decade; blowing a 2-0 lead in the NBA Finals; pitching to Corey Seager in Game 1 of the World Series; a disastrous all-out blitz on fourth down against Texas in the College Football Playoffs; the Game 7 collapse against Luka and the Mavericks that overshadows Chris Paul’s legacy in the Valley; the Kevin Durant trade; and an NHL team that moved out of town.

It’s time for our luck to turn. Starting now.

Reach Bickley at dbickley@arizonasports.com. Listen to Bickley & Marotta weekdays from 6 a.m. – 10 a.m. on Arizona Sports 98.7.

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