I’ve found that the best source of movie reviews is the kid working behind the popcorn counter. They’ve seen everything that’s out; you won’t get any movie-critic-artsy-fartsy nonsense — just a good, common-people review of what’s at the multiplex. Wednesday night, I’m waiting to see Star Trek, and the popcorn kid tells me that what […]
It’s been eight years since the Arizona Diamondbacks drafted Justin Upton; he spent six seasons in a D-backs uniform, was traded four months ago and will play against his former team for the first time Monday night. And I still haven’t figured him out. When Upton steps onto that field Monday, is he the hero […]
Just because something starts the same way doesn’t mean, by rule, it has to end the same way. You and I can go to the same restaurant and have completely different experiences. Between the waiters, the chef, the food, the hostess and the valet attendant (I don’t usually valet the car but I needed one […]
Watching Steph Curry in these playoffs has been a whole lot of bitter and just a little bit of sweet for Suns fans. The Warriors guard has emerged as one of the best players during these playoffs. A tier-one NBA star? No, but certainly one of the top players in the second tier and a […]
The first month of the Arizona Diamondbacks season is over and it’s provided enough talking points to fill a whole season. Here are my top five. 1. The bullpen The D-backs have blown 10 saves. The Major League average through the first month of the season is three. The problem is that it’s not just […]
Saw this nugget from a man for whom if these nuggets were made of actual gold he’d be living like Billy Ray and Lewis from Trading Places…Darren Urban from azcardinals.com. The website footballoutsiders.com gathered together the most relevant draft grades for each team from the more respected names in the business, added them up and […]
With a chance to sleep on it, here are three quick thoughts about the Cardinals selection of Jonathan Cooper and what the future holds on Friday: • Coach Bruce Arians made it pretty clear Cooper was a starter. Refreshing. One of my major pet peeves (and you know I’m not alone of this one) of […]
Of course, there are more than five options, but I think the essence of the options come down to five choices. Besides, I’m a rule follower. It’s called The 5, not The 11. So here are the five options with conveniently included odds intended solely for the purposes of wagering. A Guard (3 to 1) […]
The news of Lance Blanks and the Phoenix Suns parting ways (and what precisely that means is unknown as I write this — was he fired? Reassigned?) is stunning in only one regard; it means the three amigos, the three L’s of Suns basketball, Lon, Lance and Lindsey, are breaking up. It was so easy […]
December 23, 1993. Ken Kendrick’s controversial decision to force fans sitting in the most visible of all seats at Chase Field to cover their Dodgers gear with merchandise fresh from the D-backs Team Shop got me thinking about that date. December 23, 1993. On that day, a die-hard Suns fan living in Seattle went to […]
So many things to write about today. Justin Upton’s torrid start. Ken Kendrick’s dress code. The latest Cardinals draft rumors. Tiger’s gaffe. Blah. Blah. Blah. Normally I’m watching ESPN and the MLB Network; today I’m glued to CNN. Normally I’m following the twitter accounts of Pro Football Talk and Sports Illustrated. Today it’s the Boston […]
A struggling organization fires a popular leader and replaces him with the handpicked, my-guy-replacement that is short on experience or proven success but is long on front office endorsements. The stories of Lindsey Hunter and A.J. Hinch are similar, but with one distinct difference. And it’s that difference that gives the Suns the opportunity to […]
For the haters, it has done nothing but strengthen their position. For the true believers, an unavoidably uncomfortable pall has been cast on the first week of the season. Have you seen the start Justin Upton is off to? It’s a silly question; like asking if you’ve seen the Peterbilt truck parked in your living […]
These days, it’s a real challenge being a Suns fan. The mere act of watching a game can be tough to stomach. Ten losses of 25 points or more, including seven under interim coach Lindsay Hunter. The season has been reduced to a giant calendar with each game representing another opportunity to cross a day […]
Remember last season, when the Cardinals were scuffling with injuries at the running back position? Struggling with poor performance at the left tackle position? Do you remember what the Cardinals did about it? If you can’t, it’s ok. Because they didn’t do anything about it. Like the poets in Springsteen’s “Jungleland”, they just stood back […]
The word Derrick Hall used was ignored. Or was it invisible? I can’t quite remember. But the point the D-backs president was trying to make Monday was that his baseball team loves to be ignored; they thrive in an environment where they are given just a passing thought. I agree that the expectations for 2013 […]
On a day where big money contracts were being passed out like fliers for strip clubs on the Las Vegas strip, Paul Goldschmidt’s extension will hardly be the headliner. Unless you’re a D-backs fan. Justin Verlander got $180 million (maybe more if it vests). Buster Posey got $167 million. Tony Romo got $108 million, including […]
Two weeks ago, the talk of Carson Palmer to the Cardinals was an intriguing but distant possibility. Now, the story is taking on the tones of a fait accompli, with the league’s own website predicting that it will happen. It’s all random, sports-talk-radio speculation until he actually gets cut by the Raiders. But assuming he […]
There are certain things that just make everything…better. Bacon on your food. Gene Hackman in your movie. And the University of Arizona basketball team in your tournament. We’ve all got our brackets and our office pools. Everybody watches March Madness with the dreams of winning some money or at least the hopes of witnessing a […]
If we were making a list of the decisions that the Lon Babby/Lance Blanks regime got right…a full 8 ½ by 11 sheet of paper would probably be too big. A post-it note would suffice. They are all debatable with the exception of one. Goran Dragic. (Ok, maybe two. If the Suns end up squeezing […]
For a second, just a second, put down your bracket sheet and watch the games. Because this year, if you’re a Suns fan, it matters. Indiana isn’t just a one seed that may bust your bracket; they’re Victor Oladipo or Cody Zeller. Georgetown isn’t just that team that has lost to double digit seeded teams […]
I have a feeling the Arizona Cardinals are about to find out what their bird brothers from another mother have known for years: competing in a division with a couple of heavyweights trading haymakers is no fun. The Baltimore Orioles won 98 games in 1997 and 93 games in 2012. In between they never won […]
Sad about Adrian Wilson’s release from the Arizona Cardinals? That’s not the word I would use. Not even close. Appreciative. That’s the word. I’m not sad, because it was time. In a league where roster spots are coveted and controlled by younger, fresher players, Wilson was out of time with the Cardinals. He just wasn’t […]
We all have something (or a lot of somethings) that we know we shouldn’t do but do anyway. What did Sheryl Crow call it? ‘My Favorite Mistake?’ For me, most days, it’s eating peanut butter out of the jar. Whenever I want. That’s my ‘Favorite Mistake.’ Analyzing mock drafts. Not quite as high up on […]
