Bickley & Marotta weekdays from 6-10 a.m. on Arizona Sports

Dan Bickley

PHOENIX, ARIZONA - MARCH 30: Chris Paul #3 of the Phoenix Suns handles the ball during the NBA game...
Dan Bickley

Chris Paul’s impact on Phoenix Suns can’t be overstated

Basketball players aren’t soft. They’re selfish. They’re insulated. They listen to the wrong people. The Suns don't have this problem.
3 years ago
Jerry Colangelo speaks during the 2018 Basketball Hall of Fame Enshrinement Ceremony at Symphony Ha...
Dan Bickley

It’s time for Jerry Colangelo to have a statue in downtown Phoenix

Pete Rose has a statue in Cincinnati, even though he’s banned from Major League Baseball. Rocky Balboa has a statue in Philadelphia, even though he wasn’t a real person.
3 years ago
(AP Photo/Darryl Webb)...
Dan Bickley

Suns’ Deandre Ayton undergoing a quantum leap of progress in 2021

Deandre Ayton is playing loud. His critics have grown quiet. He is proving that passive, playful puppies can learn how to bite, after all.
3 years ago
The United States flag is held on the field for the national anthem before the NFL game between the...
Dan Bickley

Arizona nearing risky intersection: The crossroads of politics and sports

If Arizona passes legislation perceived to be political tools of voter suppression, the NFL will feel extreme pressure to move Super Bowl LVII. And it will happen.
3 years ago
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - APRIL 09:  Manager Torey Lovullo #17 of the Arizona Diamondbacks watches from th...
Dan Bickley

If the D-backs really love Lovullo, they should extend him before the storm

The pressure will surely grow on D-backs manager Torey Lovullo in 2021, with a team that just can’t hang. And if it gets really bad, public pressure may prevent the team from keeping him.
3 years ago
Devin Booker #1 of the Phoenix Suns shoots a free-throw shot against the Oklahoma City Thunder duri...
Dan Bickley

Now is the time for Suns’ Devin Booker to ‘Be Legendary’

Dan Bickley writes that now is the time for Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker to "Be Legendary" and follow in the footsteps of his idol, the late Kobe Bryant.
3 years ago
A detail view of several baseballs on the outfield grass prior to a spring training game between th...
Dan Bickley

Opening Day holds larger significance entering the 2021 MLB season

Opening Day is an American institution. It’s a game that plays out in three dimensions: on the field, between the ears and inside your heart.
3 years ago
Wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald #11 of the Arizona Cardinals makes a reception against the Cleveland...
Dan Bickley

Larry Fitzgerald deserves a ring, even if it means leaving Arizona Cardinals

Dan Bickley writes that longtime Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald deserves to win a Super Bowl ring, even if that means leaving the Valley.
3 years ago
(Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)...
Dan Bickley

Analytics, slow pace of play is killing future of Major League Baseball

Dan Bickley writes that Major League Baseball looked better decades ago when it was sport and not math, because math will never be America’s pastime.
3 years ago
A general view of the March Madness logo on center court is seen before the game between the Oral R...
Dan Bickley

NCAA Tournament brings refreshing excitement back to college basketball

Dan Bickley writes on the differences between college basketball and the NBA, where he sees some innocent and wholesome energy in the NCAA Tournament.
3 years ago
Patrick Peterson #21 of the Arizona Cardinals prepares to take the field for the NFL game against t...
Dan Bickley

Patrick Peterson era with Cardinals ended long before CB joined Vikings

Despite Patrick Peterson's last two years in Arizona, Dan Bickley is looking forward to the day the Cardinals induct the CB into the Ring of Honor.
3 years ago
Las Vegas Raiders center Rodney Hudson (61) during a game between the New England Patriots and the ...
Dan Bickley

Rodney Hudson is crown jewel of Cardinals’ terrific offseason haul

Dan Bickley writes his thoughts on the offseason additions for the Arizona Cardinals, who added three high-profile names.
3 years ago
The Arizona Cardinals introduce their new head coach Kliff Kingsbury, middle, flanked by owner Mich...
Dan Bickley

Cardinals’ net haul in free agency will say much about current place in NFL

Dan Bickley writes that the Arizona Cardinals need to bring in weapons and solidify the offensive line around QB Kyler Murray for the team to be successful.
3 years ago
Arizona head coach Sean Miller questions a call during the second half of an NCAA college basketbal...
Dan Bickley

Wildcats head coach Sean Miller not worth the trouble for Arizona

Words can get you fired in 2021. So why does Sean Miller still have a job? At age 52, he has more wiretap appearances than Final Four appearances.
3 years ago
Devin Booker #1 of the Phoenix Suns gets control of the ball in front of Jared Dudley #10 of the Lo...
Dan Bickley

Devin Booker’s ejection shows what young star still has to learn

Dan Bickley writes that Devin Booker's fire has to be used correctly and needs to be controlled before it starts to damage the Suns in more important games.
3 years ago
J.J. Watt #99 of the Houston Texans looks on from the sidelines in the fourth quarter of the AFC Di...
Dan Bickley

J.J. Watt signing a transcendent moment for Arizona Cardinals

Dan Bickley writes that the addition of five-time Pro Bowler J.J. Watt helps the Arizona Cardinals in a multitude of ways.
3 years ago
Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker (1) has words with Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball, right, duri...
Dan Bickley

The Suns’ success dusts off issues only playoff teams experience

Winning teams bring new problems. Phoenix Suns fans are beginning to remember what they forgot during a 10-year playoff drought.
3 years ago
Chris Paul #3 of the Phoenix Suns handles the ball during the second half of the NBA game against t...
Dan Bickley

Chris Paul’s All-Star form has Suns back as top dog in Valley sports

Dan Bickley writes on the state of the Phoenix Suns at a 20-10 record and his thoughts on the All-Star snub of Devin Booker.
3 years ago
(AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, File)...
Dan Bickley

MLB’s obsession with analytics is killing what’s great about baseball

Dan Bickley discusses the negative impact that Major League Baseball's analytical age has wrought on the game, saying it has hurt the game worse than PED's.
3 years ago
Mike Hazen introduced as the Arizona Diamondbacks new executive vice president and general manager....
Dan Bickley

D-backs GM Hazen dealing with wife’s cancer fight, loaded NL West

There is a lot on Mike Hazen's plate this year, and that goes well beyond his duties as general manager of the Arizona Diamondbacks.
3 years ago
A detail of baseballs during a Grapefruit League spring training game between the Washington Nation...
Dan Bickley

Deadening baseballs is not how to improve Major League Baseball

Dan Bickley says that Major League Baseball's ongoing quest to deaden the baseball it uses in games is the wrong approach to fix the sport.
3 years ago
Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady (12) celebrates following the NFL Super Bowl 55 football...
Dan Bickley

Tom Brady isn’t the GOAT, but is the greatest quarterback in history

Tom Brady isn’t the Greatest of All Time. Not among professional athletes. Not even among NFL players. That honor belongs to Walter Payton or Lawrence Taylor.
3 years ago
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 05: Fans look on near the 18th hole during the second round of the W...
Dan Bickley

WM Phoenix Open missing its soul without raucous crowds

Golf wins. Anarchy loses. Beer vendors mourn with the drivers for hire. That’s the story of the Waste Management Pandemic Open.
3 years ago
NFL football commissioner Roger Goodell speaks at a press conference ahead of Super Bowl 55, Thursd...
Dan Bickley

Bickley: It’s high time to give Roger Goodell praise for NFL’s 2020 season

Dan Bickley breaks down the success story that is the 2020 NFL regular season, arguing that NFL commissioner Roger Goodell deserves credit for that success.
3 years ago
Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray (1) throws against the Buffalo Bills during the first ha...
Dan Bickley

Kyler Murray is talking baseball despite incomplete football resume

Super Bowl week is here and Kyler Murray is talking. He’s saying some interesting things. For instance, he seems to miss baseball. More than I want to hear.
3 years ago
Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson throws during the first half of an NFL football game agai...
Dan Bickley

Cardinals should seize opportunity to make run at Deshaun Watson

Kyler Murray is on a much different journey than Deshaun Watson and may one day end up in the same place. But it’s a no-brainer for the Cardinals.
3 years ago
In this Feb. 14, 2020, file photo, baseballs occupy a bucket after use during fielding practice dur...
Dan Bickley

It’s time for Major League Baseball to change the Hall of Fame

Dan Bickley writes his thoughts on the problems with baseball's Hall of Fame and the changes Major League Baseball needs to make.
3 years ago
(AP Photo/Matt Ludtke, AP Photo/David J. Phillip)...
Dan Bickley

Bucs’ Tom Brady has already won divorce with Bill Belichick, Patriots

Dan Bickley writes that while the Super Bowl is two weeks away, some things in the NFL have already been decided.
3 years ago
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes enters the injury tent during the second half of an ...
Dan Bickley

Removal of Mahomes, Jackson shows severity of NFL’s concussion protocol

Dan Bickley writes that the removal of Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson during playoff games shows how seriously the NFL takes its concussion protocol.
3 years ago
Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott speaks at Pac-12 NCAA college football Media Day, Wednesday, July 2...
Dan Bickley

Pac-12’s required makeover starts with finding right commissioner

Dan Bickley writes on what the Pac-12 needs to seek out while finding the replacement for commissioner Larry Scott.
3 years ago
Dan Bickley bio
Dan Bickley is the most influential sports media member in Arizona sports history, having spent over 20 years as the award-winning lead sports columnist for The Arizona Republic and AZCentral.com and almost two decades as a Valley sports radio talk show host. In spring 2018, Bickley made the decision to leave the newspaper to join the Arizona Sports team as host of the entertaining and informative midday show Bickley and Marotta, as well as bring his opinionated and provocative column exclusively to ArizonaSports.com.
Bickley’s journalism career began in his hometown of Chicago, where he was part of a star-studded staff at the Chicago Sun-Times. He chronicled Michael Jordan’s six NBA championships; covered the Olympics in eight different countries and attended 14 Super Bowls; spent three weeks in an Indianapolis courthouse writing about Mike Tyson’s rape trial; and once left his laptop in an Edmonton bar after the Blackhawks reached the Stanley Cup Finals.
He has won multiple awards, written two books, formed a rock band, fathered three children, and once turned down an offer to work at the New York Times.  His passions include sports, music, the alphabet, good beer and great radio. After joining Arizona Sports, he couldn’t be happier