ESPN ranked Phoenix as the worst four-team city for 2003, and it doesn't look like we're giving that title up any time soon. Here's the breakdown:
Phoenix Coyotes (18-20-14-3)
The fire sale is still apparently on with the trade of Sean Burke to Philadelphia. I understand that Gretzky is trying to make his mark by going with youth, but there still has to be some stability with this. They're trading away veteran leadership that could help the young team through the rough times even tough he was a big dent in the Coyotes budget.
Interesting Stat: The Coyotes are 2-6-2-2 in the new Glendale Arena while going 6-5-2-0 at America West Arena. If these guys want to win the fans over, they need to start winning their new home.
Phoenix Suns (18-37)
How bad can it get? The Suns are riding a five game losing streak going into the All-Star break, and there seems to be no end in sight. They are dead last in the west. Firing Frank Johnson didn't help. The other Johnson, Joe, is playing like a man possessed. Too bad the rest of the team isn't.
Interesting Stat: The Suns are 4-7 since the Coyotes moved out of the Purple Palace. They were 8-8 while sharing it this season. Maybe it was the ice seeping through the floorboards to make them play better.
Arizona Diamondbacks
My prediction: Finish just above .500
I can't get really excited about the upcoming Diamondbacks season. I understand the whole re-building process. Trust me, I'm a Kansas City Royals fan. Picking up Richie Sexson from Milwaukee was huge, but was it really worth giving up half the team for a guy who'll be here for one year? They traded away one of the best pitchers in the league and picked up a never-was in Shane Reynolds. They picked up Roberto Alamor, which is a direct slap in the face to Matt Kata. The D'backs need to let their young players develop and bringing in a journeyman player like Alamor will only hurt.
Interesting Stat: I don't really know the numbers for this, but like Randy Johnson, Brandon Webb received little to no run support. His ERA was under three. He has a bright future as a Diamondback.
Arizona Cardinals
My prediction: 7-9
I like and respect Dennis Green. He's an old school, take no crap kind of coach. Just because he doesn't take any crap doesn't mean he can't spew it. Sure, he was a winner in Minnesota. He apparently has an eye for quarterbacks, but what he needs to say to himself is that this is the Arizona Cardinals - a developmental football disguised as a pro team. I like that Green has a lot of confidence in McCown because like Green, I feel that McCown can lead this team.
Interesting Stat: The starting quarterbacks in the Super Bowl were either drafted in the late rounds or not at all. New England quarterback Tom Brady was drafted in the sixth rounds while Carolina quarterback Jake Delhomme wasn't even drafted. I should also mention the quarterbacks they beat in the conference championship games were top two picks in the draft.
Hopefully I can be proven wrong. You never know. The Suns and Coyotes may turn it around. The Diamondbacks will go deep into the playoffs. Finally, with hell completely frozen over, the Cardinals make it to the conference championship game.
Commendation of the Week
I would like to commend the Sun Devil baseball team on one hell of a series against to Florida State last weekend.
In the first game, I had the fear flowing through with the fear that the streak was over. After the 2-run bloop double in the ninth, it felt like a huge weight was being lifted off my chest.
In an effort to keep the fans in the stands, the Devils are down by two runs once again going into the bottom of the ninth. People are leaving. Once the bases get loaded, everybody stops leaving and begins watching the game.
Gamve three was perfect. No drama here. The game was a complete blowout and annihilation of the Seminoles with their most famous alumnus, Burt Reynolds, on hand to watch the destruction. You could imagine he was a little angry.
If you've never been to a collegiate baseball, then you haven't seen baseball in its truest form.
What the &%!@ of the week
What the hell was U.S. District Court Judge Shira Scheindlin thinking when she ordered the NFL's age restriction to be lifted so a greedy punk like Maurice Clarett can play professionally? The kid was failing P.E. last semester at Ohio State.
The NFL isn't the NBA or Major League Baseball. Kids straight out of high school or one-year college kids would not be able to hack the physical endurance that is required for today's NFL stars. It's harder for a student athlete failing physical education.
George Brett is Ryan Eilders' hero. If you're a Brett fan too, tell Ryan about it at ryan.eilders@asu.edu.
