In funny flick Little Giants, former NFL defensive end Steve Emtman confidently posits that football is 80 percent mental and 40 percent physical. The Arizona Rattlers might argue that the game’s more about having equally strong defensive and offensive lines. After all, if it were solely about offense, the Rattlers,…
Spring training, much like spring itself, never seems to last quite long enough in Phoenix. In a few weeks the temperatures will reach unbearable heights, the number of competitive baseball teams will narrow down to a handful, and the spotlight will focus, as always, on Boston and New York. For…
Jeff Gordon should consider retiring in Phoenix, because there’s obviously something here that slows the man’s aging process. It’s been 11 years since Gordon won a Sprint Cup, but his recent performances at Phoenix International Raceway have been straight out of his 2001 glory days. There are plenty of reasons…
When you hear talk of Major League Soccer the first word that comes to mind is probably either “failure” or “huh?” The American league, known for hemorrhaging money, is mostly considered a punchline. In the last few years, however, soccer has — quietly — gained a foothold in a few…
The Phoenix Suns are not playoff contenders. This was made obvious last month when Suns center Robin Lopez got himself ejected in the second quarter of a “must-win” game by bumping into an official like a petulant middle schooler. To watch Lopez’s bizarre outburst was to see the Suns’ season…
A lot can change in two years — just ask Goran Dragic. As member of the Phoenix Suns 2010, Dragic turned heads with an amazing playoff run that was headlined by a ridiculous 23-point fourth quarter against the Spurs. That performance made it seem all but certain that Dragic would…
Arizona State’s wrestling team hasn’t had the best year, but at least they can chalk up their losing record to growing pains. The Sun Devils graduated several key contributors last season (including national champ Anthony Robles), and it’s clear that head coach Shawn Charles has elected to take his lumps…
This was not the season that Grant Hill had in mind when he re-signed with the Suns. The NBA’s second oldest player has battled through sore quadriceps only to see his team stumble out to a losing record. With a third of the season in the books, it’s looking like…
Much like your coworker who’s single and hates his family, the Phoenix Coyotes did not enjoy the holiday season. A slump that seemed to carry through the entire month of December knocked the Coyotes way down in the standings. For the first time in Dave Tippett’s tenure as the Coyotes’…
In the NBA, starting the season cold usually isn’t a big deal — when the typical season lasts 82 games, a team can afford to crap the bed early. In this year’s strike-shortened season, however, a bad beginning can end a team’s season. Because of their rough start, the Phoenix…
Six months ago, Promise Amukamara was famous mostly for being the younger sister of NFL cornerback Prince Amukamara. These days, the Arizona State freshman is making a name for herself in her own right. As a guard on ASU’s women’s basketball team, Amukamara has been a big part of the…
Tempe’s recent history is full of ill-fated attempts to “get on the map.” The city’s bid to build the Cardinals’ stadium chased the franchise to Glendale, and its Town Lake has been more effective in attracting tropical diseases than businesses. But, through all of its missteps, Tempe has always had…
Through all of the drama produced by the NBA’s lockout — players bolting to play abroad, ultimatums issued by NBA commissioner David Stern, and all the criticisms levied against both sides — we couldn’t help but wonder what it would mean if this season were lost. It seemed possible that…
Nikolai Khabibulan always seems to find new ways to show that he hates Arizona. The 38-year-old goaltender was once a hero in the Valley. In the late 90’s, Khabibulan’s play in net helped lead the Coyotes to several playoff runs. In the last decade, however, a contract dispute, a bitter…
This has not been a good year for the Arizona Cardinals. They bet their season on quarterback Kevin Kolb and new defensive coordinator Ray Horton. Kolb proceeded to play at a below-average level before a turf-toe injury knocked him out of action (his backup, John “Red” Skelton, was not exactly…
We’re not sure when “No-Shave November” became a thing, but we’ve learned a lot from this year’s iteration of the hairiest of months. Most importantly, we’ve learned that literally everyone who looks good with a mustache already had one to begin with. Considering that a thick, Ron Swanson-esque mustache is…
The odd thing about Thanksgiving is how it’s centered on uninspiring food. We don’t eat turkey, cranberry sauce, or pumpkin pie after December for a good reason: they all kind of suck. In spite of that, you’ll likely spend Thursday, November 24, gorging yourself on food that it wouldn’t even…
On paper, the ASU Men’s basketball team looks bad. Last season was rough, the Sun Devils are short on scorers, and their star recruit—guard Jahii Carson—has made more headlines for his academic eligibility problems than for anything he’s done on the court. Despite this, the Devils have a golden opportunity…
While Midwestern powerhouses like Minnesota tend to dominate the college wrestling scene, no wrestling program has produced more great underdog stories than Arizona State’s. Whether it’s producing one-legged national champions, such as Anthony Robles, or being improbably reinstated after having its funding cut, ASU’s wrestling program is always proving that…
The words “state fair” tend to paint a pretty specific picture in a person’s mind. We’ve always associated state fairs with stuff like livestock competitions, hayrides, food stands designed to extract money from your wallet, and carnival rides designed to extract food from your stomach. One thing that hasn’t really…
ASU must be confident about its football team, because the athletic department website already has the Pac-12 Championship game listed on the schedule. The Sun Devils’ five wins justify that confidence, and have made them the prohibitive favorite in the Pac-12 South. Unfortunately, the Devils’ two losses are reason for…
It’s tough to believe that, only a few years ago, the Phoenix Coyotes were a crappy hockey team that seemed destined to relocate to Canada. In a way, the Coyotes have the Dallas Stars to thank for changing their fate. It was the Stars’ decision to fire then-coach Dave Tippett…
