People fear change, especially when its something they’ve really grown to love. NASCAR driver Tony Stewart, for instance, disapproved of the recently completed $10 million renovation of Phoenix International Raceway and wasn’t afraid to talk about it. Last fall, the renowned speedster publicly aired his disappointment at a number of…
Arizona State University quarterback Brock Osweiler was only eight years old the last time the Sun Devils beat University of Southern California on the gridiron. In the intervening 12 years, the Trojans have won five conference titles (seven if you count the two USC won while violating of NCAA rules)…
In the overpaid world of Major League Baseball, big bucks oftentimes equal championship glory. Just look at the last four World Series victors, including the San Francisco Giants, Philadelphia Phillies, and New York Yankees, all of whom dropped some serious scrilla on players’ salaries in order to bring home a…
The Arizona Cardinals’ season-opener against the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, September 11, may not be the best game on the NFL’s opening-weekend schedule. Hell, it might not even be televised. But it is the league’s most compelling quarterback match-up of Week 1. The visiting Panthers will be led by Cam…
Confession time: The Wizard was one of our favorite movies while growing up. There’s something about the kitschy 1989 flick about a grand video game competition, which was essentially a 90-minute commercial for Nintendo, that kept us captivated as kids. We’d recommend the film to those hoping to reign supreme…
Head coach Dennis Erickson leads their march to glory on Thursday, September 1, in their home opener with University of California-Davis. The Aggies are expected to be also-rans this season, so you’re expected to cheer your lungs out at Sun Devil Stadium, 500 East Veterans Way in Tempe. Thu., Sept…
It’s easy to talk about what Arizona doesn’t have, but sometimes it’s good to focus on the positive. On one hand, Arizona lacks things like salt shops or fall. On the other, the state is blessed with a vibrant professional wrestling community. The crown jewel of that community is Elite…
Preseason in the NFL is something of a mixed bag for football fans. Yes, the fall favorite is finally returning after a long, hot summer of speculation as to whether or not your hometown heroes would field a competitive team this season. At the same time, these exhibition games don’t…
The boxing world loves a good comeback story, and local pugilist Jesús “El Martillo” González has one of the better tales of redemption we’ve ever heard. Widely considered one of the biggest wunderkinds to emerge from Valley’s boxing scene, the South Phoenix southpaw turned pro at 18, amassed an impressive…
A sad reality for Phoenix Suns fans is that Steve Nash may never play another game for the team. And without a true successor to “Hair Canada,” Planet Orange’s chances of making the playoffs anytime soon are probably slim to none. Fortunately there’s still plenty of competitive basketball happening in…
Although Independence Day may be around the corner, it seems like it’s never too early to start celebrating the birth of our nation, or blowing crap up for that matter. Although Independence Day may be around the corner, it seems like it’s never too early to start celebrating the birth…
There’s nothing glamorous about the way the women of the Arizona Assassins play football. They’re just as tough on the gridiron as their male counterparts, if not more so. True to their namesake, the Assassins have been brutally efficient at capitalizing on their opponents’ mistakes in furious fashion, and it’s…
Pitcher Jose Rosario doesn’t have his own baseball card — at least, not yet. Nor does he have multimillion dollar endorsement deals, a savvy sports agent, or legions of fans. Such trappings are the stuff of far-off dreams, as the 20-year-old Puerto Rican right-hander is at the dawn of his…
Few bookworms have been daring enough to actually read the whole of Ulysses, by choice anyway. The James Joyce classic is so well-regarded in literary circles that it earned the esteemed author his own holiday (the annual celebration of Bloomsday, named after protagonist Leopold Bloom). It’s also one of those…
The Arizona Derby Dames are as comfortable with breaking ground as they are with breaking noses. Last year, the local league debuted the first modern banked track in the Valley. This year, they’re following that accomplishment up by hosting Phoenix’s first ever Battle on the Bank. Starting Friday, June 10,…
Most people tend to think of boat racing as the sort of sport enjoyed by upper crust types in their finest yachting wear. Nothing shatters that misconception faster than watching two speedboats haul ass through a quarter-mile of water at 250 miles per hour. It’s safe to say you should…
It may be while before Arizona Cardinals fans see their team put together another winning season. Even if an NFL season actually takes place this fall (and right now that’s pretty sketchy), the Red Birds don’t have anybody on their roster that can play quarterback worth a damn. Fortunately, there’s…
The hardest thing about running actually isn’t the embarrassment of buying nipple tape — it’s the monotony. If running is starting to bore you, we (shamelessly) recommend participating in the New Times Dirty 6 Mud Run on Saturday, May 7. Get rid of the doldrums while getting down and dirty…
No team in Major League Baseball is as consistent or reliable as the Chicago Cubs. For more than a century, the Cubbies have begun and ended every season without a title, which likely explains why Japanese outfielder Kosuke Fukudome decided to sign with the Boys in Blue three years ago…
Chelsea DeNofa isn’t significant enough to merit an entry on Wikipedia, which would undoubtedly surprise the thousands who packed last year’s Xtreme Drift Circuit finals. It was there that the 23-year-old established himself as the current king of drifting by claiming the XDC title after a show-stopping performance in front…
Singer Jeordie Safka has spent much of her musical career trying to step out from the shadow of her mother’s musical legacy. The daughter of Woodstock legend Melanie Safka, Jeordie was once criticized after a performance by Naomi Judd, who supposedly asked, “are you sure you are from the same…
Champions almost always save their best performances for the games that matter the most. This is why the Arizona Diamondbacks are championship material. What, to the untrained eye, may have looked like carelessness during Spring Training was in fact a brilliant display of cunning. Sure, the Diamondbacks could have won…
