Broadly speaking, Pablo Francisco is a stand-up comedian, but that’s somewhat misleading. The Tucson native’s line of work doesn’t seem to involve standing as much as it does flailing and writhing. And rarely does Mr. Francisco actually tell a joke. Instead, the 39-year-old weaves numerous characters and impersonations into a…

If enjoying the music of ABBA qualifies as a “guilty pleasure,” then a lot of people are guilty as charged. The Swedish pop outfit has sold upwards of 400 million albums and singles to date, and that’s based on a catalogue that was amassed in just 10 short years. “Dancing…

The first month of the NBA season often winds up confounding analysts and flummoxing prognosticators. For example, no one in his right mind could have predicted that both the Knicks and the Nets would be floundering far below .500, or furthermore that only two teams in the entire eastern conference…

Let’s be honest, everyone coasts this time of year. It’s that special time of the season when the kiddos gorge themselves on goodies and nurture their fledgling, young lust for material possessions, while the grown-ups do, well, basically the same thing. And here in AZ, it’s also the only time…

The assassination of JFK was one of the most devastating events in American history, but for Secret Service agent Clint Hill it was the most devastating event of his life. Fifty years on, the man sworn to protect the Kennedys and who famously hurled himself onto the President’s vehicle split-seconds…

The city of Toronto has been gobbling up a lot of headlines lately, or, at least, its mayor has. And the man looks like he knows how to gobble. Meanwhile, the Toronto Raptors have clawed their way to a tenuous division lead, which is rather newsworthy considering they share a…

Prior to the 2012 NFL season, quarterback Peyton Manning was a free agent, but he wasn’t just any free agent. Mr. Manning was perhaps the most highly coveted free agent in the history of the league and it had been widely rumored that the Arizona Cardinals were on his short…

Over the last few years Valley sports fans have grown accustomed to a lot of losing.But lately, as the temperatures drop and the leaves wither and fall, Valley sports teams seem to be doing just the opposite. Sure, the Cardinals still look like a distant dark horse in the NFC…

The Phoenix Suns may end up having four first-round draft picks in 2014. What’s more, the 2014 NBA draft is being touted as the best in a decade. Understandably, Planet Orange devotees find themselves in the ambivalent position of rooting for their team whilst secretly being okay with the losses…

Would it really be all that strange if Phoenix became known as a big hockey town? After all, the fine denizens of Dubai saw fit to build an indoor ski resort in a city whose climate mirrors ours almost identically. Bizarre unlikelihoods aside, the Phoenix Coyotes are here to stay…

With Halloween falling on a Thursday this year, the real entertainment might end up being at the office Friday morning. As many of us know, the costume may be easily doffed, but the shame takes longer to scrub off. So if you’re one of those who has reached the pinnacle…

Around this time a century ago, Arizona was just one year into its fledgling statehood. But it was already the most badass state in the union. Long before Valentine’s Day 1912 — Arizona’s birthday — Tombstone had garnered a violent and rugged reputation, while Jerome had been dubbed “the wickedest…

After a forgettable 2012 campaign, the Arizona Cardinals – understandably — made some serious roster modifications during the off-season. Some were controversial, some imperative. One move that had Cards fans’ undies in a bundle was allowing defensive coordinator Ray Horton to jettison the Valley and take up shop in Cleveland…

Over the last few decades Garrison Keillor has staked his claim as the last of the American radio stars. Sure there’s been a dozen or so books — who’s counting? — a slew of insightful articles and one delightfully odd excursion into film, but it’s Mr. Keillor’s unmistakable voice that…

It’s bizarre to think that this time last year the Arizona Cardinals were 4-0, sitting proudly atop one the NFL’s toughest divisions. Of course we all know how that fairytale ended. Equally as bizarre is the fact that, while not exactly 4-0, the prognosis for the remainder of the Cards…

With the lingering instability that comes from being an NHL-owned team now behind them, the Phoenix Coyotes are undoubtedly enjoying putting their ownership woes to rest and settling in for a while. That chilling sense that at any moment the Zamboni might be shipped off to a new town had…

With their postseason aspirations fast becoming pipe dreams, the Arizona Diamondbacks find themselves in the disheartening position of having little left to play for other than their pride. Meanwhile, the Dodgers punched their ticket to the postseason a long time ago. Now they find themselves in the enviable position of…

Any respectable Arizonan knows that Mexico’s equivalent of cuatro de julio takes place on dieciséis de septiembre, not cinco de mayo. They also know just enough Spanish to make sense of the previous sentence. That is why one of the Valley’s most decorated cantinas feels confident that its Rockin’ Taco…

Over the last decade downtown Phoenix has experienced a rather profound renaissance. Thanks to the light rail, the burgeoning Roosevelt Row district, big investments from ASU, and loads of outstanding clubs and restaurants, the ‘hood has become a destination again. But on the first Saturday of every month, uptown is…

It takes a lotta moxie to be a baseball fan these days. The Biogenesis scandal has been hogging the headlines as if those were the last steroid needles on earth. Meanwhile, thanks to the lack of a salary cap, the Dodgers have been demonstrating — quite convincingly — that the…

There aren’t many summer events in Phoenix that include winter in the title; it would seem downright insulting. Especially since, even in the dead of winter, Phoenix really doesn’t have one. Heck, when was the last time Johnny Winter came through town? (Take it easy Frankenstein, it’s a rhetorical question.)…

This time last year Arizona Cardinals fans were still wondering who their team’s starting quarterback would be. Actually, there was a lot more dread than wonder going on, and rightly so. When Kevin Kolb and John Skelton are vying for the single most important position on the team, you kinda…