D'Backs reach out to Hispanic Community

If there ever was an "aha" moment for the Arizona Diamondbacks' brass, it came one year ago at the World Baseball Classic in Phoenix.

The tournament was meant as a global showcase for the sport, exposing America's pastime to international fans from South Africa to China. Yet the throngs of fans waving Mexico's flag and buying the team's hats and jerseys prompted Diamondbacks President Derrick Hall to ask one question: Was there a reservoir of untapped money and fan passion right in the shadows of Chase Field? -azcentral.com



D'Backs, Hispanics, Jugar Beisbol.....(azcentral.com)

2007 Arizona Diamondbacks Preview

Hey all, in honor of opening day (2 days away!) I will be doing a breakdown of the D'Backs active roster as it stands right now. Enjoy!

Pitchers:

Juan Cruz- Needs to keep doing what he's doing. Decent overall numbers but could stand to drop his ERA at least .5 points if he wants to be a go-to-guy.

Doug Davis- Went 11-11 last year. Look for him to bring that win total up a game or two. The D'backs need him to. 203 innings pitched last year, gave up 206 hits. Something to think about.

J.D. Durbin- 2000 Arizona High School Player of the Year. Struggled in Minnesota in 2004, let's see how he handles being back in the desert.

Edgar Gonzalez- Was in talks of being possible 5th starter. Has since lost the job but will still be looked to for solid bullpen support.

Livan Hernandez- Needs a big year. Was supposed to be a solid 2 guy for the D'Backs last year but ended up struggling. Drop the ERA, hits and work on keeping up the strikeouts and he can be a 15 win guy.

Randy Johnson- You know the name. You know the history. You also know about last year in New York. Is he Randy of old, or Randy the old? Wait and see before you pencil him in for anything more than 13 wins and a 4+ ERA.

Brandon Lyon- Solid reliever. No numbers that will "wow" you but overall nothing awfull. Keep the homerun total low like in the past and he should be good.

Brandon Medders- Quality arm in the bullpen. Will probably be called on a lot more than some other guys. If he stays healthy and throwing hard, he should have a quality year.

Dustin Nippert- Saw limited action last year and what action he did see, wasen't fun. Let's hope for a rebound. 11.34 ERA....yikes.

Tony Pena- Threw 30.2 innings last year and gave up 21 runs. Drop that stat by a handful and he will be looked to much more. Otherwise, he'll spend a lot of time watching from the bullpen bench.

Doug Slaten- Young and unproven. Another BabyBax. Threw 5 innings last year and gave up 3 hits. I'll take it.

Jose Valverde- Can he be the dominant closer the D'Backs need him to be? Let's hope. Fun stat to chew on....batting average against Left: .152 vs. Right: .258.

Brandon Webb- Mr. Cy Young. Another career year? Let's hope. Look for at least 17 wins. I'll go out on a limb and say he ends with 20 wins and a sub 3.20 ERA. What do I know though?

Catchers:

Miguel Montero - Will take over Robby Hammack's spot as backup catcher. Went 4-16 last year, so is totally unproven. Had a decent spring but can he keep it up?

Chris Snyder- Hit .277 last year. Not awfull. Low power numbers (6 HR) from a big guy which he will look to bring up. Fun stat: Battint average during Day: .118 Night: .266.

Infielders:

Brian Barden- Backing up third base. Unproven rookie. Let's hope we dont see him too early in the season.

Alberto Callaspo- Backing up second base. Hit .238 in 42 at bats last year.

Tony Clark- Power numbers declined in '06 but so did at-bats. Defenitly a step slower. We'll see how it works out. Could be in the middle of a trade come trading deadline.

Stephen Drew- We got a glimpse of the future last year. And we all loved that glimpse. Put up some big numbers in a short ammount of time. Look for huge things from this talented shortstop.

Orlando Hudson- O-dog brought speed and exciment to the desert last year. Will be equaly as dangerous this year. Low numbers offensivly but brings a ton to the field defensivly.

Conor Jackson- .441 Slugging. .291 AVG. .368 OBP. Those will only go up. Big things for CoJack this year, no doubt about it.

Chad Tracy- 20 Hr, 80 RBI last year. Similar numbers this year? The D'Backs certainly hope so. They need his big bat.

Outfielders:

Eric Brynes- A stolen base threat, a dirt dog, and a huge bat. Oh, and he can chase down any flyball hit to him. A key ingrediant for the D'Backs possible NL West Championship run.

Jeff DaVanon- Getting up there in age but can still put up decent numbers. Needs to stay consistent.

Scott Hairston- Will have to replace Gonzo in left. Can he? Time will tell.

Carlos Quentin- Will be out to start the season with a hurt shoulder. Can he get past this and have a solid year? Let's hope.

Chris Young- People are looking for big things from this BabyBax. The hype is there, and it looks like the talent is too. Could have a big year depending on how Manager Bob Melvin wants to structure his outfield.

Overall Perdiction: New uniforms, decent pitching staff, young talent all around the starting 9, last years Cy Young winner and a fanbase hungry for a playoff team. Anything less than second in the NL West will be a dissapointment.

All stats courtesy azdiamondbacks.com

Slow day today....

Hey Sir Charles, good to see ya. So yea, today's a pretty slow day, no real news to report. Tomorrow we will have a breakdown of the 25 man roster for the D'backs. Also tonight there will be a live draft for fantasy baseball including a lot of the guys who help write this site with me. I'm thinking I may liveblog the first couple rounds. Just for fun. As always we will be keeping you up to date on the going-ons in Arizona sports. Keep reading, post comments, and tell your friends. Thanks.

Harden, Bayless shine...

College basketball enthusiast Darren takes a look at tonights McDonalds All-American game in which the West defeated the East, 114-112.

Fans finally got a chance to see future Sun Devil James Harden (Artesia High School) in action. Harden took part in the 30^th annual McDonald’s All American game, playing for the West team, and gave Arizona State fans even more reason to be excited for the future of their basketball team.

Harden entered the game after the first timeout and the 6’5” shooting guard made an immediate impact tipping the ball away from an opposing player to force a turnover. Soon after, Harden showcased his athleticism and quickness with an impressive one handed dunk on a fast break. Harden scored a few more times as the game progressed and finished with eight points. The West eventually trumped the East, 114-112.

In his senior campaign, Harden averaged 18.1 points, 8 rebounds, and 3.6 rebounds per game. Harden’s play helped propel Artesia to their second straight California Division III State Championship title. Other participants in the McDonald’s All American game attending Pac-10 schools next year included Jerryd Bayless (Arizona), Kevin Love (UCLA), and O.J. Mayo (Southern California).

Mr. McDonald would be proud

Two roads diverged as a pair of basketball prospects weighed their college choices. One chose the road having perhaps the better claim because it was grassy and wanted wear. The other took the road less traveled by.

After joining forces for the West squad in the McDonald’s All-American game tonight in Louisville, Ky., Jerryd Bayless and James Harden will find themselves on opposite sides of one of college basketball’s most lopsided rivalries. -EVT.com



ASU, Arizona prospects square off.....(eastvalleytribune.com)

The Duel goes to Chase...

Tonight at 6:40pm you can watch the two best baseball teams in Arizona battle it out at Chase Field. Sorry, the Diamondbacks won't be there. U of A and ASU will face each other in the second annual "Challenge at Chase." The last meeting between these two teams on February 27th, saw the Devils destroy the Cats, 22-8. Will it be a closer game? Will it be another slugfest? Come out to Chase Field tonight at 6:40pm, to find out!



Devils, Cats return to Chase......(azcentral.com)

McFoy to be linebacker

Ryan McFoy, who played at safety as a true freshman last year, began working at linebacker on Monday, the start of Arizona State's second week of spring practice.

"We just felt we've got some depth at safety and that will really help our speed and quickness at linebacker," coach Dennis Erickson said. "I've done that every place I've been."

When Erickson was at Oregon State, Nick Barnett moved to linebacker after a year at safety. Barnett was gone on to an NFL linebacker career with the Green Bay Packers.The emergence of Troy Nolan at safety made moving McFoy, at least for the remainder of spring practice, move viable. Other safeties include Josh Barrett, Jeremy Payton and Rodney Cox. - azcentral.com

Lets try this again...shall we?

On the heels of the Cards’ infamous “Monday Night Meltdown” against the Chicago Bears in 2006, the league is sending the Cardinals to San Francisco for ESPN’s second “Monday Night Football” telecast of 2007’s opening weekend.-EVT.com



Cardinals open with MNF....(eastvalleytribune.com)

Tough loss...great season

Kia Vaughn had 17 points and 10 rebounds while dominating the paint to power Rutgers to a 64-45 victory over Arizona State on Monday night in the Greensboro Regional finals, clinching the Scarlet Knights' second trip to the national semifinals. -azcentral.com

Lets not forget that this was the farthest any ASU womens team has ever been. Also, I'll say it now...Final Four next year. This team loses some quality players but we have more than enough talent to fill those holes. Great season ladies!




ASU season ends....(azcentral.com)

January cleared to play

Arizona State guard Briann January was cleared to play in today's Elite 8 game against Rutgers.

January missed the Greensboro regional semifinal against Bowling Green on Saturday, because of a concussion she suffered in last week's second round national tournament game.-azcentral.com

Tonight's our night!

March madness is a real disease. Just ask valley residents that are catching now that the ASU women are one game away from the Final Four. SeattleSunDevil has more.......

So I guess this is it huh?

Charli’s Angels on the verge of Sun Devil immortality – Sun Devil greatness – A final four appearance.

All that is standing in the way? A date with Rutgers and the Lady Scarlet Knights.

Yes, that Rutgers.

It seems as though Rutgers and ASU have had a few dates with destiny in the last couple years starting with an epic bowl game. Downtown Phoenix was the scene for the first Rutgers bowl game since facing ASU in the 1978 Garden State Bowl. One can only hope for as thrilling of a game as that one, one in which the Devils pulled out a 45-40 win.

Turn the clock forward a year to the Paradise Jam championship game where once again the Rutgers Knights and Arizona State Sun Devils were to face off – a preview of a possible championship down the road – but then tragedy struck. Aubree Johnson, a forward for the Devils, found out that her brother had died in St. Thomas waiting to watch his big sister play in the championship. Rutgers graciously bowed out of the game not forcing ASU to forfeit, leaving the Paradise Jam championship for another year, another time.

The time is now.

It seems as though fate continues bringing these two programs together, just waiting for another instant classic between the two lesser-known powerhouses.

Rutgers – Arizona State. How sweet it may turn out to be – or should I say… How elite it will be.

A final four appearance hangs in the balance tonight.

And then there were 8....

The ASU Lady Devils beat Bowling Green 67-49 Saturday afternoon. The win gave third-seeded Arizona State (31-4) its first trip to the round of eight, where the Sun Devils will face the Duke-Rutgers winner Monday with a chance to go to the Final Four.
Emily Westerberg added 15 points and eight rebounds for the Sun Devils, who picked a good time to turn in their steadiest performance of the tournament. Arizona State shot 51 percent, took a 37-24 rebounding advantage and scored 16 points off turnovers to end the seventh-seeded Falcons' surprise tournament run. -ESPN.com


Sun Devils advance to Elite 8....(espn.com)

Seay Goodbye!

Arizona State swingman Sylvester Seay told coach Herb Sendek on Friday that he plans to transfer.

Sendek said he granted Seay his release.

Seay, a 6-foot-7 sophomore from San Bernardino, Calif., was a starter in ASU's season-opening loss to Northern Arizona. But he appeared in only 11 more games. He averaged 3.3 points and 1.8 rebounds. - Azcentral.com

New development in Tillman investigation

NBC News has confirmed that an investigation by the Pentagon's inspector general found that nine US Army officers were aware that former NFL star turned soldier Pat Tillman was killed by friendly forces in Afghanistan but did not inform the Tillman's family in a timely manner.NBC has also learned that as many as four generals are included in the cover up. The army must now decide whether disciplinary action should be taken against any of the officers involved. Pat Tillman died in April of 2004- Azcentral.com

Buy the Keller cup!

Thats righ folks, the cup Sam Keller used to throw at a car is avalible for purchase on Ebay. Bid early and bid often!

Buy the Sam Keller cup!.....(ebay.com)

Ex-Devil Sam Keller in hot water

"Campus police cited Nebraska quarterback Sam Keller Thursday for disturbing the peace after he allegedly yelled profanities at a woman who took a parking spot he was waiting for in a campus parking garage.

The woman told campus police Keller got out of his car, yelled and threw a plastic cup at her car, said University Police Capt. Carl Oestmann." - AP

Keller Cited for disturbing the peace....(espn.com)

Urlaub Update

As we reported earlier Sophomore left hander, Jeff Urlaub, will be absent from the team for the remainder of the season after learning that he has suffered a 40% tear of a tendon in his elbow. SeattleSunDevil has more.....

The damage was done earlier in the season but was dismissed when the injury was thought to be a sprain. Urlaub commenced throwing at that point but was Coach Murphy was forced to shut down activities for the southpaw when the condition did not get any better.

Urlaub was drafted in the 26^th round of the Major League Baseball draft after his senior year of high school by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays but chose to attend classes at ASU and forgo the opportunity to become a professional straight out of school. He was a horse for Murphy’s team during 2006, tossing 56 innings of work which ranked him second on the team.

While the bright lights of Pac-10 baseball have eluded Urlaub for the most part this season, the Sun Devils will miss the arm of the lefty as the season wears on. Urlaub will seek a second opinion but Tommy John surgery will most likely be completed before mid-April.

CactusSports.com will keep up to date and will have news as it becomes available.

33/21 Amare DOMINATES

With 33 points and 21 boards Amare showed just why he will be the x-factor come playoff time. The Suns beat the Kings 118-100 as Amare bounced back from one of his worst games ever. Nash had 17 points and 16 assists to help as well. Mr. Double Double...meet Mr. 30-20.


Suns Cruise Past Kings...(Suns.com)

Jeff Urlaub out for season

Jeff Urlaub, a pitcher for Arizona State, has a 40% tear in his tendon in his throwing arm. This will undoubtedly mean Tommy John surgery is needed.

SeattleSunDevil will have a more indepth story later tonight.

Just watch......

http://www.asuathleticsmarketing.com/newcoach/

Nothing more needs to be said....

Staat To Be Deployed to Iraq

With about 3 weeks before Pat’s Run, another former Sun Devil is being deployed to Iraq. Lance Cpl. Jeremy Staat was a former roommate of Pat Tillman and decided that he wanted to follow in his former teammates footsteps. However, Tillman convinced him to wait it out and join the Marines after he could get retirement benefits from the NFL.

Lance Cpl. Jeremy Staat is expected to be in Iraq for seven months with his unit. With Tillmans memory with us everyday, we hope for the best for another former Sun Devil and every other solider out there. We know Lance Cpl. Jeremy Staat will be honoring his country as he leaves for Iraq, but he will also be fighting for his former roommate and fallen solider Pat Tillman.

Good luck Lance Cpl. Jeremy Staat and we will see you in seven months.

Staat to be deployed...(nfl.com)

A Game To Remember...

September 10th 2005.

LSU defeated Arizona State 35-31 in one of the most emotional games in recent college football memory. We all know the story, Hurricane Katrina blew through Louisiana and destroyed homes and towns and business. The LSU Tigers were unable to play their first two games and ultimately had to move their home game against the Devils to Tempe, AZ.
I'll never forget when I found out the game was being moved to Tempe. I burst into my buddies place after getting a phone call telling me it was moved. We were so excited we would see the game here. We were also excited because it gave us a chance to win against the 5th ranked Tigers.
The day of the game was incredible. People were giving donations left and right, ASU raised over a million dollars for LSU. Students gave all they could. People were dressed in purple in gold (LSU's colors) even if they didn't normally root for LSU. The game was an official home game for the Tigers, we as ASU fans watched as their opening video was shown in our stadium. The end zones were painted with both Maroon and Gold and Purple and Gold.
As for the game itself. Well...it was intense. The video posted does a much better job explaining the game itself. The last play, the touchdown pass to Early Doucet is one of the most memorable plays of the season. As meaningful as it was to the people of Louisiana I will always stand by the fact that he didn't have control of the ball when he caught it. As much as I stand by that, watching this video I couldn't help but feel just moved by it. Of all the videos and clips of this game that I have seen, this one did it the most justice. I felt so moved by this. The way our season turned out that year, I really don't mind that we lost anymore. We got to play in the Insight Bowl which allowed me to see it live at Chase Field. Rudy Carpenter had a great season and led the nation in passing efficiency.
What would we have done if we won? Would we have rushed the field, would we have partied in the streets? I don't think win or lose we would have been able to feel very good about the win. Yes it was a win over the number five team in the country but they hadn't played a game yet, we had played two. It was heartbreaking at the time, but watching this video just made me remember how important it was to the state of Louisiana.


ASU Football to take on LSU at home....(thesundevils.com)

Pacific Divion Champs x3

Maybe the third time is the charm? The Suns won their third straight Pacific Division title defeating the Timberwolves 108-90. The division title is always nice but this year it will be disappointing if the Suns don't take the championship. This team has too much talent not to. They've shown they can beat the Mavericks, although it took two overtimes, but nonetheless they can be beaten. If the Suns can make sure their stars stay healthy and well rested...well 2007 might just be the suns year.

Suns Clinch Third Straight...(NBA.com/Suns)

Well....thanks for trying Loren

Arizona State D-Lineman Loren Howard has removed himself from the team due to his lingering injury issues with his quad. Loren hasn't played a full season of football since 2003. While he never got to wear the maroon and gold in a real game, we wish him the best.

Spring Practice #1

Ahhh springtime. The trees are full of flowers, the sun is shining, it's 90 degrees, and football plays are being yelled out. Spring practice officially began on March 19th. So far so good for the Sun Devils. The players are in good shape and ready to get playing.

Here are some tidbits:

Rudy Burgess is still limping around on his ankle, he's off crutches but still very sore. He hopes to be ready to go for the spring game at least.

Littrelle Jones' arm is healed and he is back to playing.

"Sophomore QB Danny Sullivan is up 36 pounds to 236 from his weight last season. Junior DE Wes Evans now weighs 253, up from 215. TE Dane Guthrie is listed at 267, up from 253. P Jonathan Johnson, already solid last year at 205 pounds, now is 226.

Those on the trimmer side include G Shawn Lauvao, down from 316 to 307, and C Mike Pollak, down from 305 to 292.

DL Alex Fa'agai now is going to Alex Asi, his father's last name. The junior is up from 265 pounds to 288." -azcentral.com

Brett Palmer has left the team for undisclosed reasons.

Sweetness!

Well, they really are the comeback kids. ASU down 15 with 11 minutes left in the second half, clawed their way back using a 20-4 run. They toppled Louisville 67-58. The Lady Devils will play the winner of the Vanderbilt v. Bowling Green game today in the Sweet 16. The Devils, and their never say die attitude has helped them all season but it's paying off huge for them in the tournament. Is this the year the Devils break through? Could they punch their ticket to the Final Four? That remains to be seen, but as of right now, I wouldn't bet against the comeback kids.


Sun Devils dig out of another hole....(azcentral.com)

AZ Republic creates new QB controversy

Jeff Metcalfe, a reporter for the Arizona Republic recently sat down with Rudy Carpenter, ASU's starting quarterback. What soon proceeded was Metcalfe stirring up a second quarterback controversy for no real reason.

Rudy Carpenter could lose the Arizona State starting quarterback job to sophomore Danny Sullivan, but the junior has enough self-confidence to believe he will impress the new coaching staff and keep the job.

That was the opening paragraph. He then went on describing the problem last spring with Sam Keller and Rudy Carpenter battling for the starting QB job.

This year there is no controversy. There should be no debates, no articles, no interviews. Metcalfe stirred a pot that didn't need to be stirred. Carpenter himself has this to say about spring practice.

"It's going to be lot different. I think we all know who the quarterback is going to be. If Danny comes in and beats me out, hey, that's my fault. This year there's going to be more of an emphasis on football rather than position conflict and controversies.

"Guys would come up to me (last year) and be like, 'Man, I'm sorry I dropped that ball.' . . . This year, there's none of that. Me and Danny are good friends. We work together."

I don't care if the Arizona Republic is trying to sell papers or not, but trying to fan the flames of a controversy that isn't there....you're better than that Mr. Metcalfe.


Carpenter Say's He's Confident....(azcentral.com)

The Great One...Going Going Gone?

We all know the Coyotes have been struggling as of late and our buddy Jake decided to take a look at the reasons why. And while your at it, take a look at this video these guys made about their hatred for Wayne Gretzky. It may be the cheesiest video you see all day but damn it, it has a great soundtrack.

We all know Wayne Gretzky is the best hockey player of all time. However, can he be the not so great coach? The Coyotes are sitting dead last in Western Conference. I may not know hockey, but I know that is not good.

So the question remains, can the best hockey player of all time and part owner of the team he coaches for, be fired? My answer is, no. I mean if the greatest player in the sports history can not turn a franchise around, who can?

You got to feel bad for Mr. Gretzky, he is used to winning and succeeding in the sport. Now he comes to Arizona, which why would there even be an ICE hockey team in the desert, and cannot put a team together.

Oh yeah, the ‘Yotes lost again tonight to Dallas 5-4.

ASU Women's First Round: Live Blog

Whats up, It's Jeff, and I'll be taking you through tonights ASU womens game on this glorious St. Patrick's Day. ESPN is showing whip-around coverage which means we will be jumping around to a few different games. I'll comment less on these than when ASU is on. So, grab a beer, turn on ESPN2 and join me as we watch some womens college basketball....Yea that doesn't sound so good when you actually type it out. Hmm...

9:32 FINAL SCORE: ASU-57 UCR-50. Thanks for sticking around for the first ever live blog on sportscactus.com. There will be plenty more to come.

9:30 The ASU band just broke into "The Final Countdown" by Europe. This led to me going to wikipedia and look up Europe. "Europe is one of the most successful Swedish bands ever, having sold more than 10 million albums worldwide." Good to know. Oh, ASU is up 7 with 18....15...12...10....6.....2...1...NO SECONDS LEFT. ASU Wins!!!!! and will take on Louisville on Monday.

9:27 "The wheels have officialy come off!" Shrieks Bob Wischusen. ASU is up 3 with 1:50 to go. I want to see Wishcusen call a beer pong game. "HE SINKS THE CUP! ICEWATER IN HIS VEINS!"
we need this in our lives.

9:21 January just drove the length of the court, nailed the layup and got the "and-1." The director just made a terrific choice to cut to Charlie Turner Thorne instead of UCR's coach. Probably a good call. He might be saying some things that ryhme with duck and ship.

9:18 ASU is rolling along and Lisa Leslie just said "aggresive penetration." I'm not making a WNBA joke. It's too easy.

9:15 LSU is up 77-38. Hey UNC Ashville, thanks for making the trip, have a safe ride home. Back in our game, Jill Noe drives to the hole and gets the layup, 4 point game with 4:34 left. The UCR AD is on the phone with ESPN right now.

9:12 There was just about 12 seconds of awkward silence between Bob and Lisa. Not a word. You think their just getting lost in each others eyes? Oh and the lady devils are down 7 with 6 minutes left.

9:05 January just drained a three to put ASU down 6 with 8:42 left. Bob Wischusen just exclaimed "And the Sun Devils come roaring back!" The whole bear theme is in full effect tonight. In unrelated news, is it weird to anyone else that a womens team has women cheerleaders?

9:02 ESPN2 just showed the "Number 14 Seeds 0-25 in Tournament play" graphic. Dear UCR Athletic Director, Blame ESPN2 when your team collapses and blows this lead.

8:57 Lisa Leslie just said you have to go hard and get it done. Thats what she said! The Office needs to have new espisodes again, this break is killing me.

8:54 ASU has the chance to be in the history books tonight if they lose this game. No three seed has EVER lost to a 14 seed in the womens tourney. I just told my buddy Hess, I'd rather see us in the history books for making the final four. We'll see who gets it right.

8:48 ASU is down 13. I'll be the first to say the Devils are defenitly struggling but theres 16min left. No need to panic yet. Also there is a girl on UCR named Cox. I'm a guy, this will never stop being funny to me.

8:43 We're back from the half and ASU is down 36-25 with 17:21 left in the second. And Lisa Leslie already used the word tenacity twice in the span on 2 minutes. This is starting to hurt my ears.

8:35 UC Riverside's mascot is the highlander. Apparently it's a bear. Come on, you couldn't hire one of the many actors that played highlander on tv or in the movies. Also, here is the description of the highlander from TV.com
""He is Duncan MacLeod... the Highlander. Born in 1592 in the highlands of Scotland, and he is still alive; he is Immortal. For 400 years, he's been a warrior... a lover... a wanderer... constantly facing other Immortals in combat to the death. The winner takes his enemy's head -- and with it, his power. I am a Watcher, part of a secret society of men and women who observe and record,..."

Not one mention of a bear.

8:22 Lisa Leslie is again talking about the possible upset. "This is why it's called march madness, anything can happen." Your right leslie, anything can happen; like me putting this game on mute.

8:19 The trainer for UCR just saw himself on TV behind the coach and got waaay too excited. Let's settle down there champ, your the trainer for the UCR womens basketball team.

8:10 Briann January literally just broke some poor girls ankles on UCR. January took a stutter step and drove to the basket. The defender crumpled and fell to the ground. I have no joke for this.

8:05 First commercial of the break was the Hummer H3 one. You know, where it goes off a pier and swims under water, with some rip-off james bond music playing in the background. How long till someone tries this? Over-under, I'd say 3 weeks....and I'll take the under.

8:01 Our first (and probably only) celebrity appearnce of the game. Deshawn Foster is watching his little sister on UCR.

7:56 16-9 UCR is leading. And the announcers are already going into their "upset call." Easy guys, theres 11min left....IN THE FIRST HALF. In other news I recommend everyone grab a Newcastle Brown Ale. De-licious.

7:52 One of the women referees looks to be bigger than Ed Hochuli. This scares me.

7:47 ASU takes a 7-6 lead with 15:38 left in the 1st. Lisa Leslie is trying to rationalize why Riverside has a chance. She keeps repeating the word velocity and tenacity. Someone get this girl a thesaurus.

7:43 Lisa Leslie just said..."Charli Thorne...Turner...I don't know she has so many names and has a family." Yea, she has a family so that gives you the excuse to butcher her name. Note to Self: dont get a family unless you want to be called Ffej and not Jeff

7:39 The color commentator, Lisa Leslie, just called UCR, UC Irvine. Why do I feel this will be an ongoing problem through the night?

7:37 Noe is fouled on ASU's first possesion. A real packed house tonight at the Galen Center. I'd say no more than 1,000 people and nearly 3/4 of those are devil fans.

7:35 The LSU v. UNC Ashville game is out first game tonight in the whip-around coverage. Pokey Chapman isnt coaching. I think we all know why.

Gonzalez may be new starter

Enrique Gonzalez made a move toward claiming one of two available Diamondbacks rotation spots with four shutout innings in an 8-5 Cactus League victory over Oakland Friday night.

Gonzalez struck out three and did not walk a batter while giving up only a generously scored infield single against an Athletics “A” lineup that included every projected opening day starter except shortstop Bobby Crosby.

“So many guys keep fighting” for the rotation spots, “you need that competition,” Gonzalez said.

“That team has a very good lineup. I tried to keep the ball down and use both sides of the plate.” -Jack Magruder, East Valley Tribune

NCAA First Round Wrap-Up

Our college basketball guy, Jack, has studied game tape, watched countless hours of games on CBS, read hundreds of articles, and studied under the tutelage of All-Star-Superstar-Bracketologist Joe Lunardi. Well no, not really. He owns a 30 inch grey box of a television with digital cable hooked up to it. And I think he reads some stories on the internet. I'm not sure though. Either way here is his first round wrap up.

Reflections on the First Round of the NCAA Tournament

Thursday, March 15

Maryland’s Greivis Vazquez is the most entertaining player in the country that you don’t know about.

Davidson’s Stephen Curry is the best scorer in the country that you don’t know about.

Jared Dudley is right up there with Joakim Noah as the nation’s ugliest player.

Bob Knight is probably beating up his players one by one for their first round loss.

Stanford, way to prove you belonged in this tournament.

Rick Pitino is still unbeatable in Rupp Arena, some things never change.

Washington State and Oral Roberts, even insomniacs passed out watching this one.

Butler is a 5 seed?

How do the men of Old Dominion feel to be called the Monarchs?

Have a safe flight home Belmont.

Georgetown is just plain big. Hibbert and Green might cut down the nuts.

Acie Law IV is Texas A&M

The Ivy League is one and done…again.

Vanderbilt won by 33 over GW…did not see that one coming.

Duke lost to VCU on Day 1 but we will be seeing Coach K’s commercials for the next month.

Greg Oden and Mike Conley could have taken Central Connecticut St. by themselves.

Marquette didn’t score for 10 minutes…way to show up when it matters boys.

Drew Neitzel can really play.

Quick trivia…where is Weber State located?

Arron Afflalo is the most well rounded player in the country no questions asked.

Xavier and BYU…great game but seriously, who cares?

Tyler Hansbrough is going to pull a Rip Hamilton and wear the facemask permanently, you’ll see.

D.J. White just ate Gonzaga for lunch.

Friday, March 16

I had Albany beating Virginia, I was sorely mistaken.

Georgia Tech learned the hard way that they can’t rely on dunking to win big games.

Memphis is just feasting on poor competition for the 40^th straight season. 2 seed? Are you serious? Who have they played? Tulane and Houston? Please.

Winthrop beats Notre Dame, the most unsurprising upset of all team. The Eagles should be a 4 or 5 seed. They deserve it. Torell Martin is for real.

Long Beach St. scored 86; it’s too bad they gave up 121 to Tennessee.

Texas A&M-Corpus Christi made it fun for the first 30 minutes.

Everyone knew Nevada/Creighton would be a great game, but even that was better than expected.

Oregon is the fastest team not named Kansas but they cannot close.

Deron Washington and Zabian Dowdell can take VT deep.

The Curse of Chief Illiniwek started today.

Kansas beats Niagara by 40 and it wasn’t that close. They are good.

Chase Budinger is awfully pale.

Kevin Durant will be the best player in the NBA for a long time.

Reggie Theus and New Mexico St. are here to stay; Theus is building a great program.

Southern Illinois is the best defensive team in the nation by a lot.

It’s been nice to have you Holy Cross, only Bill Simmons will miss you.

Kentucky wins and their prize is a matchup against Kansas. Woo…hoo.

Scottie Reynolds will bring Nova back to the Promised Land.

Florida is deep, experienced, and the defending champ. Jackson St. had ZERO chance.

USC has no true point guard and no true center but they can score with absolutely anybody.

Arkansas didn’t belong and they got whooped, nice job selection committee.

PS. Weber State is located in Ogden, Utah.

Wildcats get bounced

Why the long face Mr. Williams? The University of Arizona Wildcats were eliminated from post-season play Friday night, in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, 72-63 by the Boilermakers of Purdue, a #9 seed compared to Arizona's #8 seed. Our college basketball guy, Jack, has more...

That's a wrap on the Arizona Wildcats extensive postseason run. First, the Wildcats got run out of the gym in the Pac-10 Tournament by the Oregon Ducks and then in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, Arizona got crushed by underdog Purdue. It can't be much of a surprise that the Cats were one and done. After all, this is a team that is led by a Q-Tip and Mr. Curfew in Chase Budinger and Marcus Williams. And hey, we cannot forget to mention that Arizona's best defender, Daniel Dillon used his best common sense to get a DUI the week before the NCAA Tournament. Smooth. Now I guess all we can do is wait for Mike Stoops, Willie Tuitama, and the rest of the football team down in Tucson to save the day with another season without a bowl.


Wildcats say goodbye to post-season....(espn.com)

Scott Feldman gets HYPHY

Scottsdale, Arizona is the number one hang out for baseball players during spring training. Beautiful blonds and alcohol galore. The athletes need something to do at night and apparently Texas Rangers pitcher Scott Feldman does a lot at night. Maybe too much. Easy on those shots Feldy.

Scott Felman goes stupid, dumb, and hyphy......(myspace.com)

Season low for Suns

Whoops. The Phoenix Suns suffered their worst home loss of the season and second worst loss overall. The Detroit Pistons beat the Suns 105-83. The win allowed the Pistons to complete a 5-0 road sweep of the West for the first time in 15 years, or roughly the time that its been since Jay Leno took over the tonight show. ( I figured I would throw that in there, I know were all sick of him. It's been 15 years....can it end? Please?)

Anyway Ronald Murray decided to have a career night, scoring 25 points, 4 rebounds and 6 steals. Leading the Suns was Amare who posted a double-double with 24 points and 15 rebounds.


Pistons take Suns to woodshed....(espn.com)

ASU Womens Tourney Preview

The ASU women basketball team recieved a #3 seed in the tournament which set them up to play Big West Conference champion UC Riverside. They will play at USC's new Galen Center in LA. The game is Saturday around 7:30.

UC Riverside, home of the mighty Highlanders (there can only be one), won the Big West which included such tough teams as UC Irvine, Cal Poly and Cal State Northridge to name a few. ASU on the other hand took on teams such as Stanford and Cal which received a #2 and #8 seed respectively.

"UC Riverside runs a motion offense led by Junior F/C Kemie Nkele who averages a team-best 16.1 points, 8.8 rebounds and 2.35 blocks per game. Sophomore guard Seyram Gbewonyo is second in scoring (10.2). UC Riverside lost to UCLA, a team ASU beat three times, including 74-64 in the Pac-10 Tournament."-azcentral.com

ASU Women's Basketball...(thesundevils.com)
UC Riverside Women's Basketball (ucr.com)

Former Sun Devil...possible Cardinal?

The Cardinals have expressed interest in signing former Browns fullback Terrelle Smith, his agent said Thursday morning.

The Cardinals weren’t the only team talking to the Browns about a trade for Smith. Green Bay, Kansas City and Tampa Bay also expressed interest.

Smith would fit perfectly in Arizona for several reasons. The Cardinals are searching for a blocking fullback and Smith is highly regarded as a blocker. The Browns cut him because they think fullback Lawrence Vickers, a sixth-round pick last year, is more versatile.


Terrelle Smith talks with Cards...(azcentral.com)

Coy signs with Devils

The Arizona State Sun Devils men's basketball team landed a new commit in Johnny Coy, a 6-foot-7, 195-pound small forward from Benton High School in St. Joseph, Mo. Coy had been recruited by Kansas, Wisconsin, Arizona, Michigan State, Creighton, Washington State and Wichita State.

Coy To Be A Devil...(azcentral.com)

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