End of Line

Well this will be the last post of the semester folks- it's been real. There's a lot of things happening (or not happening) in Arizona Sports. I'll just leave you off with where we're at.

The Suns lost their game Tuesday to the Jazz, booting them out of the 8th seed in the Playoffs. Honestly I would rather take our chances getting a lottery pick rather than losing to the Spurs in the first round anyways. I have seen us lose to San Antonio way to many times to enjoy that series at all. Steve Nash quite possibly played his last game as a Sun Wednesday against the Duncan, Parker, and Ginobli-less Spurs. We'll see where the off season takes him. It'll be a long re-building process for the Suns I believe.

The Cardinals picked 13th in the NFL Draft tonight and picked up Wide Reciever Michael Floyd from Notre Dame. Larry Fitzgerald expressed his interest in another deep threat WR and the Cardinals listened. It will be exciting to watch the Cardinals compete this year.

The Diamondbacks are playing all right. Give us a healthy line up and consistent play and I believe we can at least pick up one of the two wild card spots in the NL this year. It will be a great summer of good ol' fashioned baseball. I can't wait to make it out to the ballpark.

The Coyotes are into the second round of the Playoffs and will start their series against the Nashville Predators.  We are the hot team with the hot goalie right now and those can add up to good things in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. I hope we can upset the whole hockey world and prove that the sport can work here in our lovely desert.

We will see where the future takes us from here. Thanks.

No Class

I find it funny that just over a week ago I did a post on high class players in the NBA. Once again, one of the players with the least class in the league is suspended for not being able to handle his emotions.

Ron Arte... I mean... Metta World Peace was ejected from the game and suspended for 7 games after he elbowed James Harden in the back of the head when the Oklahoma City Thunder faced the Lakers in Los Angeles.

The worst part was that the flying elbow wasn't even out of anger. It was out of "passion" as World Peace states. Apparently he was on an emotional high and needed to let some of it out through the beating in of another player's head.

Even in his apology Metta shows a lack of class. He talks about how great his dunks were and how the superstars on the other team never even had a chance in defending him.

It doesn't surprise me that he's been suspended 13 times in his 13 year career. Every year we should expect this idiot to do something to warrant a suspension. Last year around the same time of year it was this.

Why would any team ever want someone like this to play for them?

Wily Coyote

What can I say? I'm a sucker for feel good stories.

And Mike Smith, goaltender of the Phoenix Coyotes has one of those stories. In my opinion, he's the new Jeremy Lin- it's just SportCenter and the rest of the country isn't too big on hockey.

On Monday night Smith shut out the Chicago Blackhawks to allow the Coyotes to win 4-0 and win their first Playoff Series since the franchise was moved to the desert.

The goalie had 39 saves and his first ever shutout in the playoffs.

Pretty impressive considering just last year he was wondering if he would ever play in an NHL game again. He had been picked up and dropped from waivers by the Tampa Thunder and the situation wasn't looking to good for him.

Luckily Coyotes GM and coach believed in this young athlete and gave him a chance after losing all star goalie Ilya Brizgolav to the Flyers in the off season. Now I'm sure they are thanking their lucky stars as Smith has helped vault them into the playoffs and niw has sealed their entrance into the second round.

There's a lesson to be learned here besides never giving up in the face of adversity. Sometimes we need to be the ones that give individuals a chance to try, succeed, and exceed our highest expectations.

Ageless Wonder

Jamie Moyer won his first game as a pitcher in Major League Baseball almost two years before I was born. I just turned 24 years old, which makes it incredible that his most recent win was recorded Tuesday- making him the oldest pitcher to win a game at 49 years, 150 days.

To me, that is incredible. I think my dad had a pacemaker installed shortly after he turned 49 and here Jamie Moyer is playing professional baseball. The amount of work that goes into staying healthy that long is impressive.

He is now older than 8 managers and has 8 children (one of which has now been drafted by a major league team). He has pitched in at least 19 ballparks that don't even exist anymore. His ERA is actually lower in his 40's (4.40) than it ever was in his 20's (4.56). Buster Olney reports that Moyer pitched to more than 8% of players to ever play in the league. Wow.

It reminds me of Grant Hill and Steve Nash and the wonders they are doing as the 2nd and 5th oldest members of the the NBA. 

I applaud anyone who can silence the critics and perform at an elite level well into their gray years. It can inspire others who think age is a barrier to accomplish the things they dream of.

High Class

I can respect high class players in the NBA (and any other sport). Gordon Hayward was poked in the ear by Delonte West during the Mav's game against the Jazz in Salt Lake City Monday night.

Not only was it a poke, but there was a push involved too...

 Hayward's instinct was to first rip it off. Ninety percent of the players in the league today would have done just that. But not Gordon.

He says:
             "What am I going to do? Fight him and we both get kicked out and I could be done for the season? 
                      You just have to keep your composure more than getting into a fight or anything like that. The           
                     most important thing is getting the win."

 It says something about a player when they don't react to their first instinct. I know I want players on my team who can keep their cool when the game is on the line. 

Many are upset West only got a technical for the gesture, that it should've been more.

Alec Burks stated:

           "There's no call for that. I mean, we're all grown men. You can't challenge somebody's manhood 

                    out there like that. I didn't like that at all"

Maybe the penalty wasn't appropriate, but Gordon Hayward's reaction sure was. For all we know he successfully avoided another NBA incident faux pa like this or this.

I applaud Hayward- because cooler heads don't always prevail.
.

White Out

I was able to attend Game 2 of the Phoenix Coyotes vs. the Chicago Blackhawks Stanley Cup Playoffs this past Saturday and let me tell you: It was intense. The fact that there were a good amount of Chicago fans in close proximity added a layer of rivalry to the game, the arena was electric, and the game went down to the wire.

The game went back and forth throughout all three periods and it looked as if the Coyotes were going to pull out win #2. The desperate Blackhawks pulled their goalie and had a one man advantage throughout the last minute and a half. On the last shot of regulation, with 5.5 seconds left, the Blackhawks tied it up. How crazy is that kind of stuff? You couldn't script it any better (for Chicago fans at least)...

The game went into a sudden death overtime and the Blackhawks won on a deflected puck placed across the Coyotes net. It was a heartbreaker. 

What was the most interesting thing about the whole game (to me, at least) was the commentary that went on between fans after the Coyotes' goalie suffered a head injury during the game. He was hit in the head/neck area and immediately went to the ground and did not get up. Blackhawk fans then proceeded to yell: "Come on, this isn't basketball! Get up!",  "Oh, nice acting job!! You deserve an oscar!", and "Take a Tylenol! You'll feel better in the morning!". A Coyotes fan proceeded to yell at the opposing fans "Let's punch a Blackhawk fan in the face, see if they say it's a flop!" and other Phoenix fans continued to comment on the cheap shot to their goaltender throughout the game.

These are simply things you do not hear in other sports. When a player goes down in basketball or baseball, there is general worry or concern on both sides. Such was not the case at the hockey game. It might have been because Chicago was penalized with a 5 minute penalty and the player being ejected from the game.

This was only the 3rd professional hockey game I've ever been to. The whole atmosphere is new, fresh, and exhilarating. I am still getting accustomed to how different the sport is from the other big three, but I look forward to getting to know the differences.

Commodification

The commodification of sports today has gotten crazy. Everything from the starting line-up to the plays of the game are owned by some corporation. It is impossible to watch a game and not be exposed to some sort of advertising. Although it can be ridiculous at times, it's not always a bad thing. Both parties benefit from the relationship... there is one place I'm glad has not been affected by the commodification bug: the uniforms.

After the most the names of all the classic stadiums and arenas have gone the way of the wind, the jerseys are really the only thing "holy" in sports that has been left untouched. 

The topic has once again been brought up by Mark Cuban who says the idea is inevitable and keeps pushing the idea in order to affect perceptions of the idea. This man is a billionaire, what does he need more money for? I guess this kind of thinking may have been what got him a lot of his riches...

Paul Lukas, writer of the Uni Watch Blog, wrote an excellent article that has alleviated my feelings on the whole issue. He goes through many points on why ad-free uni's aren't going anywhere and his logic is pretty solid. 

I just wish everyone would have kept other things "sacred" in sports, so we wouldn't end up with changes like these:

If you make your own bed...

I don't think the Marlin's organization should be surprised at what conspired with club manager Ozzie Guillen today. They should've known what they were getting into when they signed the former White Sox manager towards the end of the 2011 season. He doesn't have the perfect track record of saying the right thing at the right time.

He stated that he admired Fidel Castro for being able to remain in power for so long. This caused quite the stir in his new workplace, considering there are many who have directly suffered from Fidel's rule and risked their lives to escape.

Guillen released an apology, but I don't really buy it. Right now he's just in damage control mode. The Marlin's brought him in specifically to rebrand the organization and bring in the Latin American population. He has already undone much of the progress made by the organization in less than a week of regular season baseball.

That's just who he is though. With people like Ozzie, teams should always know what they're getting into. It's like signing a Manny Ramirez, a Metta World Peace, or a Chad Ochocinco...

Some are calling for his removal, some are just wanting more than a 5 game suspension. Whatever happens I just hope we get over it soon. Baseball managers shouldn't even be answering questions about World politics anyways...

Just let Ozzie stick to what he gets paid for.

Why Riot?

Kentucky Students Riot After NCAA Championship Win

That was the headline. Celebrating quickly turned into rioting after the University of Kentucky Wildcats won the 2012 NCAA Men's Basketball Championship. It was estimated that 15,000 students gathered in Lexington, Kentucky.  

Homes were trashed, couches and mattresses were set on fire, windows were broken, policemen were assaulted with rocks and bottles, and one man was even shot.

Why does this happen? In the dictionary riot denotes a group of people causing disorder to protest. This team just won the national championship. What reason do they have to protest?

Riots don't occur often in the United States, but when they do it is most commonly sports-related. A riot accompanies about half of all championship games or series. But most the time it is the winning team who riots... That just doesn't make sense. 

Why mar a beautiful event by causing so much chaos and delinquency. It gives a bad name to the team, the community, the residents of the city, and in this case, the school. 

Vancouver got it right after their Canucks lost in game seven to the Boston Bruins in the Stanley Cup final. It seems as if rioting should supplement being angry rather than elation. 

Fans whose teams win championships should react like these two Canucks fans did.

Maybe rioting says something about the people who do it. Maybe it's a sign of being invested, or being a "true fan", but honestly I don't think so. It may be that we lack a central core of fans or just have a distinct laid back desert attitude, i'm just glad that when the Diamondbacks won 10 years ago that we were all classy enough to respect the city and honor the team by not rioting. 

Wonderlic

Morris Claiborne, a former LSU corner back recently received 4 out of a possible 50 points on the Wonderlic test. It is used to test the intellectual aptitude of certain individuals and in the NFL for its pre-drafting assessment of prospective football players in the combine.

The 4 is the lowest of any player to ever take the test.

This obviously doesn't mean much, I mean, how much aptitude do you need to hit guys and keep them from catching the ball? Obviously not much considering Morris had an illustrious college career and is projected to be a top 5 pick in the upcoming Draft.

Mike Florio, of NBC sports states that some players don't take it seriously and only pay attention to the physical portion of the combine, receiving scores that don't reflect their true intelligence. Vince Young got a 6, retook it, and got a 16. I feel that these types of people haven't taken intellectual things seriously since junior high.

Morris Claiborne should be embarrassed. He will never get that 4 monkey off his back. LSU should be embarrassed. Does this 4 reflect the type of education that the university gives its student athletes? How did someone stay eligible in college while obviously not putting much effort into matters of intellect.

Sure, not preparing players intellectually is fine while they are playing football, but what happens afterwards when all their fame, abilities, and money is gone? Are these football players really ready for the "real world" after their fifteen minutes are finished in the limelight?

For Morris Claiborne's sake, I hope he is.

Fading Sun?

I'm torn.

Steve Nash is one of my favorite athletes of all time. He's hilarious, incredibly talented, supremely intelligent, very classy, well spoken, and has defied all the odds to become one of the most respected players in the league. I feel honored to have had him on my team the past 8 years.

So what happens now that he is becoming a free agent? He's been quoted recently saying he will leave Phoenix if they do not make improvements and showed interest in playing with the Heat.

Obviously I would like him to stay but I understand completely should he decide to leave. The only thing he lacks is a championship and the Suns, at this point in time, don't have a real shot at giving that to him. He has preserved himself incredibly for his age, but let's be honest; his time is fading.

Does he take less money and pursue a championship while "selling out" to the hometown fans? Or does he cap off an amazing career by getting paid and "going down with the ship" (without a 'Ship...)

Normally I would have a strong opinion about a matter just as this but this time its different.

Steve should do whatever Steve wants to do.

He deserves it. In the end, that's what's going to happen anyways.

I will always root for Steve Nash no matter what he decides.

Playing Catch(up)

During one of my classes a couple week ago we had the privilege of listening to Dave Burns of Sports Radio 620 KTAR. He talked about not being able to take breaks on Saturdays because he'd be behind the eight ball and be out of the loop later on. That's how I feel after taking a week-long break from writing anything during spring break.

Payton has a new home in Denver, Tebow's a Jet, there were several upsets and now the Final Four, several trades took place in the NBA, and the Saints lost their head coach for the year.

If you don't keep your head buried in the sports sand you might miss a thing or two.

I mean, I stopped watching Sportscenter for a few days a couple months back and then didn't even know who Jeremy Lin was after he had started two games...

The sports world is becoming as ADD as the rest of the media world. Someone posts a clever video on Youtube that gets 50,000,000 views in a week then no one talks about it again cause there is something better and newer to talk about 3 seconds later.

If you duck your head down and take a break from what is happening in sports, the minute you come up for air you will be completely lost.

I won't duck my head any more.

Madness

March is a great time. Spring training starts, the weather starts warming up, I get a birthday party...

And oh yeah- The NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament begins.

Every year people put their sports knowledge to the test to try and correctly guess the result of 64 basketball games. It's basically impossible to do so, but the joy is in the chase in this case. To correctly guess the final four, or the national champion is a feat in and of itself,

Which is why it is always entertaining when those who predict the most accurate bracket happen do do it by pure chance- whether its random or they base it in mascots or jersey colors. Anyone can be an expert in March because even the experts are proved wrong.

Everyone loves a Cinderella story. It's hard to choose upsets. On paper there's no way some teams should beat certain teams, but paper doesn't matter when the game is on the line.

I think I enjoy the tournament so much because it gives me someone to root for in every game. I am invested in each game because I have a desired outcome. In any other game or sport, if my team us not playing I am indifferent or even uninterested because I couldn't care less about the outcome. That is all different in NCAA Men's hoops.

Try your hand at it. If you've never done a bracket before here's how and here's where. Believe me, you'll get interested in the games real fast.

Payton

I don't really know what the Colts think they are doing. They sent pretty much the only piece of their team that made them competitive packing. They saw what happened this past 2011-2012 season without him and decided they want to make a habit of it? That doesn't make sense.

To put all of your eggs in one basket is just ridiculous. Andrew Luck was a phenomenal college QB, but college players don't always live up to expectations. I mean, look at Tim Tebow. Maybe the opposite of Tebow's story will happen to Luck. You never know.

I wouldn't mind seeing Manning in a Cardinals jersey, but I don't think that's where he'll end up- even though there are some out there who think there's a chance he'll go to Arizona.

We'll just have to sit back and relive "the decision" all over again. I just hope Manning doesn't get "burned" like LeBron did for his choice...

New MLB Playoffs?

So Major League Baseball has switched things up when it comes to the Postseason this year. Instead of the normal 8 teams that make it to the playoffs, there are now ten teams that make it.

I have decided that I don't like it. Having 2 wild card teams in each league play a 1 game playoff to face the division champ with the best record cheapens the hard work put into a long arduous season of baseball. 

Maybe if the two wild card teams played a 3 game playoff I would feel a little better about it, but I really don't see 1 extra game as "making it to the post season". I would honestly hate it if my team played 162 games and won the (1st) league wild card only to play one more game and be kicked out of the playoffs if they lose. Baseball is much too unpredictable a game for anything to be decided by just one game. 

But why do I think this way?... my team (the D-backs) just barely won the NL West and I truly enjoyed being part of the playoff picture. This new setup just increases the team's chances of going to the 'ship every season. I understand why MLB did it, this will keep more fans invested for a longer period of time. 

 I like the idea of more teams going to the playoffs, I just don't like the idea of cheapening regular season play. Non-baseball fans complain that each game doesn't mean much- this just fuels their argument's fire. 

Yeah everyone will say "win your division and you won't have to worry about that ONE game". Well you can't always win your division and I think being the winner of the 1st wildcard is much more respectable than the runner up wildcard. 

Maybe it's just because of the abruptness of this change that the wild card playoff is one game instead of three, but Bud Selig should definitely consider changing that aspect in 2013 and beyond.

Life Dreams

Ever since the 5th grade I've had the goal of visiting every US State in my lifetime. That has thus since been replaced by a different endeavor:

 Visit every MLB stadium.

 It's the perfect plan- baseball's season is during the summer when I can take vacation time, many of the stadiums in the east have ballparks with geographic locations near each other (some cities even have multiple teams), and essentially it'll help me visit every state!

 I came up with this idea when I realized I had been to more basketball arenas that I had baseball. I've been to US Airways Center, Energy Solutions Arena, and wherever the Wizards play). I've only been to Chase Field (formally known as Bank One Ballpark) and whatever the Giants' stadium is called now (it was SBC stadium at the time).

The idea further took shape as I visited Buffalo, NY this past summer and realized I was 1 1/2 hours away from 3 or 4 different stadiums. It solidified when I saw a documentary right before the All Star Game in Phoenix (which I attended) about two guys who drove to every ballpark and visited every stadium in less than a two month span. I wanted to do what they did, but across a longer span of time.

 Just think of baseball. All the history. All the tradition. All the rich culture. I want to experience all of that. That is why these are the first two picture entries of my bucket list journey. Twenty eight more picture to come...

Chase Field 2011

SBC Park (now AT&T Park) 2004

All Star Weekend

All Star games are always an interesting thing to watch. The MLB's is almost too important now, the NFL's is about the most unimportant thing ever, and nobody even knows the NHL has an All Star Game. When it comes to All Star games, the NBA has it right.

Sure, they might not play defense at all, but who really likes watching defensive battles anyways? I get the feel from the NBA All Star game that the players actually get to have fun playing the sport they have devoted their lives to. In a Communication class at ASU we are learning about "play" in terms of performance communication. I believe that is the root function of All Star games. The premier players of the season get to get together and honor their teams and cities while performing their sport "worry free".

It's not just the All-Star game though. In the NBA the other competitions surrounding the actual game are the best in all sports: Slam Dunk Contest, 3 Point shooting contest, and Skills Challenge. These are actually enjoyable to watch. Now most of this years dunks were kind of a bust, but I think back 12 years ago (has it really really been that long!?) and Vince Carter's dunks are still some of the most amazing I've seen to this day.

Really, when it comes down to it the only unwatchable aspect of All-Star weekend were the musical performances. Pitbull and Nikki Minaj? Bleh.

The Best 5 Words

Some of the best 5 words I hear every year around this time are: "pitchers and catchers report today". It means the beginning of another season of baseball. It means the beginning of another season of America's Pastime. It means another season of the Arizona Diamondbacks.

When I hear those five words I can't believe how short the off season has seemed... It might be because the MLB's pre-season is the only sport whose pre-season I care about. Its probably cause I've lived my whole life in Mesa, AZ surrounded by half the major league teams who train here in the Cactus League.

Last month I started working on Saturdays in Scottsdale and each Saturday I've driven past the new Salt River Fields spring training facility. I still have not been and cannot wait to take my maiden voyage into the gates there. AZ Central describes the place as the Disneyland of spring training. 

Last year I kept my expectations of the D-backs low to avoid the high probability of being disappointed by a poor season. This year I would like to do the same, but no matter how hard I try I so badly want a season like last year. I want the team to be relevant and exciting. Maybe I am setting myself up for disappointment, but I don't think so. What's the difference between this season and years past?

Kurt Gibson. 

Our skipper has changed the environment of the clubhouse and manages the type of team we all love to watch. He is the key ingredient to make the D-backs a viable ball club year after year.  

And that's what I love about baseball and the start of a new season. Everybody starts the same and has the exact same potential. Any team or player that did poorly last year can come out of nowhere and surprise everybody.

Let's just hope I'm not surprised by the D-backs this year.

Hate in sports

What makes a person 'hate' a team or a player? Last night I was posed with the question "How can you hate a team, organization, or player?" I answered, I don't think it satisfied the person asking the question.

 I spouted out something about the Yankees being cocky, arrogant, and too used to winning. I mentioned their payroll and the fact that they an essentially bring in any player they want. One might think these reasons are just based off jealousy- but when it comes down to it, it's not.

Sure, I would love it if my team were able to get any player they wanted, but not off that meant we were bringing in selfish, self centered primadonnas who elevate themselves over other human beings. Now I realize not all Yankees are such players. Which is why the concept of hating the team seems strange.

 Then why do I find such pleasure in seeing New York lose any game, no matter how insignificant it is? Why do I revel in the event that the Yanks don't even make it to the playoffs, or aren't atop their division? That definitely means I don't like team, right?! Maybe it's just they are too used to winning? Maybe I want them to feel what it feels like to be a truly loyal fan. Of cours it's easy to love a team who wins all the time. Maybe that's it.

Maybe  for that reason I just don't respect the fans, leading me to disrespect the team. Sure they have a Starting lineup full of all stars every year, but I think that's the greatest thing. The best players don't always make the best team. There are many more factors involved to make a championship team.

 Now I wouldn't say I hate the Yankees as much as a Red Sox fan might- so maybe I don't really hate the Yankees. Maybe I just enjoy them least of all the other teams.

Lin is the new Tim

In the most recent NFL and NBA seasons one thing has been made clear to me. America loves the Cinderella Story. They love when someone who shouldn't succeed finds success. We all know about the whole Tim Tebow craze- the newest version of an athlete becoming the talk of the town (or nation) is Jeremy Lin.

Lin shouldn't have even had the chance to play. He was dropped from two different NBA teams and happened to be picked up by the New York Knicks but sent straight to their D league team. Due to injury he was brought up and exploded onto the scene averaging about 25 points and over 8 assists in three straight wins. Where did he come from?

Just like what happened with Tebow, there were some naysayers- people who didn't think that his current streak of luck could continue. Lin then put up 38 and 7 against Kobe and the Lakers... He is still averaging 26 and 8 in he 5 games he's started, but more importantly- the Knicks have won all of them. 

I honestly think Jeremy's rise to stardom is more impressive than Tebow's. Tim was a 2 time national champ at Florida, Lin played at Harvard. Tim was actually drafted, Lin was not. Here's a rundown of how much more improbable Lin's ascent is than was Tim's:

Whether Lin keeps playing at his current level and becomes relevant in the NBA for years to come or becomes the 10th man off the bench, it doesn't matter to me- I'm just glad he was able to break the norms we have for the status quo and prove that everybody deserves some sort of chance. The best part of it all is Jeremy regrets how much attention he is getting and wishes everyone would notice the stellar play of his teammates around him. I believe him.

Now we can go from counting the number of times they mention Tebow on ESPN to the amount of times they Lin.

Fantasy Sports

fan·ta·sy

   [fan-tuh-see, -zee] noun, plural-sies, verb, -sied, -sy·ing.

noun

1.

imagination, especially when extravagant and unrestrained.

Fantasy sports are quite an interesting subject. To the non-sports fan or someone who's never heard of them (most the girls I know) it might seem ludicrous. It's like "Hey, lets imagine that all the best players in professional sports play for us and we'll see who has the best team!!!" Its kind of a childish idea if you think about it... 

Then why do so many grown men participate in it?

It's because it's so much more than a child's game. Fantasy sports allow the average person to step into the sports world for one second and be the virtual GM of a professional sports team. You can feel the satisfaction of building something out of nothing. It's he same pride men feel after changing their oil or building a workbench. Men love to win, they don't care if it's in a real sporting event or if they are racing shopping carts through a parking lot. Beating your friends in a league is yet another way to gloat, one-up, or "own" your buddies. Especially if you have some ridiculous punishment for losing.

 But there's a catch- there aren't any restrictions of money or player preference. If you a player is available and you want him, you can have him. You can take circumstances that are impossible and pull them into the realm of reality.

So let's get this straight- It's imaginative, extravagant, and unrestrained? 

Hm, if you have something against this whole deal you can't say that the whole thing is false advertising. They put it right in the title: Fantasy.

X games

Last weekend the Winter X games aired on ESPN and for the first time I actually sat down and watched it. I must say it was pretty entertaining. I'm not sure if it was because it got me excited for the Olympics which I love so much or it was due to the fact that I had nothing better to do on a Friday and Saturday night...

I've seen the X games before, but this time it felt different. It had a whole new type of feeling to it. A freshness that I haven't felt in years past. Maybe it was the outlook with which the athletes competed- attributing their performances to Sarah Burke, who had passed away earlier during a training run in Park City, Utah.

This isn't the first time an athlete has died while participating in their sport, and it won't be the last. The risks are understood when each player steps on to their respective field and performs their sport. Although these events are tragic, they help remind the rest of us what is really important and brings out only the best in athletes and competition.

Speaking of competition, there was plenty of it. Even though Shaun White dropped out of some of his earlier events due to an ankle injury- there was no lack of talent in the field. Eighteen year old Mark McMorris shocked the veterans and won the Slopestyle competition and the Big Air by landing the first ever Triple Cork.

I think one of the most exciting parts of these Xtreme sports is seeing history laid out before our eyes in these relatively new sports. Just like Heath Frisby's first ever front flip performed on a snowmobile during the Best Trick competition. Now that's just plain crazy...

Shaun White eventually did show up and only SCORED A PERFECT 100! That man is a beast. Once again he had already won the gold medal but decided to bust out his new awesome trick on the victory lap. He won gold for the fifth consecutive time in the Superpipe event, which is very impressive.

If you haven't seen the Winter X Games before, I suggest you do. If you have seen it before and don't like it, change your mind.

Suns vs. Mavs

I was finally able to make it to a Phoenix Suns basketball game this year and it reminded me of one thing: Phoenix is a fairweather fan city. There is no loyalty whatsoever given to the sports teams in the region. The only time people ever care to rally behind a team is when that team is relevant.

Earlier last year the Arizona Diamondbacks were playing exciting baseball. From May 14 to June 4 the team won 18 out of 22 games but there was still barely any attendance at the Chase Field. The team had a record 48 come-from-behind wins in 2011, but late into the season fans were still filing out of their seats with the D-backs down, thinking the game was over. Little did they know their team (I use the word "their" lightly) would put together some of the most unbelievable rallies and play very entertaining baseball. Did they not learn anything over the course of the season?! 

Anyways, the Suns are having a tough time this year and letting college students in for $5 is a way to generate revenue and fill seats. Right before the half the Suns deficit got out of hand and they couldn't really get back and make it a game. 

Out goes Dirk. Out goes Hill. Out goes Gortat. All the players people payed money to see are benched and the second string gets to play the rest of the game out. The fans getting more amped about free t-shirts and whether or not the team scores 99 points to be able to get free tacos (they barely made it). 

I can't say I blame the fairweather fans. It's easy to gravitate towards more exciting things that are happening on any particular night. 

But Phoenix needs help with its fans. Or maybe the fans just need to help Phoenix?

Let's talk about sports!

Hi, my name is Trevor Evans and I'm a sport fan. I am mostly starting this blog as a requirement for my Sports COM class, but I must confess I am excited at the chance to express my opinions and share my views on current sports topics! This is my first blog I've ever created, so bear with me as I practice my blogging skills and develop my sports journalism abilities.

A brief introduction about myself and my sports history: I enjoy all sports. I find value in and enjoy all of them and you will never hear me hating on any specific sport... Baseball is my favorite sport; to watch and play. As a kid I played pretty much every sport- baseball, soccer, diving, basketball, wrestling, and volleyball.  In high school I played on the school's dive and volleyball teams, placing 7th at the state swim and dive meet and recieving honorable mention on the All-region volleyball team. In every sport I've competed in I've played more of a defensive role- in soccer and water polo I played goalie, in baseball I played catcher, as a kid in basketball I was only really good at stealing the ball, in wrestling I could get out of any move, and in volleyball I was the DS (or defensive specialist).

Well that's enough about me, stay tuned for the latest sports talk or essentially whatever is on my mind sports-wise. 

Thanks for reading,

Trevor