Westgate: Saturday Nights Are Family Nights!

I’m working at the Yard House at Westgate today. I love that since I work online, I can go anywhere that has wireless internet- which includes ALL of Westgate (free I might add!).

Across the way, in the central “Lions area”, I can see they are setting up for a band and families are gathering.

Saturday nights are family nights here at Westgate!

It’s a great idea really. You can bring your kids to see a movie (mine are seeing Ratatouille right now at the Westgate AMC with their Grandma), or let them cool off by running through the fountains, grab some dinner at one of the many great restauraunts, and maybe a treat before you settle in to listen to some good music!

Original post by AZ Super Bowl Blog

Diamondbacks’ *two* weeks in review

Okay, so my trip to New York fell through, but I figured you probably deserved a week off from me! Eleven games played by Arizona since last report, with the team going 6-5, and briefly (two days) enjoying their first stint owning top spot in the division since April. They lost the first game of both interleague series against Baltimore and Tampa, before bouncing back to take the next two. However, in a crucial series against the Dodgers, they lost three of four, but won the opener against the Giants last night in San Francisco. They’re currently in second, half a game behind San Diego.

AZ 2, Devil Rays 10 An embarrassing defeat for the D-backs against their expansion brethren, running the team record to 0-7 against Tampa. The Rays scored in seven different innings, smacking 12 hits off Livan Hernandez in six innings, and adding four runs off Enrique Gonzalez, who promptly got sent down to Tucson. Orlando Hudson and Stephen Drew had two hits each.

AZ 10, Devil Rays 8 It took more than nine years, and a comeback from 8-2 down in the sixth, but Arizona finally beat Tampa Bay. Doug Davis sucked, allowing seven runs in four innings; however, the D-backs roared back late. Tony Clark hit a ninth-inning pinch-hit homer to tie the game, and Chris Young followed with a walk-off shot in the tenth. Eric Byrnes and Young had three hits apiece.

AZ 7, Devil Rays 4 Arizona took the series, and largely have a pair of three-run homers, from Byrnes and Chad Tracy, to thank for that. That was good enough to make a winner out of Micah Owings, despite him running into trouble in the sixth inning, and having to be relieved by Tony Peña. Jose Valverde got his 23rd save, tying Matt Mantei for the franchise record of 74.

AZ 1, Orioles 7 Baltimore proved no trouble at all on the road, but an embarrassingly-weak performance at home condemned Arizona to defeat. Brandon Webb was tagged for seven runs, but only three were earned, thanks to three errors in the second inning, two by Chad Tracy. Meanwhile the offense struggled too, managing only four hits and one run against the team they’d scored 21 against in three games the previous weekend.

AZ 7, Orioles 4 Things looked bleak as the Orioles took a 4-0 lead, until the D-backs staged a stirring recovery with seven unanswered runs, a two-run triple in the fifth by Mark Reynolds proving key. Livan Hernandez lasted only four innings, allowing 13 base-runners, but the bullpen threw five innings of two-hit, scoreless ball. Juan Cruz got the win, striking out four in two frames of work.

AZ 8, Orioles 3 With the win, the D-backs posted their first interleague winning record since 2003, going 8-7 - a big improvement on last season’s 4-11. Though outhit by Baltimore, the home team got the knocks when they mattered, with seven different players driving in runs. Chad Tracy reached safely four times on two hits and two walks, and Doug Davis pitched into the seventh inning for the win.

AZ 1, Dodgers 8 Showcased as a key match-up of divisional rivals, the series got off to an awful start for Arizona, as Penny and Broxton handcuffed the offense to only five hits. Young drove in the sole run for the D-backs; Owings actually had a 1-0 lead going into the sixth, then hit his seemingly-inevitable sixth-inning wall, and LA scored four times. The Dodgers bloated the score with three runs in the ninth off Jailen Peguero.

AZ 5, Dodgers 6 At least Arizona made a game of this one, it taking a 10th-inning homer to give Los Angeles victory. The D-backs blew two leads, and the Dodgers one of their own, Edgar Gonzales proving just as ineffective as his opposite number, neither reaching the fifth inning. Young, Byrnes and Mark Reynolds homered for the home team, and Tracy had two hits. Doug Slaten took the loss.

AZ 2, Dodgers 0 Webb pitched seven shutout innings, and combined with three relievers on a nine-hitter, though had the visitors’ clutch failings to thank, as the Dodgers were 0-for-13 with runners in scoring position. A first-inning run scored for the D-backs without a hit, and that was it until Byrnes’ two-out RBI single in the seventh. Hairston had two of Arizona’s six knocks.

AZ 5, Dodgers 9 Randy Johnson’s return from the DL was brief, pitching only three innings, and taking the loss for six hits, two walks and four runs. The bullpen struggled manfully, but Arizona committed four errors, leading to a total of four unearned runs for the Dodgers - that was the margin of victory. Byrnes had two hits and two RBI for Arizona, who fell from first in the NL West as a result.

AZ 4, Giants 3 For the ninth time in a row, a game against San Francisco was decided by one run. In this case, Miguel Montero’s tenth-inning homer gave victory to the Diamondbacks, despite Barry Bonds hitting his 750th career homer. The bullpen got some much-needed rest, as Hernandez pitched eight innings; Arizona perhaps have Giants’ CF Roberts to thank for this win, as he dropped a routing fly-ball, allowing two runs to score.

News and Notes
Soaring: Eric Byrnes (9-for-29, 7 RBI); Orlando Hudson (8-for-26); Brandon Webb (7 IP, 0 ER); Lyon/Cruz/Peña (14.2 IP, 0 ER). Falling: Chad Tracy (4-for-20); Chris Young (7-for-30, 7 K); Edgar Gonzalez (4 IP, 5 ER); Randy Choate (3 batters faced, 3 hits, designated for assignment).

Injury Report: Randy Johnson, as noted, wasn’t a great success on his return from the DL, but blamed failure to execute, rather than his back, for the results. Tony Peña missed a couple of games after getting some kind of infection on his thigh. I’ve no idea what that was about - it sounds nasty. However, he’s back in full effect again.

The Week Ahead: Arizona is on the road until the All-Star break. They face the Giants again tonight and tomorrow, before heading into the mid-West; first, they visit St.Louis for a four-game set, then go to Cincinnati next weekend for three games. All three teams are considerably under .500, so the Diamondbacks will be looking to get their record padded before they enjoy a four-day break.

Hey, now, you’re an All-Star: tomorrow, we’ll get to find out which Diamondback players get to represent the franchise in the 2007 All-Star game in San Francisco, July 10th. While Jose Valverde, second in the majors with 26 saves, is perhaps the front-runner, Byrnes (8th in batting average and SB), Webb (8th in ERA) and Hudson (er…20th in doubles?) might also be in for consideration.

Thoughts on the Draft

So the iPhone came out yesterday. I’m on the iPhone team at Apple and it was pretty fun night. In between calls, we’d read about the lines all over the country and the folks on the East coast trying to cash in on ebay and Craigslist. It was an energetic night that all of us had been looking forward to. After work, I drove over to my local Apple store about 10 minutes before it closed. No line, just a few wired employees, a couple customers playing with Apple gear and a couple of friendly yet massive security guards. I nabbed my iPhone and went home.

My experience with the iPhone was similar to the Suns draft. With all the hype and rumors swirling around, what’s easily lost is that the Suns are a very good team. They met their match in the Sp*rs and were forced to play out of character and eventually shorthanded in their playoff loss. We all agreed the team had to improve defensively and possibly make a roster move to get more scoring that’s not totally dependent on Steve Nash.

So with KG and Kobe wanting to come to PHX and the possibility to nab Noah, Brewer or Jeff Green- it seemed the team was about to make a dramatic move to maintain their elite status make up ground on the Spurs. While Alando Tucker and DJ Strawberry may not satisfy a lot of fans, I think it’s a good draft. They’ve managed (so far) to keep the core intact for what has to be the last run at the title.

They added two young, long, athletics players who played four years of big time college ball. They’ll be hungry for minutes and opportunity which helps depth. The one flaw in putting together the league best offensive team- the bench players are getting torched on a daily basis. Maybe a few more stoppers will even things out. Tucker is a great guy from all accounts and he’s very good. Strawberry is a tough kid and a winner, hopefully gets a decent shot at the roster. James Jones is gone so there is a role to be filled.

Now comes the same lame thing we hear every summer, we need a solid veteran to take less money to play here to try and go for a title. (Don’t the Sp*rs sign those guys every year?) Grant Hill and PJ Brown may be on the wishlist but will either take pocket change to run with the Suns. I hope so. I’m gonna play with my iPhone while Kerr and $arver figure it out.

NOTE: If any readers are in Vegas and plan on checking out summer league games, please let us know. Thanks.

Original post by Hersey

More Phoenix Coyotes Waiver News

The Phoenix Coyotes placed Dave Scatchard on waivers. Since the end of January, he was out of lineup due to a concussion injury.

In 2005, the Coyotes traded defenseman David Tanabe to the Boston Bruins for Scatchard. Up until his injury, he hadn’t done much for the Coyotes only scoring eight points in 46 games. The previous season, after the trade with the Bruins, he was a minus 11 and scored 11 goals with 12 assists.

I don’t think any team will pick up this player unless they need to round out some depth issues with a utility player. I fully expect that Scatchard will not be claimed.

Minnesota Wild goaltender Manny Fernandez has been traded to the Boston Bruins. Fernandez was potentially linked to be a possible solution to the perceived goaltending issue with the Coyotes, but the Bruins were able to put together a solution that worked for both teams.

Original post by PB

On the Eve of Free Agency

If anyone expects the Phoenix Coyotes to land that big free agent acquisition tomorrow or in the next 72 hours, stop.

Because it won’t happen.

In recent years, the Coyotes patched holes in specific areas on the hockey team in order to make that push to the playoffs and sacrificed much to get there in dealing away younger players and draft picks. This time around though, because of maturing players and solid prospects, they will focus on making their team better for the long term.

Daniel Briere won’t be coming here, either will Chris Drury or any of the big ticket players that will be on the market. The players that the Coyotes covet are the younger free agents that might not cost as much, but have the potential to enhance the future of this young hockey team.

According to the East Valley Tribune, the Unrestricted Free Agents that look to be cut loose are Curtis Joseph, Owen Nolan, Jeremy Roenick, and Mike Ricci. Even though releasing Joseph makes sense, the selfish side of me would like to see Joseph to overtake Terry Sawchuk in the all time wins category in a Coyotes sweater; it’s probably for the best. I would still like to keep Nolan based on what he did for the club last year and if it doesn’t work out by the trade deadline, then offer him up at that point. However, it is clear that the Coyotes are going to stick with their game plan.

We saw that happen earlier this week when Nick Boynton and Kevyn Adams were placed on waivers.

The goaltending issue reappeared in the Tribune article. The Coyotes are advertising their desires for Ilya Bryzgalov by way of trade. With the signing of J.S. Giguere, the Anaheim Ducks might be interested. Another goaltender that will be available at Free Agency will be David Aebischer. He has the skills necessary to be a number one goaltender, but hasn’t put the entire package together yet. If Bryzgalov can be acquired through a transaction, that would be the best bet, but Aebischer could still be useful.

Also in the Tribune article, there are forwards that populated the list. One of the forwards is former Washington Capital Dainius Zubrus. He arrived in Buffalo at last season’s trade deadline He might fit in here provided that the Coyotes don’t overpay for him. Among NHL forwards, he is tied for 76th in goals, tied for 62nd in assists and tied for 68th in total points.

The other forwards the Coyotes might look at are Michel Ouellet of the Pittsburgh Penguins and Kyle Calder of the Detroit Redwings. Though when I caught some games between the Washington Capitals and Tampa Bay Lightning on NHL Center(re) Ice, I remember Zubrus as a tough forward that played physically against the top line and notably against Vinny Lecavalier. I would be curious to read J.P.’s thoughts over at Japers’ Rink regarding this possibility.

Zubrus is a solid winger and he might very well work out for the Coyotes. He has playoff experience and might the option they are looking for. Hopefully, he will come at a price they are willing to pay.

Original post by PB

Adrian Wilson: Heavy Hitter

The guy straight brings the wood, and always has. We apologize for the video quality, but you gotta see this hit…

Arizona Cardinals/University of Phoenix Stadium tickets
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Original post by admin

Give the man his dues

Today on Foxsports Adam Schein posted an article entitled the Schein’s Nine: Most Underrated Stars. And wouldn’t you know it, Adrian Wilson, the Arizona Cardinals’ all pro safety was right at the top of the list. Here’s what Schein had to say about him:
Adrian Wilson
It perplexes me to see lists of upper echelon [...]

Original post by RaisingZona

It’s time to party with Turd Ferguson

Yeah, it’s a funny name. Funny.

Well folks, life has come calling and I’ll be leaving the River City for the final time on Saturday afternoon. I’m relocating the House to Tallahassee, Florida because Richmond just isn’t humid enough. I’m not sure when the internet will be up and running at the new digs so I’l be taking a sabbatical from posting for a little while. A few fun facts about Florida’s capital and State University:

* Tallahassee is located in the big bend region of Florida and sits 20 miles from Georgia and 15 miles from the Gulf of Mexico.

* FSU alumni include Burt Reynolds, Gabby Reece, and Richard Simmons.

* FSU is the only school in the nation that offers a major in Circus.

* The state capital building looks like a huge cock-n-balls.

If you’re in Tally, just look for the tall guy going head to head against Chuck Amato in a wet t-shirt contest. Happy trails, bitches.

Any more than a handful and you just risk spraining a thumb.

Original post by House of Heat

In The Zona - NBA Draft Edition 6/28/07

Welcome to this week’s edition of In The Zona, Arizona’s Premier Sports Podcast. This week we have a lot to talk about. So much, that we couldn’t decide on one topic. We talk Suns NBA Draft, the possibility of Kevin Garnett to the Lakers or the Suns, Diamondbacks baseball, the NHL Draft and much more, only on In The Zona. Let’s go:

1. It’s Thursday night, the Suns are on the clock. Do they trade up? Or do they stay put?
2. What happens if the Lakers scoop up KG from under the Sun’s noses?
3. The Dbacks and Dodgers square off in a pivital series. Can the Dbacks compete in the devision if they can’t beat the Dodgers?
4. The Big Story: Mix and Match Baby
• The NHL draft took place last week. The Coyotes got a great pick, but will licking their wounds do them any long-term good?
• Suns have brought in numerous players for a variety of different slots in the draft. Who would you like to see on the Suns come Friday?
• Randy Johnson is coming back after just a few short days on the DL. Are they rushing him back to early?

All this, plus "This or That," "Who you got?" and "Parting Shots"…

Subscribe to In The Zona - Arizona's Premier Sports Podcast by Email or by RSS

You can also call in your "Parting Shot" to our "Heat Line" at (602) 714-2390

UFA Dreams…

The Phoenix Coyotes have not said anything publicly about what skaters they covet for the 2007-2008 season, and of course, why would they? But with two recent developments, I thought I would throw out my humble opinion (for what it’s worth) on a couple of notable Unrestricted Free Agents that could come here.

Daniel Briere has not yet resigned with the Buffalo Sabres and has declined their most recent offer. Briere was drafted by the Phoenix Coyotes in 1996 and was their 24th pick overall. He was subsequently traded for Chris Gratton and a third round pick in 2003. So what happened then?

Gratton has been with many teams in his career most recently with the Florida Panthers and now again in a return trip with the Tampa Bay Lightning. He has had stops with the Buffalo Sabres, and Colorado Avalanche in addition to his tour with the Phoenix Coyotes. He was involved in the deal that sent him to the Colorado Avalanche and that brought Derek Morris and Keith Ballard to the Coyotes in 2004. The 2nd round pick the Coyotes gave up in the Avalanche deal was Paul Stasny.

The third round pick that we gave up for Daniel Briere in 2004 was Andrej Sekera.

Briere went on to appear in two Eastern Conference Finals and scored 95 points last year.

Talking with some casual Coyotes fans during the past three weeks, the Briere deal is something they still talk about. I’m pretty sure that if Briere could return here to the Coyotes it would uplift their spirits some.

The other forward that elected to not resign with their current team, for obvious reasons, is Paul Kariya.

The question becomes can the Coyotes afford either of these two players and would they want to? With the failed attempt to unload salary in Nick Boynton, they still are on the hook for his $2.95 million paycheck, but they still may have cap space to attract one of these skaters. Another factor that has been documented is that the Coyotes want younger players and with Briere turning 30 this year along with Kariya turning 33, will the Coyotes want them based on their age?

Regarding the Salary Cap issues of the Coyotes, Paul Kariya now has a salary of $4.5 million and Briere has a salary of $5 million. It might be a pretty steep price for the long term. Plus, both Briere and Kariya may have other aspirations.

The Coyotes have already had the luxury of “homecoming” players in the names of Brett Hull and Jeremy Roenick, supposedly to increase interest in hockey here in the Valley and resurrect careers. Unfortunately, we know how they worked out. I am not intimating that Briere is Hull or Roenick (or vice versa), but I had the choice between the two players…

I would take this guy:

Paul Kariya Video for RSS Feed.

Of course, all of this is most likely wishful thinking on my part, but there remains a possibility that there is an impact player or two out there that can round out the team in areas where they need the most help. Sunday (and most likely next week) should be fun…

Original post by PB