The top 15 things we are thankful for in Valley sports

With Thanksgiving upon us, we here at Fanster.com decided it was time to count down the top 15 things we are thankful for in Valley Sports (and no we didn’t include Fanster.com on the list).

15. Kimbi Daniels: A 36-year old minor leaguer who had a brief stint in the NHL, has played in the minors since, and plays for the love of the game. Sounds like something out of the movie Bull Durham right? He isn’t Crash Davis, but Kimbi Daniels is certainly what’s right about sports. His desire to play hockey and his blue visor make him a fan favorite and his storied 16-year minor league career makes him something for Valley sports fans to be thankful for.

14. Mike Stoops: Sure, naming a coach who hasn’t done much as something to be thankful for is odd, but that’s the point. Stoops single-handedly keeps the end of Arizona football games interesting with his clock management (or lack thereof) and his in-game play calling decisions. Plus, with Stoops in Tucson ASU fans don’t have to worry about Dennis Erickson having any competition when it comes to in-state recruiting.

13. Rudy Carpenter: Has there ever been a player with better or comparable all around stats that has been hated as much Carpenter? Rudy has a chance to pass Andrew Walter as the all-time leader in passing yards and touchdown passes for the Sun Devils, and is among the all-time leaders in the Pac-10, yet ASU fans seem to have a great disdain for him. It’s time to put away your Sam Keller pom poms, or whatever it is you have against Carpenter and be thankful for number 12 because there are only two games left in his brilliant ASU career.

12. Herb Sendek: It’s no secret that before Herb Sendek came to the ASU, the basketball program was in shambles. Since then, Sendek has changed the culture in Tempe and has, at least for this year, turned it into a basketball school. With the emergence of the Sun Devil program, college basketball is alive and well in the Valley and dreams of the
Big Dance are here to stay. Thanks Herb, for bringing major college basketball back to Phoenix.

11. University of Phoenix Stadium: Although it won’t be home to a Final Four in the near future, it has brought the Valley a Super Bowl, a BCS Championship Game, hundreds of millions of dollars and a home field advantage for the Cardinals. Along with that it, has been the cornerstone of Westgate, and has put Glendale on the map locally and nationally. Not to mention that it is one of the fanciest venues in all of pro sports. (Editors Note: residents of Mesa have the right not to be thankful for UoP but only have themselves to blame)

10. Shaquille O’Neal: He may have been the death of 7 seconds or less and the Mike D’Antoni era, but Shaq brings NBA Championship experience and is the first legitimate center the Suns have had in over 40 years in Phoenix (sorry Oliver Miller but just because you weighed as much as Shaq doesn’t make you a legit center). The pure fact that Suns fans didn’t have to deal with a summer of Shawn Marion complaining and got to be treated to the hi jinx of the Big Cactus is enough to be thankful for.

9. Kurt Warner’s Gloves: Who would have thought a pair of gloves could make the difference between washed-up old quarterback and possible MVP candidate. During the 2007 season Warner decide to don the gloves in hopes that it would solidify his grip on his slipping career. After fumbling 31 times from 2004-2006 Warner has been able to cut down on the fumbles and all the credit goes to his gloves. We salute you gloves, and not the one finger variety either, as we are thankful you have given the Cardinals a legitimate chance at making a run in the playoffs.

8. Cheerleaders: ….a picture says a thousand words…..

7. Larry Fitzgerald: Hands that can catch anything, an attitude that is great and two Pro Bowl appearances in 4 seasons. Larry Fitzgerald is everything a team could want from the wide receiver position, and everything a fantasy football player could want as well.

6. Anquan Boldin: You can’t have one without the other as Anquan Boldin rounds out the Cardinals’ dynamic duo at wide receiver. Boldin takes a licking and keeps on ticking (cheesy we know) as was evident after the Jets game. You have to be thankful for any guy willing to sacrifice his body for the team and be able to come back just weeks later.

5. Shane Doan: One of the truly good guys in all of sports, Doan shows why he’s an integral part of the Phoenix sports landscape on and off the ice. Nice guys are rare in sports and a nice guy who is the star of your team is even more rare.

4. Baseball: Spring training, the Diamondbacks and Fall League… could Valley baseball fans ask for anything more (this is a Thanksgiving piece– save your wishing for D-backs wins for Christmas) ? When it comes to the amount of baseball a fan can watch in a given year Arizona can’t be beat. Year round, affordable and fun, baseball in the Valley is something to truly be thankful for, just ask Tucson.

3. Steve Nash: Back-to-back MVP, ignitor to the Suns’ top scoring offense, and a sense of humor. If you don’t like Steve Nash, you don’t like basketball. Though his stats have declined this year, the four-year span Steve put together was the type of run legends are made out of.

2. Amare Stoudemire: Young, explosive, entertaining and a great comeback story. Stoudemire has it all and he just keeps getting better. He overcame a rough childhood to be one of the up and coming superstars in the NBA and, if Suns fans are lucky, he’ll be the cornerstone of the franchise for the next 10 years.

1. Ken Whisenhunt: Plain and simple, Ken Whisenhunt’s winning attitude and his leadership are the reason the Arizona Cardinals are in charge of the NFC West right now. By bringing the Pittsburgh Steelers’ mentality to the desert, he changed the fortunes of the Cards and their fans, and for that everyone in the Valley should be very thankful.

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Tags: Amare Stoudemire, Anquan Boldin, Herb Sendek, Larry Fitzgerald, Shane Doan, Shaquille O'Neal, Steve Nash