Old As Dirt

Maybe a few restaurants or taverns, a hotel or Bed & Breakfast or even ironically, a golf course. How many things do you know that are over 75 years old and reside in the 48th state?  Just weeks after celebrating the 97th anniversary of its statehood, there aren’t many things across our great state of Arizona that still exist from the early years of the 20th century.  One of them, the Waste Management Phoenix Open, celebrates its 75th year this weekend.  And just like everything else in Phoenix, the Valley and the state, boy have times changed. 

Long before there was a giant expo tent, raucous 16th hole and palatial corporate village, a few Arizona golfers and business men hosted the very first Phoenix Open in 1932 with the winner taking home $600.  That wouldn’t even get you a Greenskeeper Hospitality badge at this year’s event!  Interestingly, the growth of this golf tournament has mirrored many other aspects of the Valley.  The move from the Phoenix Country Club to the TPC of Scottsdale in 1987 was just a year before the Cardinals moved here from St Louis and the arrival of the Phoenix Coyotes and Arizona Diamondbacks followed shortly.  The year 1987 was also a time where the nightlife scene slowly moved from Tempe/Phoenix to Scottsdale.  But to understand my take on the “The Greatest Show on Grass’, you have to visit the produce aisle of your local grocer.

First, the golf fan.  Or in my analogy, the pomegranate.  Any true golf fan that attends the Phoenix Open is truly a golf fan.  The tournament falls early in the Professional Golf Association’s (PGA) season and many big name players may skip it or if they do show up many are like the grizzly bear just waking up from their winter hibernation.  And before you jump on me, I know they play year round, but the routine of playing competitive tournament golf week after week still hasn’t been established.  The first and foremost difficulty for the golf fan is fighting their way through the party.  Every green patch of turf filled with sun bathers, every tent that blocks the view of the course or reserved grandstand that’s off limits to the general populace are the rind and lining of the pomegranate.  It takes some effort, a little patience and maybe some ingenious trickery to get the juicy healthy fruit inside (great golf in February).  Once you get it, it’s always worth the wait.

Now, the party fan.  Or, in my analogy, the peach.  Many of these people that attend the Phoenix Open have no idea a golf tournament is the reason for the party.  All they know is that they can wear their Friday night attire during a weekday.   Alcohol, food and the opportunity to mingle with the opposite sex with the license to be a little unruly drives this portion of the gallery.  This crowd will party all day and enjoy the sunlight and then hit a lull when the golf ends.  For a few hours they will loiter about the property or leave for dinner and then return for the nightly Bird’s Nest activities.  Just like eating a peach.  You start off immediately with the soft juicy flesh and enjoy it until you hit the pit.  You then turn it to find more of the juicy flesh.  Party all day, take a break and party all night.  Return the next day for more.

So whatever the reason that brings you out to the beautifully manicured grasses of the TPC in Scottsdale, you should enjoy the fact that the Valley hosts the most attended PGA event of the year.  Now while you’re still pondering my fruit analogies to golf, I’m going to leave the bowels of the TPC Clubhouse  media center and enjoy some birdies, beer and, and well, you know.

[Audio] WANTED: $200,000 Dodge Charger

Not quite the want ad you’d see for a car in the local paper, but in the case of a vehicle that runs in the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA), it’s simply part of the business.  A business where the aforementioned Dodge Charger will run it’s 7,000 horsepower engine, burning almost 12 gallons of fuel in about four seconds.  The car will start with a 5-6 G-force at take off and stop with an opposing 5 g’s when the parachutes fly.  And you thought getting your ride up to 95 mph on Interstate 8 to San Diego was a thrill? 

Race two of the NHRA Countdown to the Championship takes place this weekend at Firebird Raceway.  And if you’re looking for a change of pace from the ovals of NASCAR or the open wheel road courses of IndyCar, then a trip to Firebird should be in order.  Racing, like all other avenues of life has been hit by the recession and what’s still running should be enjoyed.  The resiliency of automobile racing is amazing in these tough economic times, and drag racing is no different.  Loyal fans of car manufacturers, drivers and sponsors still flock to see their favorite drivers in anticipation of that seeing world record run.  And one of those drivers, Ron Capps, driver of the Napa Auto Parts Dodge Charger is one of them.  Capps who has a degree in software engineering and got his start in the drag racing world by being a pit lane gofer, is a fan favorite, great family man and sponsor’s dream.

Below, here’s my exclusive interview with Capps, who is in town for the festivities…

What’s in your garage?

Its that time of year when the NFL is winding down, the NHL and NBA are midway through their long seasons and the MLB is still a month away from pitchers and catchers reporting.  It’s also time for the numerous collectible car auctions to make their way to the Valley, and specifically, the 39th annual Barrett-Jackson Automobile Auction.  

Now I know the last thing most people want to talk about during these times of economic stress is people spending thousands and sometimes hundreds of thousands of dollars on vehicles from yesteryear.  I can’t blame you, if it wasn’t for insufficient funds, I wouldn’t have any myself.  But regardless of your current economic status, there’s still something to be said about admiring and appreciating the old, rare, odd or just plain collectible automobile.

I believe my passion for the automobile started in my youth with trips to pick up family members at O’Hare International Airport in Chicago, Il.  Besides dodging the Hare Krishnas (back when it was still legal to wear orange robes and pass out literature) or checking all the coin returns in phone booths (pre-cell phone days), I always sought out the rotating Bradley GT on a pedestal in the United Airlines terminal.  The exotic shape, gull wing doors and the fancy paint job had me hooked.  I always left with a handful of their placards. Little did I know the Bradley GT was just a piece of fiberglass on a VW Bug chassis and engine.  It didn’t matter, I was hooked.  Combine that with the stories my mechanic grandfather had of his 40 years under the hood or almost becoming a Tucker dealership, I really had no choice to love the automobile.

As like most of you, my admiration of exotic cars had to come from outside the family home.  Some of the cars that occupied our garage were a VW Beetle, Chevy Vega, Pontiac Astra, Volvo 145 station wagon and finally a Plymouth Reliant.  It was no wonder my first car was an Opel GT, you know, the poor man’s Corvette.  It was painted metallic copper so you couldn’t see all the rust.  Enough of my car history, let’s get to the good stuff.

What started out as one auction in Scottsdale, the Barrett-Jackson family of auctions has now grown to four, with the other three residing in Palm Beach, Florida, Orange County, California and Las Vegas.  Known for its elaborate lifestyle vendor areas, palate-tempting food courts, manufacturer ride and drives, and of course the auction, Barrett-Jackson can safely say they are the purveyors of the world’s greatest collector auctions.

Most of the vehicles sold at auction are considered American classics–Corvettes, Mustangs or Plymouth Superbirds.  The ironic part is the cost of these cars when they were in the showroom.  In 1957, a Corvette with a V-8 engine on a show room floor went for $3200-$6000.  At Barrett-Jackson, that same car with original paint, parts and matching VIN numbers could go for upwards of $194,000.  The Amphicar, the rare amphibious German convertible (only 3,878 made) sold for $3,000 new in 1965, can attain a price of $10,000 for a scrap vehicle and over $50,000 at auction.

Even if you’re not in the market to purchase any of these beauties from yesteryear, just strolling through the tents admiring the pristine vehicles is a thrill.  To see the 1930 Ford Model A Coupe John Dillinger used as a getaway car is a little eerie, considering it was once bullet-ridden and blood stained.  But like everything else in life, each of these vehicles has a story just waiting to be told.  And maybe when my 1965 Plymouth Valiant Convertible with a small block V-8 gets restored, it to could go up for auction with it’s own tale to tell.  But for now,  it’s that diamond in the rough, with a cover, under a carport, just minutes away from one of the world’s greatest car auctions.

Maybe someday.

Don’t Know What You’ve Got, ‘Til It’s Gone….

If the title of this post takes you back to the mid-80’s and the hair band Cinderella, then my mission has been accomplished.  More to come.  But during these times of festivities, celebrations, parties and seven Pac-10 bowl games without our beloved ASU Sun Devils, its a difficult time of year.  Especially when ASU snatched defeat from the hands of victory from many of those bowl-bound teams.  Including the group wearing blue and gold in this years San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl.

Golden Bears 14…..Utes 0

Unless you have any ties to a specific university or school, the college bowl system may seem archaic or pointless.  But to a fan or alumnus, a trip to a bowl game is all you think about during the fall months, and can make or break your holiday season.

“I knew right from the start you’d put an arrow, through my heart”–RATT  

Case in point, ASU’s two-year absence and the University of Arizona’s two-year run of bowl participation. Ask any Wildcat fan how happy they are that their team went to the Pioneer Las Vegas Bowl or this year’s Pacific Life Holiday Bowl?  I guarantee sheer giddiness.  It seems just like yesterday ASU was enjoying the Hawaii Bowls, a couple of Holiday Bowls and  a taste of the Sun Bowl for good measure.  There would have been nothing better than to be watching the Sun Devils take on one of my adopted Mountain West teams in this years Poinsettia matchup.

Golden Bears 14…..Utes 10

Say what you will about  the number of teams making bowls, but in todays business market place, if something doesn’t sell, then it goes away. Many players enjoy the extra meal money, the side trips to Sea World or  the gift bags every bowl gives away.  And for a lot of the players, this is their first real trip away from home.  Places they’d never see, people they would never meet and experiences they’ll never feel.  For everyone who has taken a family vacation or gone away to school, it’s hard to understand, but it’s very real.  To watch these players at bowl functions as I have over the last 25 years, you get a first hand look at the enjoyment they experience.

Golden Bears 14…..Utes 24

Celebrating its fifth anniversary as a bowl game, the San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl has been growing steadily under the supervision of its parent, the Pacific Life Holiday Bowl, much like the relationship our own Insight Bowl has with the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl.  While trying to find its place in the bowl world, the Poinsettia offered Navy a place to go bowling, which was an easy sell with the high naval presence in America’s Finest City.  Last year’s nail-biter between TCU and Boise State was just an appetizer for this year’s Fiesta matchup of the same two teams, but with much more on the line in a BCS game.

Golden Bears 21…..Utes 27

“You give me pain, but you bring me pleasure”–Judas Priest  

If I didn’t know any better, that could be a description of the ASU offense and defense.  But alas, we must watch Cal, Georgia, USC, Arizona, and UCLA all play in bowl games on the backs of our beloved Sun Devils.  You know what they say, dreaming is free.

As for the controversy with the BCS or playoff system, it’s an easy fix.  Continue with the rich history of the bowls and have an a eight-team playoff.

“All that glitters isn’t gold”–Warrant  

That description is perfect for the BCS.  The facts are simple with bowl games.  Twenty-eight communities, 34 bowl champions, 68 universities, 6,800 student athletes, 1.7 million fans, 130 million TV households, $220 million to universities and $1 billion in economic impact.

When the giant flags are curled back up and the fans file out of the stadium, another year of college football comes to a close for two more teams. One living with a season-ending loss and the other experiencing the spoils of victory.  And unfortunately, the Arizona State Sun Devils can feel neither.  But Utah All-American offensive lineman Zane Beadles puts it succinctly, “When all the memories of the zoo are gone and the gifts are lost, you’ll always remember who won the game”.  Not just another game Zane, but a college bowl game.

Final Score-Golden Bears 27…..Utah 37

Two Steps Forward, One Step Back

With most everything in life, it’s better to be constantly moving forward–and the thought of regressing or going backwards is not traditionally a good thing.  But in these difficult economic times, a few steps back might just be the remedy for one of America’s pastimes.  

Baseball HAS to move forward considering the recent ’steroid era’ and the NFL really can’t go anywhere but up, out and into a global future.  The NBA is also looking global and the NHL?  Well, between labor strife, the lockout, teams in turmoil and an awful television package, anywhere but the blender they’ve been in is a positive.

No, what I’m talking about is NASCAR, and more specifically, the Sprint Cup Series.

When I was first introduced to racing, I would’ve rather watched a re-run of the Golden Girls than spend a minute of my time watching cars drive around a track. Two trips to National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) events in Pomona and Phoenix and an unforgettable week in Alabama at the Talladega International Motor Speedway changed my life forever.  That was 1992, an era when the Winston Cup (Sprint Cup predecessor) was just entering, well, lets say its late teens in the sense of its popularity.  The sport was predominantly still an east coast phenomenon and not the wildly popular major sport it is today.  But times are changing, no more unlimited budgets, expense accounts, waiting lists for tickets or sponsors with open check books.  It’s time to go back in time and revisit it’s grass roots to strengthen the sport.

Most people became aware of the NASCAR Sprint Cup with the first live televised 500 mile race in Daytona in 1979.  The racing was great and the post-race fight with Donnie Allison and Cale Yarborough knocking each other senseless live on CBS is a timeless moment.  With the 1979 Daytona race as the springboard, NASCAR grew slowly into the 80’s with the addition of more and more televised racing courtesy of the fledgling ESPN network.  Known for its random mix of odd sports and programs, ESPN was the perfect venue for NASCAR.  The relationship ended in 2000 with the allure of big network money.  And I believe it was at this time, despite its explosive media growth, that NASCAR lost its balance, roots, fans and proper direction.

First off, there are too many races and this a major factor leading to several financial woes.  There was a time when many of the ‘original’ NASCAR tracks in the Southeast had two races each and as the expansion of the series grew, many of those tracks lost a race, if not both of them to Fontana, Phoenix, Texas, Gateway, Chicago, etc….More races meant more money for the series, track owners and the communities surrounding them.   One trip to Fontana, Phoenix and Texas was bearable on the budget, but add a second? It gets downright expensive for all these teams to travel away from their North Carolina shops.  With the addition of all these tracks, you also have different race course configurations, which, in turn, leads to more car varieties, set-ups and preparation.  The series now supports races that run on tracks of the following lengths: road course, .5 mile, .526 mile, .75 mile, 1 mile, 1.366 mile, 1.5 mile, 1.56 mile,  2 mile and several 2.5 mile tracks that have zero similarities.  You get my point, fewer races on more similar tracks equals smaller budgets for race teams.  Pink Floyd had it correct on The Wall tour, fewer shows meant more demand and a higher quality product.

Here are a few other quick-fire economic fixes: 1) If they don’t shrink the series, then make the tickets cheaper.  Ask track operators if they’d rather have 95,000 fans at an average of $50 or 60,000 at $75?  2) Use a salary cap for both drivers and sponsorships.  Even the playing ground and eliminate the ‘keep up with the joneses’ mentality.  3) Put the Sprint Cup back on ESPN.  Coverage was fantastic and insightful from people who knew and cared about the sport.  No more of these multi-faceted broadcasters that cover 4 other sports during the week.  Taking a smaller TV package fee would also inhibit big spending across the board. 4)  Bring back the ‘Win on Sunday, buy on Monday’ mentality.  When did the manufacturer’s points chase last mean anything?  Keep the safety features of the current Cup car but put them into cars people can relate to.  Ford Taurus, Chevy Monte Carlo or Dodge Intrepid.  Not only does this bring back interest in the cars, but it helps the economy.

I’m not asking Michael J. Fox to drive his Delorean “back in NASCAR time”, but unlike all the other major sports in America, the ability to move forward by actually moving back should not be wasted.  Now if we can just get IndyCar and the NHRA to follow suit, race fans would rejoice.

Are you a Sun Devil, a Vandal or a Hatter?

The last two weekends I’ve had the luxury to enjoy homecoming at two different universities. Which prompted me to think, why would a a 78-year old man walk around with a Sun Devil or a tree on their shirt?  Or better yet, the hardcore fan with a tattoo of their school mascot!  With further exploration, graduates of American universities become obsessive followers to the mascot of their alma mater.

My affinity for school mascots goes way back. I’ve always enjoyed learning about the origins of each school’s mascot. Back in my radio days, I’d even fill out my March Madness bracket based solely on the toughness factor of each school’s mascot. I never did very well in my bracket, but it opened up a lot of interesting and healthy debate.

Closest to home would of course be our beloved Sun Devils.  With Normals, Owls and Bulldogs proceeding Sparky, the little pitch fork carrying imp is one of a kind and known exclusively to Arizona State.  Outside of Arizona, the three fingered fork ‘em devils sign is a common greeting between alums.  The Lumberjacks of Northern Arizona are also unique to Arizona and their Flagstaff campus.  And of course the school down south in the Old Pueblo, the University of Arizona, has the 6th most common nickname, Wildcats.  How original.

The whole idea of knowing and recognizing college mascots really took off in the 1994 cult classic movie, Pulp Fiction.  When Vincent Vega had to sport a UC Santa Cruz Banana Slug t-shirt following a messy in-vehicle manslaughter.  The tiny California school bookstore couldn’t keep up with demand and the phenomena of wearing random mascot t-shirts was born.  But the overly politically correct society we live in has put a damper on our zest for real life mascots.

St. John’s, Marquette, St. Bonaventure and countless others have caved in to pressure and have changed their names to, lets say, non-native American mascots.  Hell, even Stanford University beat everyone to the punch with their change from Indians to the Cardinal in 1972.  Illinois, Florida State and Utah are schools that are fighting to keep their local native American heritage alive to honor and not desecrate native peoples.

Every school’s mascot history is interesting and unique.  The Sun Devil is perfect for ASU as are the Longhorns to Texas, Miners of UTEP, Bears of Maine and Grizzlies of Montana.  But to find out the Nittany Lions of Penn State are named after Mt. Nittany or the Golden Hurricane of Tulsa coming from a sportswriter talking about the speed of the yellow-clad gridders is the interesting part of college mascot lore.  Although some nicknames like the Poets, Sycamores or Quakers won’t strike fear in the hearts of their opponents, they hold special meaning among their alumni.  And that is truly the beauty of the college mascot.

So next time you’re around a campus, or your school’s homecoming, take notice of the attire for businessmen, housewives or even local clergy.  The license to bear a shirt with a Chanticleer, Red Raider or Demon Deacon is granted in the name of school pride. 

Go Devils!

WANTED: Golf Fans

Not the usual title you’d expect for a Professional Golf Association (PGA) event, but when you’re the younger well-behaved brother of the most attended PGA Tour stop, it’s very apropos.  The FRYS.Com Open at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale takes place this weekend in beautiful north Scottsdale and features a plethora of tour veterans and countless up-and-comers.  The number of reasons to attend are countless, above and beyond watching some of the best players in the world walk around the desert crushing surlyn covered rubber bands.

First off, the Arizona Cardinals are in New York to play the Giants and the ASU Sun Devils have traveled to the Bay Area to take on Stanford.  Both night games, which doesn’t hinder you from enjoying libations at the 16th hole’s O’Donoghue’s Pub.  Not to be confused with the infamous FBR’s 16th hole stadium, but still a beautiful par 3 in its own right.  As for the local hockey team, the Coyotes?  Another Saturday night game–this one against the L.A. Kings.  So if you’re worried about any disruption to your favorite team viewing, it won’t happen this weekend.

If the countless months and especially the latest heat wave have you longing for the weather you moved to Arizona for, this is the weekend to enjoy it before the Snowbirds arrive and the fall honey-do list gets unmanageable.  If overnight lows in the mid 50’s and mid-day temps hovering around the low to mid 80’s doesn’t  get you excited, then I suggest a visit to the do-it-yourself blood pressure test machine at Walgreens to test your pulse.  So squeeze out the last of your mid-summer San Diego vacation sunscreen and lube yourself up like a baby back rib rack.

If the recession blues have hit your bank account, not to worry.  Ticket prices for each day are a mere $25!  No escalating weekend scale, just a flat rate of 25 bones.  There are upgrades to better your tournament experience like the Paddy O’ VIP area or different other hospitality options, but those are of course, optional.  If you figure the last time you went to the movies and after you get in the door for $10, had a large bucket of popcorn,  a box of red vines and a bladder buster beverage your into Tom Cruise or Goldie Hawn for a good $25.  But did you meet them?  Get their autograph? Or even have a conversation with them?  I think not.  You’ll forget the movie Saw IV long before you forget the afternoon you met and taked to Rocco Mediate.

Which leads me to my final point.  These are regulation, no-substitutes, honest to goodness PGA tour players out here.  I’m sure the names Fred Couples, David Duval, Tom Lehman, Mike Weir and Brad Faxon ring a bell? If you’ve even remotely paid attention to the golfing world, these are players you want to watch.  If you’re looking for local flavor?  I.E. ASU players?  Although Lefty won’t be here to enjoy dinner at ‘Phil’s Grill’ in the clubhouse, Billy Mayfair, Jeff Quinney, Chez Reavie and Pat Perez will be representing the maroon and gold.  You might even find a new player to root for this weekend.  As part of the PGA’s Fall Series of events, many players are scrambling to finish in the PGA Tour’s top 125, which gives them their playing card for 2010.  What’s more exciting than watching a young man play his heart out in an attempt to change his life.

As the advertisement states, ‘FRYS.com Open, Get close to Greatness’.  And if I can quote a maitre de when he leaves your table? Enjoy folks.

UFL opens in Vegas

March 6, 1983.  June 20, 1987. And now October 8, 2009.  If these dates don’t ring a bell, allow me to give you a few hints.  Chicago Blitz vs Washington Federals, Denver Dynamite vs Chicago Bruisers and the California Redwoods  vs Las Vegas Locomotives.  Still not ringing a bell?  I don’t blame you, these are some seriously random dates and teams.  In a nutshell, these were the opening games for the USFL, Arena Football League and the UFL.   All of which I had the pleasure of attending.

Enough nostalgia, lets talk United Football League (UFL).  According to league press releases, tonight’s opening game in UNLV’s Sam Boyd Stadium is years of preparation coming to fruition.  Starting with only four teams for the inaugural 2009 season the New York Sentinels, Florida Tuskers, Las Vegas Locomotives and the California Redwoods should get really familiar with each other this season.  Especially with the 2 east coast teams training together and the Redwoods and Loco’s training in our own backyard vacation destination, Casa Grande.

So on this fall evening at 6:13 p.m. Pacific Standard Time, a new professional football league kicked off with six former University of Arizona and 8 former Arizona Cardinal players on the two rosters.  Interesting note, there are no former ASU Sun Devils on any of the UFL’s four rosters.  The Locomotives (Locos) first drive featured former NFL players J.P. Losman and Marcel Shipp as they marched down the field 57 yards taking 5:39 off the clock.  A 3rd and goal fumble by Shipp gave the Redwoods their first possession on their own 17.  The rest of the first quarter was a feeling out period for both teams.  Both teams added a touchdown in the second quarter to send the game into the half Redwoods 14, Locos 10.

Local groups supplied the halftime festivities which gave me time to peruse the announced 14,290 fans.  (A consensus of press box inhabitants put the actual attendance closer to 4,500) .  Now I’ve been to literally hundreds of sporting events, and I have never seen a more random mix of jerseys in the bleachers.  A sampling includes:  3 Dustin Pedroia, Steve McNair pro-bowl, a Cardinals Edgerrin James, a powder blue Kellen Winslow, a Manny Ramirez, 3 J.P. Losmans, a Donovan McNabb, a Vinny Testeverde, a Denver Jake Plummer and an Eagles Keith Jackson for good measure.  In the interest of time, I didn’t list the other 36 I saw.

Second half scoring highlights included 3 field goals and two touchdowns with one of the field goal going for 53 yards by the Locos’ Graham Gano.  Another interesting moment occurred during the 3rd quarter break when the UFL commissioner addressed the crowd.  He stated the 15,00 fans in attendance were the best fans in the UFL.  I’ll let you insert joke(s) here.  The game ended with the home team defeating the visiting Redwoods 30-17.  Post game comments from both coaches (both NFL veterans) stating this was very good football, somewhere above the USFL and below the NFL.  Maybe the now defunct NFL Europe?

My overall opinion of this inaugural game of the premiere season of the UFL is generally good.  Seeing the officiating crew in red and black was interesting as well as trying to distinguish the two teams from each other.  I understand the league wanting to use the leagues colors in all the uniforms, but if it was hard for the fan,  I can’t imagine what it was like on the field.  The Versus network did a good job as well as all the stadium attendants, the one souvenir stand, and the P.R. staffing in the press box.  The players I caught up with post game were excited for game two and they feel the league has good potential. Games will be all across America in the next few weeks exposing the country to the UFL.  As for me?  Maybe the league championship the day after Thanksgiving back here in Vegas sounds a little bit more fun than shopping on Black Friday.  

Remember, the U in the UFL is for you, the fan….

UFL Post-game audio

Redwoods Head Coach Dennis Green

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Locos Head Coach Jim Fassel

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Locos Defensive Tackle Wendell Bryant

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Hooligans or Shenanigans?

Gold Cup 2009! I repeat, Gold Cup 2009! Ok, ok, even with the lack of sports topics in the middle of the summer here in Arizona, this is something that got very little publicity and coverage here in Phoenix. If you’re still wondering what the Gold Cup is, its a soccer tournament that the Confederation of North, Central, America & Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) has for soccer teams in the America’s with the first couple of rounds having the teams travel around to different US cities. This past Sunday, Glendale was the holder of the short straw.

Before I continue, I’d like to offer up a disclaimer, I am a fan of soccer. I played the game in high school and was also a season ticket holder for the Chicago Sting in the now defunct NASL. Now that I got that out of the way, attendance at Sunday’s games in Glendale was once again a major embarrassment for Valley soccer fans and media. The never-ending battle cries of soccer being the “up and coming sport” and the thought that Phoenix could support a Major League Soccer (MSL) franchise are a joke.

Sunday’s schedule had Panama facing Nicaragua and Mexico taking on Guadeloupe. The first game, and not unexpectedly, drew roughly 5-10,000 fans, maybe? And in a stadium that holds 63,000, the number of empty seats looked pathetic. The second game, which featured the Mexican national team, had an announced attendance of almost 24,000. Still, an anemic crowd, especially with the high Hispanic population in the Valley.  And this coming on the heels of a “wear your teams colors and get 2 for 1 tickets” for advance purchase.

But these numbers don’t surprise me. Let’s go back two years to July 2007 for the Copa Panamerica soccer tournament held in Glendale. Not familiar with it? No surprise, because with the #3 ranked club team in the world (Boca Juniors) playing, the attendance couldn’t even break 15,000.

Enough fan bashing, now let’s go after the media. From the time I entered the stadium, I literally felt as though I was in another country.  At any given point I expected to be asked for my passport. There was no local television presence and only hispanic radio reporters, and with the exception of the Arizona Republic and the AP news service representatives, I didn’t recognize anyone in the press box. In which, by the way, cheering for your team was encouraged. For those not in the know, cheering is a no-no in U.S. press boxes.  Once the games ended, the post-game press conferences were an adventure.  With three of the teams speaking Spanish and one French, my attendance and any relevant sound I could gather was for the lack of any better words, worthless.  Although watching the translation from Spanish to English, English to French and then  reversed for the Guadeloupe coach was worth price of admission.