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SCOTTSDALE – Alex Smalley walked onto the driving range at TPC Scottsdale with a smile on his face as he absorbed his new surroundings. As he walked to his spot on the range, other professionals noticed him — someone younger than almost everyone else competing at the Waste Management Phoenix Open. “Good luck, kid,” one.

PHOENIX – Two years ago, Arizona State baseball coach Tracy Smith continued to insist that everything happening was for the bigger picture. The Sun Devils’ 2018 season ended up being one of the worst in the history of the program in terms of record. That second straight losing season, however, also presented optimism for the.

PHOENIX – Whether it was winning NBA championships, securing Olympic gold medals or serving as an ambassador for the international game, Kobe Bryant’s impact stretched far and wide. That included his support of women’s basketball. “He had a voice,” said Ann Meyers Drysdale, Phoenix Mercury vice president and television analyst. “He gave it credibility. ….

PHOENIX – Megan Morris spent less than 10 minutes with Kobe Bryant, just enough time for him to make a dramatic impression. It’s a common refrain for those who have met Bryant, who died Sunday in a helicopter crash in Southern California. Whether a student, a team executive or a reporter, those who crossed paths.

WEST HOLLYWOOD, Calif. – Tom Brady sat in a coffee shop off Fairfax Avenue, completely unnoticed. People walked past without batting an eye at his athletic physique, or pausing to listen to his distinct voice. If Brady minded, he didn’t show it. Instead, he smiled and reminisced about last season’s championship win. He acknowledged his.

TEMPE – As Friday night approached, Arizona State women’s basketball coach Charli Turner Thorne told media that this version of the Oregon Ducks is the best team that she has scouted to play against as a coach. “I mean, there is nothing that they don’t have,” Turner Thorne said before the game. “… They are.

PHOENIX – Steak, white rice, black beans, salsa and cheese, please. It’s a combination of burrito ingredients known to almost anyone who has visited a Chipotle Mexican Grill, but not so familiar to Arizona State golfer Ryggs Johnston. Hailing from Libby, Montana, a small town of 2,700 about an hour south of the Canadian border.

LOS ANGELES – The 1995 Rose Bowl featured an Oregon Ducks team that hadn’t played in the storied Pac 12 title game in 37 years. That improbable leap forward for the football program changed how the college football community saw their sport for years to come. After the Ducks’ 1994-95 season, former Oregon track runner.

SAHUARITA – Whether it’s following the yellow brick road, capturing the golden snitch or saving the world from Thanos, a performance by the Walden Grove High School Performing Arts Crew is destined to go viral. The PAC’s last three homecoming shows – honoring “The Wizard of Oz,” “Harry Potter” and “The Avengers” – have combined.

GLENDALE – With this decade almost finished, Clemson coach Dabo Swinney started to reflect on an era with his football program he still and always will describe as “Little Ole’ Clemson.” After a 6-7 season in 2010, Swinney said at media day before Saturday’s PlayStation Fiesta Bowl that much money had probably been bet on.

GLENDALE – Ohio State head coach Ryan Day shouted a thundering “no,” toward the referee. Restrained by another Ohio State staffer, Day soon saw his team’s strong start to the College Football Playoff semifinal evaporate after the game’s most monumental call. A second-quarter sack from Buckeyes slot cornerback Shaun Wade on Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence.

TEMPE – The Arizona State women’s basketball team found itself in an unfamiliar position against its arch rival. ASU had gone 18-4 against Arizona this decade, and the final Territorial Cup matchup before 2020 came Sunday afternoon at Desert Financial Arena. This season, though, a rising Arizona program came into Tempe undefeated and No. 18.

PHOENIX – As the Cheez-It Bowl approached, questions swirled about the dynamic of having a triple-option attack of Air Force face the air raid of Washington State. Air Force set the tone early on Friday night, starting the game with a goal-line stand and answering with a vintage 20-play, 98-yard drive that took 12:23 from.

SCOTTSDALE – Since the College Football Playoff system started in 2014, there has never been a semifinal matchup featuring an undefeated conference champion playing an undefeated conference champion. That changes on Saturday night at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, where the hype and buzz surrounding No. 2 Ohio State (13-0) and No. 3 Clemson (13-0).

SCOTTSDALE – Ohio State coach Ryan Day has made the long trek from Columbus to Arizona before. Not to field endless questions from the media inside Scottsdale’s Camelback Inn for the Playstation Fiesta Bowl Media Day. Not to work on final details for the highly anticipated College Football Playoff semifinal against Clemson. And as much.

SCOTTSDALE – Saying that Washington State and Air Force differ in offensive styles would be an understatement. At the Cheez-It Bowl on Saturday night inside Chase Field, each football program will try to move the ball down the field in vastly different fashions. Washington State (6-6) will utilize an air-raid passing attack while Air Force.

PHOENIX – Injuries in young athletes are common occurrences. What is not common is the level of treatment and rehabilitation received when those injuries happen. Cathy Corlett, a goalkeeper at Campo Verde High School in Gilbert, has experienced her fair share of injuries, including four concussions that occurred while playing soccer. “One time I was.

PHOENIX – Throughout baseball’s online fan community, Jimmy O’ Brien (aka @Jomboy), Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) and other notable social media personalities have reignited baseball’s cultural relevance and rekindled interest in the game among casual fans. Their work is a form of grassroots marketing that promotes baseball to a sizable audience of young, digitally savvy adults.

BELLFLOWER, Calif. – The office of the football coaches at St. John Bosco High School isn’t typical. Well-polished trophies line the room, representing such championships as the Mission Viejo High School Football Classic and the Battle of the Beach. Framed articles from the Los Angeles Times, the Orange County Register and other publications highlight state.

TEMPE – Three years ago, Brindon “Breezyyy” Keesey tried out for the Arizona State University League of Legends team and didn’t make the cut. Now, Keesey has signed a contract to play for 100 Thieves and has become the second ASU player to go pro in any esport. The deal shines a spotlight on a.

PHOENIX – Like many sports fans, Antonio Saldivar has imagined what it would be like to represent the local NBA franchise. “I would love to play for Phoenix,” he said. “That’s like every kid’s dream growing up … to play for their hometown team.” Their NBA 2K League team that is. The league, a professional.

PHOENIX – When Dani George was a freshman at Arizona State University, the only thing that kept her from transferring was esports. She was depressed and had no friends, she said, but discovering the ASU Esports Association turned her life around. Now a junior and the club’s vice president, George wants to transform the organization.

PHOENIX – Dillon Clark-Oden started playing dodgeball at a local Jumpstreet Indoor Trampoline Park five years ago, just for fun. He never imagined it would take him around the world and turn him into a professional athlete. “I started in 2014 and I made the U.S. team in 2016,” Clark-Oden said. “So, going into that.

ARCADIA, Calif. – The excitement was palpable for the final race of the Breeders’ Cup. At the bell, the gates flew open to the exhortations of thousands of spectators packed into the grandstand at Santa Anita Park. Other fans, salivating over a possible big payout, gradually made their way toward the betting windows. “Nothing beats.

LOS ANGELES – Between the sumptuous eats and endless sweets, the holiday season can turn into one long cheat day. Motivation to hit the gym can lag when it’s the perfect season to pull on a sweater and plant roots indoors. But athletes who train hard all year have to stay trim and resist the.

TEMPE – The progression of rookie quarterback Kyler Murray may be the primary measuring stick for this Arizona Cardinals season. Along with the obvious correlation between Murray’s success and the team’s overall play, the quarterback’s performance acts as a direct reflection on the job performance of first-year coach Kliff Kingsbury. As the team closed the.

PHOENIX – Before most players in the National Football League wore a pro jersey, they had to put on a college jersey. Before they wore college colors, they probably donned a high school jersey, and, before that, many wore youth football jerseys. That unbroken progression has existed for generations, but lifelong players are becoming more.

TUCSON – Khalil Tate sat on the cramped podium for postgame interviews at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, reflecting on the final collegiate game of his career for the University of Arizona. His other time in the Territorial Cup, the quarterback was a sophomore who had just set the college football world on fire with.

TEMPE – Basketball is a family affair for the Bagleys, which made four-star small forward Marcus Bagley’s decision to join the Arizona State men’s basketball team in 2020 all the sweeter. On Nov. 13, Bagley signed his national letter of intent to join coach Bobby Hurley’s program. It marks a return home for Bagley, who.

MESA — Hidden along a pleasant stretch of downtown Mesa, tucked between a sleepy vegan cafe and a local art gallery, you’ll find the Nile. Nearing its centennial, the converted movie theater now operates primarily as a music venue. But eight days a year, about 250 rowdy Arizonans line up at its back alley entrance.

TEMPE – Led by individual champion Kyla Roy, Arizona State won a fourth consecutive USA Triathlon Women’s Collegiate National Championship in November at Tempe Town Lake, establishing the Sun Devils as an emerging force in an emerging sport. Now, the Sun Devils hope to become a permanent fixture in a permanent sport. ASU has won.

PHOENIX – When Saguaro High School takes the field at Sun Devil Stadium for a state title this Saturday, it won’t be to defend its three consecutive football championships in the 4A Conference. The Sabercats will be playing for something bigger: the championship in the inaugural Arizona Interscholastic Association (AIA) Open Division and a claim.

PHOENIX – The news that Phil Mickelson will skip the Waste Management Phoenix Open in 2020 shook the Arizona golf world Monday, but tournament officials remain optimistic fans will still arrive in droves for the golf spectacle at TPC Scottsdale. Mickelson, a fan favorite who first competed in the tournament in 1989 as an Arizona.

TEMPE – Trailblazing must be in Marlee Smith’s DNA. One day, while cheering on her dad’s football team, the squad found itself a player short and an unexpected opportunity arose for the 8-year-old. “He looked at me and he said, ‘I’m taking Marlee,’” her mom, Christie Smith, recalled. “He took her off the sideline, threw.

TEMPE – The Arizona Cardinals have begun their search for answers following a puzzling 34-7 loss Sunday to the Los Angeles Rams. The defeat, Arizona’s fifth straight, was especially painful because the 28-point margin is the largest defeat the team has experienced in what is fast becoming a lost season. “The product, in all three.

PHOENIX – Schools take different approaches to recruiting for their esports programs because there is no defined standard. Esports didn’t exist 20 years ago. For Arizona universities, their methods run the gamut. Grand Canyon University has a wide range of tools to bring in prospective esports athletes, with a state-of-the-art facility stocked with top-of-the-line gaming.

LOS ANGELES – Thursday wasn’t a typical offseason day for the Dodgers. The club spent the day distributing more than 1,000 turkeys and fixings to needy Angelenos, through their partnership with Smart & Final and the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation. “This is amazing. This is awesome. I think it’s great for the community, great for.

TEMPE – On November 25th, 2001, then-Indianapolis Colts coach Jim Mora walked up to the microphone after a blowout loss and went on a rant that still has life. “Playoffs? Don’t talk about playoffs? You kidding me? Playoffs? I just hope we can win a game,” Mora said. Almost 18 years to the day, ASU.

PEORIA – With a goal to improve gender diversity in the world of baseball scouting, the Women’s Sports School held a five-day event that included the opportunity to learn from several baseball professionals. Twelve women took part in the inaugural Scouting Baseball! program in mid-October. Jennifer Blatt, founder of the school, had the idea after.

SURPRISE – Starting a college football program is usually a long-term process. Not so for Ottawa University of Arizona. In 2017, the newly built school in Surprise had no football team. There were no players, no facilities and no field. Now, just two years later, the football team has secured a berth in the National.

PHOENIX — After a lifetime as an Arizona resident and working in high school sports, including a dozen years at the Arizona Interscholastic Association, David Hines knows how people in the state react to inclement weather. “We’re a little spoiled here in Arizona,” quipped Hines, who has been the executive director for the AIA since.

PHOENIX – A couple of years ago, it took Aron Baynes 75 games to make his first three-point shot of the season for the Boston Celtics. He ended that season an unsightly 3-of-21 from behind the arc, but in that season’s playoffs, the veteran role player provided a glimpse of what kind of player he.

PHOENIX – Somalian refugee Mahad Mohamed started a soccer team in 2008 to provide a sense of community for other African refugees in Arizona. He called the team Walalaha, the Somali word for brothers. One of its best players, Kadar Abdifidhin, who joined the 28-player team as an 8 year old, said Walalaha FC Phoenix.

LONG BEACH, Calif. – When Rashad Ross walked onto the field at Veterans Memorial Stadium recently, he looked like a professional football player. In addition to his athletic 6-foot frame, black L.A. Wildcats sleeveless shirt, bright gold receiver gloves and black mesh shorts adorned with the Arizona State pitchfork on the thigh, he carried himself.

TEMPE – The perplexing season of Arizona Cardinals running back David Johnson took another disappointing turn Sunday when the former All-Pro back failed to record a single touch in the Cardinals 36-26 loss to the San Francisco 49ers. Acting as the team’s backup running back behind newly acquired Kenyan Drake, Johnson was not on the.

PHOENIX – Phoenix Suns owner Robert Sarver is investing heavily in his team, emotionally and literally. Standing with General Manager James Jones, coach Monty Williams and other officials, Sarver recently broke ground on the team’s new state-of-the-art training facility. The ceremony took place amid a surprising start by the Suns, who took a 7-4 record.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – Tracy Cortez’s entire life has been a fight, whether outside the cage or in it. Her wrestling coach, Angel Cejudo, recalls Cortez wrestling with boys before it turned into a fist fight, ending with Cortez making them cry. “She was a fighter from day one,” he said about Cortez, who will make.

AVONDALE, Ariz. – The Bluegreen Vacations 500 at ISM Raceway featured five drivers who call Arizona home. Alex Bowman and Matt Levin hail from Tucson; J.J. Yeley is from Phoenix; Michael McDowell was born and raised in Glendale; and 17-year-old Jagger Jones is a third-generation NASCAR driver and a student at Notre Dame Prep in.

TEMPE – Walk into the Arizona State wrestling room during a practice session, and dozens of wrestlers will be sparring on the mats. Coach Zeke Jones is likely to be sitting on his exercise ball along the padded wall, chirping instructions to his athletes. Working in a far corner of the room, there will be.

CHANDLER – A first impression can reveal a lot about a person, but for Brenden Rice, there is more than meets the eye. Rice, a three-star college recruit out of Hamilton High School in Chandler, is the son of Hall of Fame wide receiver Jerry Rice. That simple fact inevitably leads to comparisons, not all.

PHOENIX – Those who have the opportunity to talk with Ricky Rubio surely notice two things. The first, obviously, is his well coiffed beard. The second is that he can barely be heard. Deandre Ayton described him as the kind of person you need to go out of your way to make eye contact with.

TEMPE – In his time as head coach of the Arizona State men’s basketball program, Bobby Hurley has established a culture that reflects many of his own values as a former player: hard work, calculated decision-making and passion. Over the past week, Hurley and his players have experienced an entirely different form of culture, but.

PHOENIX – J.D. Johnson’s football career may be over, but that won’t keep him from rooting for his high school team as it begins the state playoffs, and it won’t keep the University of Michigan from honoring the scholarship it offered him. Johnson, a quarterback at Pinnacle High School, announced Oct. 30 that he no.

TEMPE – Patrick Minnis knows his commercials are on television. A lot. He understands that the popularity of his co-stars, two of the NFL’s premier quarterbacks, is the reason the ads seem to air on a loop. He feels your pain. Still, Minnis feels a tinge of pride when he hears those familiar four notes.

SCOTTSDALE – Most people associate Rockford, Illinois, with the Rockford Peaches, the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League team depicted in Penny Marshall’s 1992 film “A League of Their Own.” A few years from now, Rockford may be the home of women’s baseball. Yes, you read that correctly. Women’s baseball. There’s a long history of girls.

SCOTTSDALE – As Solomon Asante stood on the sideline, all he could do was pray that Phoenix Rising FC would win a penalty shootout against Austin Bold FC. Coach Rick Schantz didn’t want to substitute the likely United Soccer League MVP before the shootout, and he said Asante selflessly told him, “We will be fine.”.

SCOTTSDALE – Racial taunts directed at a girls volleyball team from the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community reflects the larger societal issue of Native American oppression, a spokesperson for the high school said. “The whole Valley is traditional homelands of the Oʼotham and Piipaash people,” said Taté Walker, a Lakota storyteller who promotes cultural competency..

PHOENIX – League of Legends and Rocket League joined cornerstone sports such as football and basketball as mainstays of the fall and winter season for Arizona high school sports on Monday. In a major move forward for the high school esports community, the Arizona Interscholastic Association has partnered with PlayVS to run an esports league,.

PHOENIX – Jayden Daniels, in his Sun Devils gear, appearing on a TV commercial for BoSa Donuts? That may finally be a possibility. In a unanimous vote, the NCAA Board of Governors voted to permit students participating in athletics the “opportunity to benefit from the use of their name, image and likeness in a manner.

PHOENIX – A midseason matchup between Top 20 teams is the exact thing that a football television network with a smaller base would love to have on its broadcast schedule. And when the 17th-ranked Arizona State Sun Devils went to Salt Lake City to take on the 13th-ranked Utah Utes on Oct. 19, getting that.

PASADENA, Calif. – Thirty-two players on the Arizona State football roster are from Southern California. Saturday’s trip to Pasadena to play UCLA was more than an opportunity for ASU to move up in the college football rankings or to grab another conference win in the Pac-12 South standings. It was a homecoming of sorts for.

TEMPE – Midway through his rookie season, Kyler Murray rarely finds himself surprised. Equipped with unflappable confidence, he has handled the stresses of the NFL season with ease, always appearing firmly in command on and off the field. Yet as he and the rest of the Cardinals recover from their 31-9 loss Sunday to the.

PHOENIX – As shocking as the news that Deandre Ayton had tested positive for a banned substance was, what the NBA found in his system was equally surprising. No trace of a performance-enhancing drug, which the New York Knicks’ Wilson Chandler was suspended for in August. Nothing like what was found in the system of.

SCOTTSDALE – After a record-breaking regular season, Phoenix Rising FC is preparing for the next obstacle heading into the USL Championship Playoffs. “It is a new season,” coach Rick Schantz said. “We have to refocus, and the guys have had some player meetings and we have had some staff and owner meetings to remind everyone.

CHANDLER – Before Bob Wylie became a viral sensation on the HBO show “Hard Knocks,” he put together a long and storied career as a professional football coach. Wylie worked for six Division I schools including Syracuse, two Canadian Football League teams and eight NFL organizations, including the Cleveland Browns in 2018, and the Arizona.

PHOENIX – Two years ago, the only baseball players that Spencer Torkelson and Alika Williams could compete against in the fall were each other and their fellow Sun Devils. Today, they’ll face Team USA. Arizona State is hosting USA Baseball’s Professional National Team for its final exhibition scrimmage of the fall, serving as a practice.

SCOTTSDALE – The 1987 movie “RoboCop” warned us of a future in which robots take over and police our every action. It’s starting to look as if the future that the classic film depicted has arrived – at least in the Arizona Fall League. During the 2019 AFL season, Major League Baseball tested out an.

PHOENIX – Arizona State and Arizona are regarded as the pillars of collegiate athletics in the state, and the same is proving true in collegiate esports. Both schools recently showed their potential at the inaugural Arizona Esports Collegiate Cup at the Arizona State Fair. The Sun Devils defeated the Wildcats for first place in the.

PHOENIX – Even after tying for the second-worst record in the league last year, a fresh attitude overtook the Phoenix Suns last season.  It came after the arrival of Kelly Oubre Jr., whose charismatic nature and fashion sense captured the attention of fans. The trade in mid-December was made to adjust the Suns’ timeline and.

PHOENIX – At this year’s Arizona State Fair, organizers took advantage of interest in the growing esports industry by hosting a huge gaming exhibit for the first time. The building features dozens of top of the line gaming stations, as well as a stage suited for the many tournaments held throughout the fair’s duration. By.

PHOENIX – Bashing the Phoenix Suns has become a trend around the NBA, and with four straight seasons at the bottom of the league and no playoff appearances since 2010, it’s easy to understand the criticism. “The way people view the Phoenix Suns has to change,” guard Devin Booker said. The organization embraces the idea..

PHOENIX – The Arizona Interscholastic Association has decided not to punish any of the teams named in the Mountain Pointe High School recruiting scandal but did express concern that the story didn’t surface sooner. “The best thing we can take away is, why is a school from out of state letting everybody know, ‘I think.

TEMPE – There was 2:35 left on the clock, and it was 4th and 15. It was the point in the game that resurrects fans from their seats. In years past – and for much of this season – it was the point an opposing quarterback would drive right through the Arizona Cardinals’ leaky defense.

PHOENIX – Professor Edwards? That’s what students in the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication will be calling Arizona State football coach Herm Edwards in the spring when he begins his teaching gig at the university. It was announced this summer that Edwards would be joining the faculty as a professor of practice..

TEMPE – Two years ago, Cristian Zendejas was a preferred walk-on for the Arizona State football team, unsure where his role would take him. Today, he is the starting kicker for the 17th-ranked team in the country that is preparing to play one of the biggest games of the season. If anyone knows about expectations,.

SCOTTSDALE – Metro Phoenix is one of 13 markets in the country with teams from all four major professional sports leagues. Of those, only three – Phoenix, Detroit and Denver – lack an esports team in the Overwatch League or the Call of Duty World League. Phoenix, the fifth largest city in the nation, is.

TEMPE – With two and a half minutes left in the fourth quarter, Arizona State found itself down by three points to Washington State. “I walked over to Jayden (Daniels) like I always do. He said, ‘I know.’ I said, ‘All right, well, go do it. This is it. No more. We won’t get the.

TEMPE – He has seen his young team go into two tough road environments and pull out hard-fought, scrappy wins at Michigan State and California. Yet when Arizona State coach Herm Edwards talks about what his players have accomplished — and in particular, the 29 freshmen that have played this season — a bit of.

PHOENIX – When back-to-back meniscus tears for Jaylen Fisher nearly derailed his career, he responded to the adversity by joining fellow guard Isiah Brown, who also sought a fresh start, at Grand Canyon. The two roommates represent the newest class of players drawn to GCU by the program’s track record for success among transfers under.

GRAPEVINE, Texas — I knew that participating in a mock College Football Playoff (CFP) selection would be a worthwhile learning experience. I didn’t expect to leave the Gaylord Texan Resort with the impression that the CFP selection committee may be the most democratic governing body in sports. Last week, that evenhandedness was apparent when I.

PHOENIX – Hundreds of loved ones donning “WVB” pins filed into St. Xavier Francis Catholic Church on Tuesday to celebrate the life of Cardinals owner William Vogel “Bill” Bidwill, who had been a part of the organization for eight decades. Bidwill died Wednesday at age 88. Before the ceremony, several buses loaded with former and.

GILBERT – Topgolf got its start as an innovator in the tradition-laden sport of golf. Now the company is innovating again by providing an alternative to traditional sports. Topgolf recently announced a partnership with TCL, the Chinese television and consumer electronics manufacturer, to roll out esports lounges at select Topgolf locations, including Scottsdale, in an.

GLENDALE – A puck that changes colors? Welcome to the latest technological advancement with the National Hockey League’s rubber disk. For the 2019-20 season, game pucks will come with a thermochromic coating that is purple when frozen but turns clear as the pucks thaw above freezing temperatures. That change should make it easier for officials.

PHOENIX – As the sun disappears behind the bleachers and the stadium lights begin to illuminate the field, the Pinnacle High School football team disperses. Amid the chaos, senior quarterback J.D. Johnson is hard to miss. Maybe it’s his 6-foot-4 frame, or the University of Michigan ball cap that he wears proudly. “I honestly just.

TEMPE – It’s been more than a month since Mountain Pointe football coach Rich Wellbrock came to the ultimate discovery that an assistant on his team, Justin Hager, was sending out game plans, strategies and information to Pride opponents. It’s been more than two weeks since the scandal broke publicly, Sept. 16, and brought all.

SCOTTSDALE – The flight from Parma, Italy, to Tel Aviv, Israel, is just under four hours. That’s long enough to sit back and flip on a movie or catch up on much-needed sleep, but you could imagine that Jeremy Wolf did neither. He had plenty on which to reflect. Just a few years ago, he.

TEMPE – In many ways, Bill Bidwill was not a typical NFL team owner. He wasn’t a high-strung businessman, or the son of an oil tycoon. In an era where corporate sponsorships, multi-billion dollar endorsement deals and political tensions define the NFL, football for Bidwill was, at its core, a family business. And Bidwill was.

SCOTTSDALE – The last time two No. 1 overall picks competed in the Arizona Fall League was in 2011 when Gerrit Cole (2011) and Bryce Harper (2010) headlined the league. Since then, the two have combined for nine All Star Game nods, an MVP and a Rookie of the Year award. Eight years later, two.

TEMPE – Coming into the 2019 season, those associated with the Arizona Cardinals were quick to keep expectations modest. While there was excitement stemming from the hiring of coach Kliff Kingsbury and the drafting of quarterback Kyler Murray, it was understood the team would take time to develop. And yet, a quarter of the way.

PHOENIX – A controversial law signed by California Gov. Gavin Newsom that could change the landscape of the NCAA has drawn mixed reactions from Arizona sports figures. Newsom signed SB 206, also known as the “Fair Pay to Play Act,” on the set of HBO’s “The Shop” on Friday and news broke Monday when the.

MESA – On a fall Friday night, Julia Chamber’s cheering section at Skyline High School takes up an entire corner of the bleachers. “Every time she touches the ball or is on the field, people are cheering. It is pretty inspiring for me. I get goosebumps every time I hear them,” Skyline football coach George.

PHOENIX – With a 34-man roster that includes 14 international players from 10 countries, Grand Canyon’s soccer team has turned diversity into a team strength, despite the challenges that come with a collection of players from different cultural backgrounds. It’s no easy task. In addition to the United States, Grand Canyon has players from Cyprus,.

TEMPE — A moment came during Monday’s press conference when Herm Edwards realized just how far back his connection with California, Arizona State’s next opponent, runs. “We’re talking about 1972,” Edwards said. “It’s … wow, it’s that long ago. It’s a long time ago.” The Sun Devils’ Friday night matchup with the Golden Bears will.

CHANDLER – When the clock struck 7 p.m. on Friday, Jim Sawitzke was exactly where he was supposed to be, doing exactly what he was supposed to do. As the co-president of the Mountain Pointe High School Football Booster Club and football player Kevin Sawitzke’s dad, he was on the sideline at Hamilton High School,.

TEMPE – “We have to have answers for that.” Speaking from the podium at the Arizona Cardinals’ practice facility in Tempe, coach Kliff Kingsbury was referencing his defense’s notably poor play against opposing tight ends. But he could have just as easily been talking about any of a number of issues the still-winless team needs.

GLENDALE – Just five years ago, Lyndsey Fry was on the ice in Sochi, Russia. As a member of the 2014 United States women’s hockey team at the Winter Olympics, Fry had the opportunity to play on the sport’s biggest stage and helped lead Team USA to a silver medal. Fry was the only player.

TUCSON — Before Kliff Kingsbury made the move from Lubbock, Texas, to Arizona in 2019, Whitney Norman did the exact same in 2013, sparked by a high school visit to see a childhood friend in Chandler. “I was like, ‘Chandler? What’s that? I’m from Texas, what is Chandler, Arizona?’” Norman said. “I come out to.

PHOENIX– A scouting report from 1952 describes Roberto Clemente as “well-built” and predicts the 18-year-old Puerto Rican native will “mature into a big man.” Those words were at once wrong and eerily prescient. Clemente didn’t become a big man, he became a great man, and long after his death is widely considered the consummate example.

EAST LANSING, Mich. – Before the Arizona State football team started its final drive against Michigan State, freshman quarterback Jayden Daniels stood in Spartan Stadium and communicated a quick yet not so simple message: “We are going to win this football game.” He was right, thrusting the 3-0 team into the Top 25 poll and.

MARICOPA – The rapid growth of esports may be best reflected in a recent decision by the City of Maricopa. The city announced it is kicking off its inaugural season of recreational league esports, funded by taxpayer dollars and city sanctioned. It is believed to be the first league of its kind in Arizona and.

SCOTTSDALE – It was supposed to be a night of celebration. Phoenix Rising FC, on a tear the likes of which the USL Championship has never seen, was a mere six minutes from securing the top spot in the Western Conference playoffs when an object rained down from the stands of Casino Arizona Field. Referees.

TEMPE – It isn’t unusual for a quarterback to call his offensive coordinator in the booth. So after Arizona State’s Jayden Daniels threw a 72-yard touchdown pass late in the fourth quarter against Sacramento State, he called Rob Likens. “We talk after every series,” Likens said. “After we threw the touchdown pass to Eno (Benjamin),.

TEMPE – On the field they compete against teams from all over America. Off the field they are educators, healthcare professionals and even the guy who scoops your ice cream. What brings them together is a passion for a game they call “footy”. Twice a week a group of athletes come together at parks across.

PHOENIX – As Hurricane Dorian approached the Bahamas, Phoenix Suns center Deandre Ayton had a good idea about what was in store. Ayton grew up in the Bahamas, where his family experienced storms like Hurricane Katrina in 2005, which formed near there before spinning into the Gulf of Mexico and slamming into the Gulf Coast..

FLAGSTAFF – Nothing says rugged masculinity like a block of wood and a revved-up chain saw, a reporter for The Telegraph said. It’s a competition that summons primal aggression, according to the New York Times. There’s no doubt about it. Lumberjacks are paragons of male strength, if we are to believe recent logging sports coverage..

PHOENIX – Brittney Griner can’t imagine where the Phoenix Mercury would be this season without Leilani Mitchell. “We honestly may have not made the playoffs,” Griner said. Mitchell has been a difference-maker, persevering through a challenging family dynamic and news that she was cut before this season. She has also thrived despite a tag as.

TEMPE – To say the 2019 Arizona Cardinals are different would be stretching the limits of understatement. Equipped with a flashy new coach, 40-year-old Kliff Kingsbury, and high-voltage first overall pick Kyler Murray at quarterback, Cardinals fans spent the offseason dreaming of what this suddenly loaded offense could achieve. They saw it but not until.

ALLEN, Texas – When Kyler Murray showed up to his first team event at Allen High School after transferring to the school in the summer of 2012, the team’s senior starting quarterback and captain had a pretty quick and clean reaction. “I laugh at it now, but I was like ‘… that guy,’” said Oliver.

Updated at 1:55 p.m. Sept. 5, 2019 PHOENIX – Even 2,100 miles away, Hurricane Dorian has impacted the Arizona sports community. Many standout athletes from the Valley have found homes at universities along the coast of South Carolina, which witnessed the Category 2 storm’s arrival Thursday. “I was telling one of my friends that it.

SCOTTSDALE – At 35 and 22, Larry Fitzgerald and Christian Kirk are at opposite ends of their respective NFL career spectrums. But that age gap didn’t keep the Arizona Cardinals receivers from reacting in the same way to the sudden retirement of 29-year-old Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck. Their message? Let the man do what.

TEMPE – On nights when Phoenix Rising is playing, a cloud of red smoke often hangs in the air above Casino Arizona Field, home of the Valley’s professional soccer club. Inside, behind the goal, supporters wave flags and reveal banners in a “tifo,” a choreographed display fans organize to demonstrate their support for the club..

Arizona in Focus is a podcast from Cronkite News, the news division of Arizona PBS. Each season we dive deep into a particular topic or story to bring you stories you haven’t heard elsewhere. Check out the rest of our episodes here, and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or Spotify. GOLD CANYON – Bobbi.

PHOENIX – In a lifetime of basketball, Diana Taurasi has dealt with plenty of injuries. But she’s never had issues persist like this year. “This is really the first one that I’ve had in my career where it’s months and months of tedious work to try and get back on the court,” Taurasi said Saturday..

PHOENIX – Spending an afternoon at the ballpark comes with a warning on the back of the ticket. Whether they realize it or not, fans assume the risk of being hit by a foul ball or errant splinter from a broken bat. When balls enter the stands, fans clamor to collect a souvenir, but some.

PHOENIX – For young people faced with poverty and unemployment, gang life can offer power and control. But the International Federation of Muaythai Associations wants Thai boxing to be the gang for disenfranchised youth. The federation, in collaboration with the Peace and Sport Organization, has conducted the “Sport Is Your Gang” initiative since 2011, focusing.

Arizona in Focus is a podcast from Cronkite News, the news division of Arizona PBS. Each season we dive deep into a particular topic or story to bring you stories you haven’t heard elsewhere. Check out the rest of our episodes here, and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or Spotify. SCOTTSDALE – Travis Bagent.

Arizona in Focus is a podcast from Cronkite News, the news division of Arizona PBS. Each season we dive deep into a particular topic or story to bring you stories you haven’t heard elsewhere. Check out the rest of our episodes here, and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or Spotify. GILBERT – School’s out.

PHOENIX – Despite a sports market with little elbow room, limited media coverage and obstacles including a canceled season, the Arizona Rattlers have stiff-armed adversity and remain a player in the Arizona sports scene. Proof? They just completed their 27th season. Among the Valley’s professional teams, that’s longer than Major League Baseball’s Diamondbacks, the NHL’s.

PHOENIX – In an attempt to address issues surrounding summer basketball that sparked the involvement of the federal government, the NCAA Basketball Academy made its four-region debut recently. One of the sites was Grand Canyon University. The camp, also held at Illinois, Connecticut and Houston, was designed to give top high school basketball players an.

TEMPE – Marvin Lewis had options. Rejoining his old friend Herm Edwards felt like the best one. With Arizona State’s opener just weeks away, Lewis, the longtime Bengals coach, said joining the ASU staff in the offseason had a lot to do with the goals he shared with Edwards. “I had a few opportunities, but.

MESA – Speakers sit in each corner, resting atop a wooden floor covered in nicks and dings from years past. Conrad Rodriguez uses his left hand to push himself into the air, his perfect landing defined by a spin on his head. The room isn’t just another cluttered space, it’s a canvas for a dancer’s.

TEMPE – Few positions in college sports garner more attention, criticism and praise than a university’s starting quarterback. Typically the face of the team and invariably the program, the demands anointed to a team’s starting quarterback can be taxing. With a void at the position following the departure of three-year starter Manny Wilkins, coach Herm.

GLENDALE – The new majority owner of the Arizona Coyotes said he is determined to keep the team in Arizona but also wants to expand the team’s fan base to reflect the state’s diversity. Alex Meruelo, the first Hispanic majority owner in NHL history, met the media for the first time Thursday after purchasing controlling.

GLENDALE – Change often brings opportunity. Two former Arizona State players hope to benefit from the transformation of the Arizona Cardinals. The team has been in the spotlight this offseason with the hiring of head coach Kliff Kingsbury and the drafting of Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray, first overall. Discussion has been less about the NFL’s.

PHOENIX – Zack Greinke’s start on Wednesday ended early, thanks to rain that pelted Yankee Stadium. His tenure with the Diamondbacks also came to a quick conclusion after he stepped of the mound in the Bronx. Multiple sources reported a little after Major League Baseball’s trade deadline that the Houston Astros had acquired the 35-year-old.

TEMPE – Chase Lucas peered at his iPhone, his eyes skimming the news, and was taken aback by what he read. “I saw that on Twitter, and I don’t know, I kind of questioned that like, ‘Whoa, that’s a bit early,’” the Arizona State cornerback said. The redshirt junior was reacting to a suggestion by.

PHOENIX – In a storied 15-year career that includes WNBA championships, Olympic gold medals and a number of individual accolades, few firsts remain for Diana Taurasi to accomplish. Yet as she works to make her way back from a debilitating injury that has kept her off the court for most of this season, Taurasi is.

PHOENIX – Ask people about Phoenix Mercury rookie Sophie Cunningham and the same handful of words pop up. Competitor. Tough. Winner. Then watch the 6-foot-1 guard, and it is quickly evident that the words fit. With her trademark rolled-up shorts, ponytail pulled taught and smile seemingly etched permanently on her face, it’s easy to see.

PHOENIX – The MLB trade deadline is rapidly approaching, as it tends to do, and with it comes an annual question: buy or sell? That question is harder to answer this trade season than in years past. For one, nearly every team in baseball has at least an outside shot at the playoffs. That’s especially.

PHOENIX – The sons of two NBA legends are among the high school standouts attending an NCAA Basketball Academy at Grand Canyon University. Among the 2,400 players participating in this week’s first NCAA academy, two names jump out: Zaire Wade and Shaqir O’Neal. Both players were placed in the west region of the academy, hosted.

TEMPE – The storms that blew through the Valley earlier this week were a welcome sight for at least one Phoenix Rising player. “The heat’s been getting to me lately,” said Mustapha Dumbuya, who joined Rising over the winter after playing a few seasons with Partick Thistle in Scotland’s top-flight and living in the cool,.

PHOENIX – Professional basketball returned to its roots in the heart of Phoenix Wednesday when the Mercury announced they will play their home games during the 2020 season at Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum while Talking Stick Resort Arena undergoes a $230 million renovation. Dubbed the “Madhouse on McDowell” by longtime Phoenix Suns broadcaster Al McCoy,.

TEMPE – Arizona State’s hockey team is trading one wonder of the world this summer for another. Before the Sun Devils begin their fourth NCAA Division I season, they’ll depart the Grand Canyon State on a journey that will take them to the very foot of the Great Wall of China. Coach Greg Powers and.

PHOENIX – For most baseball fans, seeing Adam Jones in anything besides orange and black was an adjustment. Jones spent 11 years with the Baltimore Orioles before arriving in the desert on a one year, $3 million deal with the Diamondbacks. Entering Monday, Jones has played in 90 of the Diamondbacks’ 100 games this season.

TEMPE – Phoenix Rising’s not-so-secret weapon – Dollar Beer Night – struck again as the team tied the USL Championship win streak record with a 6-0 thumping of Austin Bold on Friday. It was a tale of two halves for Rising, as they also extended their perfect record on home Dollar Beer Nights to 12.

TEMPE – Sometimes, a win can be worth more than just a win. “It’s very important to be remembered,” Phoenix Rising captain Solomon Asante said. “To make history is very important. So we are making everything possible like you saw today at training. We are doing everything possible for tomorrow’s win so that our name.

PHOENIX – As five former Arizona State golfers compete on an international stage at the British Open, their alma mater is preparing for its own big event. ASU will host both the men’s and women’s NCAA Division I golf championships at Grayhawk Golf Club for the next three years, a competition that has helped shape.

PHOENIX – Despite orchestrating an offseason that has garnered widespread criticism, the Phoenix Suns continue to exude confidence when describing their long-term trajectory. As the franchise looks to secure its first winning record in six seasons, Phoenix’s front office assured onlookers that the moves they’ve made this summer will provide both immediate and long-term success..

TEMPE – Liverpool product Corey Whelan may be a new player for Phoenix Rising, but he’s expected to solve a problem that’s been there for a while for coach Rick Schantz. “From the beginning, we’ve always wanted to have four center backs, mostly for training and competition,” Schantz said. “It took a little while, but.

LAS VEGAS – In a league populated by can’t-miss prospects, Brandon Clarke was someone talent evaluators seemingly skipped over time after time. Despite putting up impressive numbers throughout his college career, Clarke’s lack of eye-popping intangibles limited his opportunities. Yet now, as he wraps up an impressive NBA Summer League that included both a championship.

FLAGSTAFF – When Nick Hilton crammed everything he owned into his 1999 Volkswagen GTI back in 2012, he had only seen pictures of Flagstaff, the city that would soon be his home. Hilton, a four-time Division II All-American runner for Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania, had just graduated and had never been to Arizona, or.

SCOTTSDALE – Arizonans work hard to keep cool during the sizzling summers. The tactics aren’t as easy when trying to keep an 85-by-200-foot sheet of ice frozen. For ice rinks in Arizona, the summer months create issues. The heat itself is problematic for the homes of ice skaters and hockey players in the desert, but.

TEMPE – The high spirits of an eight game win streak met Kevon Lambert and Junior Flemmings as they returned to Phoenix Rising FC. “It’s great, especially for me and Kev to come back,” Flemmings said. “When you’re in a happy environment, it’s good for the team, good for the club and everything. I think.

PHOENIX – Every morning Luke Bell is reminded of what his last name carries. Beside his bed in his Chandler home hangs a framed Cincinnati Reds jersey. The sleeveless pinstriped number 28 belonged to his dad, Mike. Although Mike Bell only played 19 games in Major League Baseball, he still has a significant role for.

LAS VEGAS – It is not hard to find someone around the NBA Summer League who has crossed paths with Zylan Cheatham. And been impressed. The former Arizona State standout is showcasing his skills for the New Orleans Pelicans, who signed him after the NBA Draft. He is averaging 24 minutes, six points and nine.

LAS VEGAS – For many young players, their first introduction to the NBA is harsh and severe. The pace is quicker, the opponent stronger, the stakes higher. For some, the difference is simply too much to handle, with even the safest of bets succumbing to pressure. Yet a select few possess the unflappable confidence required.

LAS VEGAS – Things didn’t go Luguentz Dort’s way on NBA draft day, but he’s still living the dream of playing professionally. Announced before the team’s first game of Summer League competition on Saturday, the Arizona State product signed a two-way contract with the Oklahoma City Thunder. Then he played 17 minutes, finishing with four.

Arizona in Focus is a podcast from Cronkite News, the news division of Arizona PBS. Each season we dive deep into a particular topic or story to bring you stories you haven’t heard elsewhere. Check out the rest of our episodes here, and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or Spotify. GILBERT – School is.

GLENDALE – Before the match, Mexican coach Gerardo “Tata” Martino said he was expecting a lot of support in Arizona. “We feel like we’re at home,” he said via a translator. “We’re locals.” His side wasn’t let down as they faced Haiti in a Gold Cup semifinal clash at State Farm Stadium Tuesday night. Over.

PHOENIX – As Monday night slipped into Tuesday morning, Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey’s tweets began to appear. For an account often dedicated to sharing the governor’s gratitude for firefighters, troops returning from battle and other public servants, a 2 a.m. thread seemed out of the ordinary. By 2:06 am, the dust had settled on Ducey’s.

PHOENIX – The itinerary to a Major League Baseball clubhouse is different for every player. The nametag at the top represents an individual, but the story is inside the locker itself. The MLB patches on Merrill Kelly’s Diamondbacks jersey illustrate one stop of his baseball expedition. The 30-year-old rookie pitcher has racked up frequent flyer.

TEMPE – Many things have changed in recent years for soccer in the Valley. “I came out in the last half of the year (and) we were Arizona United,” said Peter Ramage, a former defender. “We trained up by the TPC in Scottsdale on a park. We got showered and changed out of a converted.

GLENDALE – As the Coyotes continue to evolve with new ownership and new personnel, the team’s president suggested another new opportunity could be in store: An NHL outdoor game landing in Arizona, possibly at Sun Devil Stadium. During the Coyotes’ town hall meeting Friday night, team president and CEO Ahron Cohen said he liked the.

MESA – Of all the major professional teams in Arizona, few have it as tough as the Arizona Rattlers when it comes to practicing in the heat. The Suns, Mercury and Coyotes do their work indoors. The Diamondbacks venture outside, but usually just during spring training. Only the Cardinals can relate. “At first it was.

TEMPE – As temperatures continue to rise, so does the intensity within ASU basketball. The Sun Devils face a number of unanswered questions as they begin summer workouts and look to build off the program’s most successful season in recent memory. Despite the departures of key contributors Luguentz Dort and Zylan Cheatham, ASU appears well.

MESA – The whirl of wheels, interspersed with sharp commands and bursts of laughter, punctuate Sunday practice. Before they step out to perform, the 12 members of the Phoenix Roller Sports Club sit down to lace their skates under a disco ball suspended from the ceiling and the glow of hot-pink lights that speckle the.

LOS ANGELES – Phoenix Rising’s Junior Flemmings started for the Jamaican national team as it sealed a Gold Cup quarterfinal spot with a 1-1 draw against Curaçao Tuesday. Rising teammate Kevon Lambert was also brought on in the 73rd minute for his first appearance in this year’s Gold Cup. The pair will remain on international.

SCOTTSDALE – When Mit Rohit immigrated to the United States from India, it was more of an adjustment than expected. He was 13 and struggling to learn the language. He had left everything he knew for a foreign place with a different culture, a place that didn’t share a passion for his favorite sport. Cricket..

LOS ANGELES – With two Jamaican starters possibly injured, the selection chances of Phoenix Rising players Junior Flemmings and Kevon Lambert have been boosted ahead of Tuesday’s crunch Group C clash against Curaçao. Jamaica needs at least a draw to guarantee its progression in the CONCACAF Gold Cup, yet could be forced to rest stars.

GLENDALE – As the NHL Draft unfolded, John Chayka was determined to select Swedish defenseman Victor Soderstrom. There was a problem: The Coyotes’ president of hockey operations and general manager had Soderstrom as one of his three best players. The team, however, had the 14th overall pick. When the 18-year-old’s name wasn’t called during the.

PHOENIX – Amid a night of excitement and optimism, many fans left the Suns draft party Thursday confused by the events they had just witnessed. When the day began, Phoenix was in possession of the sixth overall pick and had appeared to zero in on University of North Carolina point guard Coby White. Yet after.

PHOENIX – Baseball has a storied history of superstitions. Players put on their socks the same way every day. Pitchers rely on a ritual before every start. Eduardo Escobar has a routine, too. It’s engaging with the community as much as possible. He’s so committed, the Diamondbacks say, he constantly badgers them about attending more.

PHOENIX – Tick, tick, tick. The Phoenix Suns are on the clock. All eyes are on an organization that has gone nine seasons without a postseason appearance, the second-most in the NBA. The team has the sixth overall pick in today’s NBA Draft that will be held at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. Coverage.

PHOENIX – With a tremble in his voice and tears welling in his eyes, Richard Smith shared a story of pain and resentment. A tale familiar to much of the LGBTQ community, Smith detailed the disownment by his father and the loneliness that came to consume his life. As he yearned for support, he found.

TEMPE – For Andrew Wheeler-Omiunu, this year’s goals are simple. “Just to play,” he said. “To play and get better.” Starting the season with FC Tucson, he worked his way up to Phoenix Rising in May. As June began, he showed his value, picking up League One Team of the Week honors and his first.

PHOENIX – A book inspired a father’s promise to his daughters to see the world. In “Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters: 10 Secrets Every Father Should Know,” Meg Meeker writes about the importance of fathers setting examples for their daughters over the course of their lives. ASU men’s golf coach Matt Thurmond made a promise to.

PHOENIX – Chun An Yu knows the benefits of attending a school with a rich history of golf success. The Arizona State amateur is playing in his second straight U.S. Open. Last year at Shinnecock Hills in Southampton, New York, he played a practice round with ASU product Jon Rahm. This year, he played and.

SCOTTSDALE – To Phoenix Rising, beer means wins. The team is a perfect 11-0-0 on Dollar Beer Nights, something that has drawn considerable attention. The lesser heard story is that those Friday nights are just as much of a success off the field as they are on it. Since 2018, Rising averages almost 600 fans.

PHOENIX – Although more than 5,000 miles separate Phoenix and Reims, France, a few flights make the path reasonably simple for most. For Jessica McDonald, her journey to the pitch of Stade Auguste Delaune was anything but simple. McDonald, 31, is one of 23 athletes on the United States Women’s National Team that will represent.

CHANDLER – With her head freshly shaved, and her friends providing a protective cocoon, 7-year-old Leighton Accardo looked down at her wrist and read the words on her bracelet. “You are strong. You are brave. You got this.” That moment on May 28 told the story of a young player battling her toughest opponent yet,.

TEMPE – When “pride” is mentioned in a sporting context, it often refers to support for a team. Yet Phoenix Rising FC will be thinking about that word in a different context in June, which is Pride Month, with fans and players raising money for LGBTQ charities. A campaign by the team’s two fan groups.

TEMPE – Phoenix Rising is preparing to lose two of its top players until July. Kevon Lambert, 22, is currently with the Jamaican national team. He was part of the squad for the Reggae Boyz’s CONCACAF Gold Cup warmup fixture against the U.S. men’s national team Wednesday, setting up a goal in the process. “We’re.

PHOENIX – Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo summed it up perfectly. “He’s raised in a bat bag.” Kevin Cron’s life has revolved around a ball that measures nine inches in circumference and is laced with 108 stitches. His dad, Chris Cron, a former major leaguer and current manager of the Diamondbacks’ Triple-A affiliate, the Reno Aces,.

PRESCOTT VALLEY – Peter Jok wasn’t like other kids his age the first time he saw snow. He had no memories of Christmases past, of presents opened, of snow days. Instead, Jok was just cold. Cold and confused. The white powder falling from the sky in Des Moines, Iowa, was as unfamiliar as the community,.

PHOENIX – The legacy of Muhammad Ali is a layered and complicated one, wrought with moments of controversy and bravery in the face of extreme pressures. Yet three years after his death, one of Ali’s most lasting contributions may be his founding of the Muhammad Ali Parkinson’s Center and his work with the Barrow Neurological.

PEORIA – With the game tied 9-9 in the bottom of the sixth inning, Mathew Swedler smashed a line drive to center field, scoring Kyler Thruston for the go-ahead run. Swedler, 13, advanced to second with a five-pitch walk to teammate Jackson Forbes and made his way to third after an error by the opposing.

PHOENIX – With a capacity of 10,326, Alex Box Stadium is widely regarded as one of the top atmospheres in college baseball. Many visitors despise the trip to Baton Rouge, Louisiana. For players on the Arizona State baseball team, they couldn’t be more thrilled to step onto LSU’s Skip Bertman Field for the postseason. “I.

TEMPE – Herm Edwards and Arizona State football continue to build upon the pro model. Since he took the head coaching job in December 2017, Edwards has built his staff with a certain profile, one with experience in the NFL. He dreamed of adding another coach who, years before, stood across from him on the.

TUCSON – Jitters permeated much of the packed crowd at Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium on Saturday night. Decked in cardinal red and navy blue, Arizona Wildcats fans stood in unison as the end neared. When second baseman Hanah Bowen’s throw hit Rylee Pierce’s mitt at first base, gloves flew in the air, hugs were exchanged.

TEMPE – Growing up in Spain, Alejandro “Alex” Del Rey had a dream of coming to the United States and playing golf collegiately. When the time came to look for schools, his attention always returned to one: Arizona State. “In Spain, when kids are in high school, you really don’t know about all the schools.

PHOENIX — Hockey dreams often start on frozen ponds. It’s braving the cold and racing the sun as it dips below the horizon. It’s dashing toward the goal, outskating the defense and squeezing the shot past the goalie’s glove to win the Stanley Cup. For young athletes in traditional hockey locales like Minnesota, Michigan and.

SCOTTSDALE — “We Shall Overcome” reads the headstone at Rose Hill Cemetery in Shenandoah, Iowa. “Thomas E. Offenburger, 1934-1986.” The marker is a reminder for San Francisco Giants reliever Tony Watson and his family of the small role his great uncle played in the civil rights movement. “It’s a piece of family history that everyone’s.

PHOENIX – Henry Cejudo appeared destined for gold after his mother coined the nickname “Niño de Oro.” Golden Child. “When he was little, he used to have like platinum hair and he was always in the sun,” said Henry’s older brother, Alonzo. “He always looked like he had a shade of gold on him.” “Niño.

PHOENIX – Amid hundreds of stables and thousands of stalls that comprise the backside of Turf Paradise racetrack, Dr. Verlin Jones approaches Scott for Her with a smile and a “good morning.” The 4-year-old mare’s trainer, Adriana Vallejo, guides the brown thoroughbred with a splash of white running the length of her nose out of.

PHOENIX – Fearing it could lose its automatic NCAA qualifier status in wrestling, the Pac-12, which features powerhouse Arizona State, was on the hunt for an affiliate school to join the conference. On Friday it announced it found one: University of Arkansas at Little Rock. The league is challenged by the absence of a strong.

GANADO – At precisely 6:55 each school day morning, Freddie Yazzie puts his bus in gear and cautiously pulls out of the bus yard beside the Ganado Unified School District main campus. For 26 years, Yazzie has driven school buses for this quiet Navajo community, and in that time, he shaped his role beyond that.

Arizona in Focus is a podcast from Cronkite News, the news division of Arizona PBS. Each season we dive deep into a particular topic or story to bring you stories you haven’t heard elsewhere. Check out the rest of our episodes here, and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or Spotify. PHOENIX – There’s no.

PHOENIX – In baseball’s version of Oz, where rally monkeys have replaced flying ones, meet a member of the lollipop guild. Meet John Kazanas, scout for the Chicago White Sox. If there is a college or high school baseball game somewhere in the West Coast with a potential major league prospect playing in it, chances.

TEMPE – Abby and Mason Andersen have a lot in common. They are siblings. They are star athletes at Arizona State. And, said their dad, they are best friends. “They are super close,” Richard Andersen said. “They’ve got somebody to talk to whenever they want. They will eat breakfast once or twice a week together.

Arizona in Focus is a podcast from Cronkite News, the news division of Arizona PBS. Each season we dive deep into a particular topic or story to bring you stories you haven’t heard elsewhere. Check out the rest of our episodes here, and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or Spotify. Drafted in 2015 by.

PHOENIX – Maybe someday Kody Huff’s No. 25 will join his father Tim Huff’s No. 14 among the retired numbers at Horizon High School. The senior catcher and shortstop has left his mark at the baseball powerhouse during a four-year varsity career. But his dreams aren’t done. He is set to play at Stanford next.

TEMPE – Although she eventually found stability at Arizona State, growing up in Moreno Valley, California, wasn’t always easy for Charnea Johnson-Chapman. She moved around often as her mother relocated to find work and she never spent more than a year at any school until high school. It was an experience that shaped the ASU.

Arizona in Focus is a podcast from Cronkite News, the news division of Arizona PBS. Each season we dive deep into a particular topic or story to bring you stories you haven’t heard elsewhere. Check out the rest of our episodes here, and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or Spotify. Jacob Lev sits down.

TEMPE – A black and white photo of Josh Rosen graced a wall in the Arizona Cardinals’ press room, where just a few yards away general manager Steve Keim and coach Kliff Kingsbury spoke with the media about the possibility of replacing the rookie quarterback. “I never said I was,” Keim said Tuesday about his.

SCOTTSDALE – At the intersection of Camelback Road and 75th Street sits a sports museum disguised as a steakhouse and ribs restaurant. Opened in 1981, Don & Charlie’s emerged as a place known for its food and all that covers the walls and ceiling. Around every corner is a piece of memorabilia. A walk through.

PHOENIX – At 8 a.m. on a cool Georgia Saturday morning, on one of the most iconic 18-hole courses in the world, two golfers drove their first tee shots in front of a large assembled gallery toward the wide fairway of Tea Olive, Augusta National’s opening hole. It may sound like a typical early April.

PHOENIX – At the end of a season that began with so much hope for improvement, the Phoenix Suns find themselves in virtually the same place they were a year earlier. In stagnation. And they face many of the same organizational questions entering this offseason that they faced when they wound up last season. “Personally,.

PHOENIX – Arizona State goaltender Joey Daccord hoped to realize a dream in Buffalo, New York, by reaching the Frozen Four there in the school’s first NCAA Tournament appearance. That dream fell through when ASU lost its tournament opener, 2-1, to Quinnipiac in Allentown, Pennsylvania. But five days later, another dream came through for Daccord..

Arizona in Focus is a podcast from Cronkite News, the news division of Arizona PBS. Each season we dive deep into a particular topic or story to bring you stories you haven’t heard elsewhere. Check out the rest of our episodes here, and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or Spotify. In this podcast, Christian.

GLENDALE – It’s been 48 hours since the Arizona Coyotes’ season ended after falling just short of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Boasting the league’s second-longest playoff drought, the team was eliminated from playoff contention Thursday night during their penultimate game of the regular season. The Colorado Avalanche grabbed the final playoff spot in the Western.

LAVEEN – It is a Friday morning at Laveen Elementary, where students have a choice about how they can start their day. Recess. Or Yoga. When the doors open, children of all ages walk in, some with yoga mats in hand. Soon, their eyes close as they inhale and exhale, ready to be led in.

Arizona in Focus is a podcast from Cronkite News, the news division of Arizona PBS. Each season we dive deep into a particular topic or story to bring you stories you haven’t heard elsewhere. Check out the rest of our episodes here, and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or Spotify. In this podcast, Nick.

GLENDALE – Not long after Ryan Burr got the call, so did Tim Esmay. Or at least Esmay got the text. When Burr, a right-handed relief pitcher in the Chicago White Sox organization, was called up to the major league club last season, one of the first people he shared the news with was the.

PHOENIX – Suspending operations just two weeks before the end of its inaugural 10-week season, attempts to continue the upstart Alliance of American Football will be difficult, Don Gibson, a professor at Arizona State University’s Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law, said. The AAF is the latest of several expansion football leagues to run into.

Arizona in Focus is a podcast from Cronkite News, the news division of Arizona PBS. Each season we dive deep into a particular topic or story to bring you stories you haven’t heard elsewhere. Check out the rest of our episodes here, and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, or Spotify. In this podcast, Jacob Lev.

PORTLAND – Few things are harder to accept in sports then the finality of a season ending. The NCAA Tournament can be one of the most thrilling months on the sports calendar but also the most emotional with its single elimination format. Hundreds of collegiate careers are over in a flash. For the Arizona State.

Arizona in Focus is a podcast from Cronkite News, the news division of Arizona PBS. Each season we dive deep into a particular topic or story to bring you stories you haven’t heard elsewhere. Check out the rest of our episodes here, and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, or Spotify. With Phoenix Rising quickly becoming.

PHOENIX — NFL owners, executives and coaches gathered in Phoenix recently for the Annual League Meeting to discuss league business and potential rule changes on and off the field. One of the discussions pertained to diversity in football operations and front office jobs by improving and enforcing current NFL policies. More specifically, is the league.

PORTLAND – Charli Turner Thorne’s résumé at Arizona State is head-turning. Twenty-two seasons, 14 straight NCAA Tournaments and 444 victories, the most in ASU women’s basketball history. Only one thing has eluded her: A Final Four appearance. Her players want to get her there. “I’ve been to a Final Four multiple times, so I just.

ALBUQUERQUE – Opening Day. Fifteen games with the promise of a new season after spending just shy of two months in spring training. While many teams returned home to their stadiums, some clubs wrapped up spring training in a different fashion with three – the Texas Rangers, Kansas City Royals and the Colorado Rockies –.

PHOENIX – The 2019 Major League Baseball season kicked off Thursday and both the league and the Arizona Diamondbacks, who lost their opener to the Los Angeles Dodgers, have undergone changes on the field and in the stands. Field The Diamondbacks will start the season with turf instead of grass for the first time in.

PHOENIX – News of a budget proposal that calls for eliminating funding for the Special Olympics concerns some in Arizona who could be impacted by the cut. “That’s asinine,” said Patrick Becker, the exceptional-student services director for Agua Fria Union High School District. “You’re saying we should only survive off of donations. But that’s not.

AVONDALE – Arizona has added another championship to its sports resume. NASCAR Vice Chairman Mike Helton, alongside Governor Doug Ducey and ISM Raceway President Julie Giese, announced Tuesday that the sport’s Championship Weekend for the 2020 season will be held at ISM Raceway. The announcement comes less than a year after the $178 million renovation.

PHOENIX – Arizona Cardinals coach Kliff Kingsbury is still adapting to life as an NFL coach. One of his many responsibilities is speaking to the media. About 45 minutes into his availability Tuesday at the NFL’s annual owners meeting, he was surprised to still be receiving questions at what he called his longest press conference.

Arizona in Focus is a podcast from Cronkite News, the news division of Arizona PBS. Each season we dive deep into a particular topic or story to bring you stories you haven’t heard elsewhere. Check out the rest of our episodes here, and subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Soundcloud. In this podcast, Nick Welter hits.

CORAL GABLES, Fla. – Arizona State was in a familiar spot entering the fourth quarter Sunday night. The Sun Devils have played eight games against Top 10 teams this season going 2-6 with the only pair of victories coming against Oregon State. Five of those six defeats were decided by single digits for a combined.

CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The Arizona State women’s basketball program is in a familiar spot as it prepares for the second round of the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament. For the sixth straight year, the Sun Devils have reached the second round, but for the last three seasons, the Sun Devils’ season has ended at this.

CORAL GABLES, Fla. – In today’s basketball, the game is defined by flashy offenses. On Friday, however, Arizona State and Central Florida played a throwback, rough-and-tumble game with the players, and even Sun Devils coach Charli Turner Thorne, taking some battle wounds. “They were talking about, ‘I got hit here, I got hit here,’ ”.

TULSA, Okla. – With just more than two minutes remaining in the game, Arizona State forward Zylan Cheatham fouled out and walked off the court to a standing ovation from the few Sun Devil fans in attendance. Although Cheatham’s time in ASU has ended, his impact on the program remains. “The legacy of a guy.

Arizona in Focus is a podcast from Cronkite News, the news division of Arizona PBS. Each season we dive deep into a particular topic or story to bring you stories you haven’t heard elsewhere. Check out the rest of our episodes here, and subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Soundcloud. Zach Hunzinger, a senior at Liberty.

GLENDALE — As a boy, Yolmer Sanchez played baseball in the streets of his hometown and dreamed of one day making it to the major leagues. The Chicago White Sox second baseman realized that dream, and now he looks back at the people of his home country and imagines a brighter future for them, too..

CORAL GABLES, Fla. – Four teams were sent to the Coral Gables regional of the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament. Three reside in Florida. The lone non-Florida team is also the second-best seed in the tournament. Some people are crying “foul” for Arizona State, which plays No. 12 Central Florida at 4 p.m. MST today. “We’re.

TULSA, Okla. – For the second straight time this tournament, Arizona State coach Bobby Hurley is matched up against a familiar face on the opposite bench. First, it was St. John’s coach and fellow East Coast basketball icon Chris Mullin in the First Four on Wednesday. Now, Hurley finds himself coaching for his team’s NCAA.

TEMPE – Kianna Ibis feels the sense of urgency. “It’s a one-and-done,” the Arizona State senior forward said. “It’s one and my college career is over.” The ASU women’s basketball team is heading east for the NCAA Tournament to face the Central Florida Knights Friday in Coral Gables, Florida. The Sun Devils are coming off.

DAYTON, Ohio – Won and definitely not done. Behind freshman sensation Luguentz Dort, Arizona State won its first NCAA Tournament game since 2009 and lived to dance another day. The Sun Devils defeated St. John’s 74-65 Wednesday to advance past the First Four and into the Round of 64 where they are slated to play.

DAYTON, Ohio – When Arizona State and St. John’s take the floor Wednesday night to determine their NCAA Tournament fate, it won’t be the first time coaches Bobby Hurley and Chris Mullin have squared off. Although the two coach on opposite sides of the country, they are far from strangers. Hurley and Mullin were hired.

Arizona in Focus is a podcast from Cronkite News, the news division of Arizona PBS. Each season we dive deep into a particular topic or story to bring you stories you haven’t heard elsewhere. Check out the rest of our episodes here, and subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Soundcloud. In this podcast, Christian Thurley speaks.

TEMPE — Since the NCAA Tournament selection committee seems to enjoy finding storylines when arranging early matchups, Arizona State coach Bobby Hurley had an inkling that the Sun Devils were about to be included in the March Madness plot. ASU was the next to last team selected to the 68-team field and will open tournament.

Arizona in Focus is a podcast from Cronkite News, the news division of Arizona PBS. Each season we dive deep into a particular topic or story to bring you stories you haven’t heard elsewhere. Check out the rest of our episodes here, and subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Soundcloud. Spring training brings millions of fans.

PHOENIX – With less than two weeks remaining in spring training, managers are whittling down rosters and seeing a much clearer picture of what lies ahead in the regular season. What isn’t as clear is how a batch of rule changes Major League Baseball unveiled Thursday will impact the game. Some of the rules will.

Arizona in Focus is a podcast from Cronkite News, the news division of Arizona PBS. Each season we dive deep into a particular topic or story to bring you stories you haven’t heard elsewhere. Check out the rest of our episodes here, and subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Soundcloud. Gaming and esports continue their rapid.

PHOENIX – College and professional sporting events aren’t the only games fans can enjoy from the comfort of their own home. Websites now livestream multiple high school games a week. All you need is a Wi-Fi connection. This gives Arizonans the option of watching on a laptop or tablet instead of from the grandstands. Live.

Arizona in Focus is a podcast from Cronkite News, the news division of Arizona PBS. Each season we dive deep into a particular topic or story to bring you stories you haven’t heard elsewhere. Check out the rest of our episodes here, and subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Soundcloud. In this podcast, Nick Welter discovers.

Arizona in Focus is a podcast from Cronkite News, the news division of Arizona PBS. Each season we dive deep into a particular topic or story to bring you stories you haven’t heard elsewhere. Check out the rest of our episodes here, and subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Soundcloud. As high school athletic programs around.

TEMPE – After consecutive 23-32 seasons, the worst two-year stretch in program history, Arizona State baseball entered 2019 with the intent of only looking forward. “We try to eliminate ‘last year’ from our vocabulary,” coach Tracy Smith said. The club’s focus is fully on this season, one that is off to an 8-0 start. The.

SCOTTSDALE – As the bell rings to signal the end of a school day, a handful of high school students at Rancho Solano Preparatory School gather with classmates in a corner room that still resembles the teacher lounge it once was. After requests from parents, the school transformed it into a state-of-the-art gaming lab for.

PHOENIX – In front of a packed Senate hearing room, the Appropriations Committee voted 6-3 Tuesday in favor of moving SB 1163, the newly named sports betting bill, along in the legislative process of the Senate. Senator Sonny Borrelli (R-Havasu City) enacted a strike everything amendment to a prostitution classification bill, SB 1163, that allowed.

Arizona in Focus is a podcast from Cronkite News, the news division of Arizona PBS. Each season we dive deep into a particular topic or story to bring you stories you haven’t heard elsewhere. Check out the rest of our episodes here, and subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Soundcloud. Millions of of teenagers play competitive.

PHOENIX – Scheduling decisions surrounding basketball tournament games in Prescott Valley, which was hit by a severe winter storm, have left some coaches and fans critical of the Arizona Interscholastic Association. The governing body of high school sports in the state announced Wednesday it would continue with plans to hold semifinal and championship games in.

Arizona in Focus is a podcast from Cronkite News, the news division of Arizona PBS. Each season we dive deep into a particular topic or story to bring you stories you haven’t heard elsewhere. Check out the rest of our episodes here, and subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Soundcloud. Mental health is a touchy subject.

PHOENIX – February means the start of baseball season in Arizona. Out-of-town fans hop on flights to escape the cold and watch with optimism their respective teams. On Thursday, Mother Nature didn’t cooperate. A major winter storm hit the Phoenix metropolitan area, dropping heavy rain and temperatures into the 40s. Hail was spotted at Surprise.

PHOENIX – Some of the names that dot the outfield wall are familiar to Arizona State baseball followers. Hubie Brooks. Marty Barrett. Ken Phelps. Mike Devereaux. All went on to play in the major leagues after passing through ASU. But the placards aren’t on the ASU campus. They’re all hung on the fence that surrounds.

PHOENIX – Ten months after the U.S. Supreme Court cleared a path for states to allow gambling on sporting events, a movement is underway to allow Arizonans to wager on their favorite teams. SB 1158, introduced Jan. 23 by Sen. Sonny Borrelli R-Lake Havasu City, would allow sports gambling in the state by giving Native.

PHOENIX – Pinnacle High School has produced its share of talent through the years, including guard Sydney Wiese of the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks and quarterback Brian Lewerke of Michigan State. But perhaps no Pioneers athlete has created a buzz quite like Nico Mannion, Pinnacle’s dynamic 6-foot-3 and much-coveted point guard. Yet he remains committed.

PHOENIX – After nearly 10 months of restorations, the Milwaukee Brewers unveiled changes to their spring training facility, including a new name. Formerly Maryvale Baseball Park, American Family Fields of Phoenix features an all-new scoreboard, workout facility and clubhouse. The team invested more than $60 million into the project that heavily emphasized making the stadium.

PHOENIX – It was 22 years ago when Navy veteran Diego Suazo was the victim of a shooting that changed his life. Suazo was at a New Year’s party with his family when he tried to break up an argument between his cousin and another person. “We were there for about five to 10 minutes,.

PRESCOTT – Danni Schulz of Cottonwood’s Mingus High School started wrestling when she was young because boys would constantly pick on her. On Friday at the Findlay Toyota Center, Schulz had the last laugh. The senior captured the 220-pound weight class title in an historic event. She was one of about 150 female high school.

PHOENIX – Eddie House left Arizona State in 2000 with his name atop almost every scoring list in the school’s record book. Now 19 years later, he remains ASU’s career, single-season and single-game scoring leader. And his name is next to three of the school’s top four single-game performances, including a school-record 61 points in.

PHOENIX – When Brett Fischer and John Wells crossed paths at last year’s NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, they had no idea what their relationship would entail less than 12 months later. But they clicked instantly, thanks to similar business interests and a deep-rooted connection to metro Phoenix. It was a perfect match. Now, the.

PHOENIX – Arm injuries among high school baseball players have been on the rise in recent years due to overuse while playing the game. This has caused not only pitchers to take care of their bodies better, but also a change in how pitch counts are managed in game. Approximately 30 percent of 203 youth.

PHOENIX – Sports betting might be coming to Arizona, but the wait will be a little longer than expected. The discussion of SB 1158, a sports betting bill first introduced on Jan. 23, was postponed Thursday at the Arizona Senate to a date to be determined later. The bill brought by Republican Sen. Sonny Borrelli.

TEMPE – Although it appeared the storm surrounding the Arizona men’s basketball program had dissipated, new developments have put the program back in the national spotlight. Amid reports that the NCAA is investigating the UA program, more news broke that prompted the Arizona Board of Regents to add “legal advice and discussion regarding Arizona men’s.

TEMPE – National Signing Day usually is one of the biggest days on the college football calendar. Fans of college football are glued to Twitter and television to see whether the country’s biggest recruits are going to their favorite university. For the second straight year, however, Early Signing Day has stolen most of the luster.

PRESCOTT VALLEY – Life in the G League can feel as if it is the farthest thing from professional basketball. Teams play in small gyms in front of sparse crowds in cities without international airports. The NBA’s official minor league has a Middle America, small-town feel far away from the NBA and its mega stadiums..

SCOTTSDALE – The first thing amateur golfer Matthew Wolff did after learning he had a spot in the Waste Management Phoenix Open was call his mom. “Chance (Cozby) called me and offered me a spot,” Wolff said, referring to the tournament chairman. “I was pretty fortunate for that to happen.” Wolff, an Oklahoma State sophomore,.

PHOENIX – If California’s experience is any indication, skeptics will quickly warm up to the Arizona Interscholastic Association’s recent decision to add an Open Division to the football postseason. On Jan. 22, the AIA Executive Board unanimously passed a motion to create an eight-team playoff for the 2019 football season that will pull the top.

PHOENIX – Arizona teachers, parents and legislators teamed up last year for the sake of children’s health, pushing for legislation that would require more recess or unstructured playtime for elementary school children. The early results of that effort are promising, educators say. In April, Gov. Doug Ducey signed SB 1083 requiring schools to provide two.

PHOENIX – With the eyes of the NBA focused on what Houston Rockets guard James Harden will do next, and how long he can extend his streak of scoring at least 30 points, the one person that seems the least concerned about the scrutiny? James Harden. “It’s always a different feeling to come back here,” Harden.

SCOTTSDALE – The Waste Management Phoenix Open hasn’t always been kind to Rickie Fowler. For a short time on Sunday, it looked like that might be the case again. But Fowler overcame a triple bogey on 11 at the TPC Scottsdale to finish at 17-under 267 and beat Branden Grace by two shots for his.

SCOTTSDALE — Despite heavy rain late Saturday night and early Sunday, the Waste Management Phoenix Open’s final round is underway. The final pairing of Rickie Fowler, Matt Kuchar and Justin Thomas teed off on time at 10:45 a.m. Spirited fans already filled the seats at the 16th hole. Saturday’s competition was highlighted by the performance.

TUCSON – Head coach Adia Barnes knows what it takes to win at Arizona having played there from 1995-98. But before Barnes even stepped on to the court, there were skeptics wondering whether she was good enough to play at Arizona. “She had really big numbers in high school, but she wasn’t heavily recruited because.

On Day 4 of the Waste Management Phoenix Open, plenty of golfers were on a roll, on and off the course. After posting just one birdie in his first eight holes, Justin Thomas made six in his next seven holes and finished with his best round ever at the Phoenix Open with a 7-under 64..

SCOTTSDALE – Upgrades around TPC Scottsdale to help improve the fan experience at the Waste Management Phoenix Open already are paying dividends on the first day of the tournament. “With how many fans we have here, we try to better the fan experience every single year,” said tournament chairman Chance Cozby of the host Thunderbirds..

SCOTTSDALE – Local and national celebrities were out in full force at the Waste Management Phoenix Open Annexus Pro-Am on Wednesday. Although the tournament didn’t start until Thursday, the star-studded Pro-Am annually kicks off the party that is the WMPO. Although the weekend attracts the largest crowds, the Wednesday pro-am pulls in a good turnout,.

SCOTTSDALE – For all the entertainment celebrities provided during Day 3 of the Waste Management Phoenix Open, an undercurrent of concern was present, too, about rain that could reveal itself this weekend. Among the pro athletes that participated in Wednesday’s Annexus Pro-Am was Diamondbacks pitcher Archie Bradley with his caddie, like-bearded father, Charles, by his.

SCOTTSDALE – Staging an event of any size that aims to reduce waste is a challenge. Organizing one of sport’s biggest spectator events while producing zero waste takes a whole different level of creativity. The Waste Management Phoenix Open launched its Zero-Waste Challenge in 2012, and since 2013 the PGA Tour event at TPC Scottsdale’s.

SCOTTSDALE – Arizona State football coach Herm Edwards was one of many big names at the TPC Scottsdale putting range Tuesday morning for the San Tan Ford Special Olympics Open. “Just put it in the hole. Just put it in the hole,” Edwards said right before he ran to knock in the ball of his.

SCOTTSDALE – Day 2 of the Waste Management Phoenix Open was highlighted by a Special Olympics event, where celebrities, sports stars and business leaders from the Valley joined forces with Olympians in a friendly competition. The Dream Day event featured a trick-shot golf show and junior golf instruction. Among those involved was Diamondbacks pitcher Archie Bradley, who.

PHOENIX – For many baseball fans, there is no sweeter sound to prepare for spring training than that of timber sending tightly stitched leather orbs into the arid desert atmosphere. Combine the universal love of the long ball with a notable cause, and you have the inaugural Dingers in the Desert home run derby charity.

GILBERT – As he sifts through a Ziploc bag of memories, Ryan Davies can’t keep from smiling. One at a time, he pulls medals from the gallon-size bag, carefully unwinding the polyester ribbons to reveal his metal mementos. There are dozens to unpack. Since he began running three decades ago, Davies has kept almost all.

SCOTTSDALE – The Waste Management Phoenix Open kicked off Monday with the Kadima.Ventures Pro-Am and practice rounds for PGA Tour pros. The tournament, which began 87 years ago, bills itself as “The Greatest Show on the Grass” and boasts an attendance of nearly half a million over the four-day event. This year’s field is scheduled.

GLENDALE – On a cool winter afternoon, 208 skateboarders of all ages competed in the Cowtown Skateboards’ Union Hills Classic, eager for the chance to win bragging rights and an Arizona-shaped trophy. Others were stoked to win raffle prizes from such skate brands as OJ Wheels and Santa Cruz Skateboards. The competition, which included divisions.

PHOENIX – Many think “Nico Mannion” when the discussion turns to Pinnacle High School basketball. Now they are thinking “Trent Brown,” too. Pinnacle won the 6A state championship last year, and with Mannion and Brown leading the way, the top-ranked Pioneers appear ready to defend their title when the state playoffs begin in February. Although.

PHOENIX – Residents, protesters and basketball fans packed City Council chambers Wednesday in anticipation of a vote dictating the future of the Phoenix Suns. After more than two hours of impassioned public comments for and against, the City Council voted 6-2 in favor of a $230 million plan to renovate Talking Stick Resort Arena downtown..

PHOENIX – With Barry Bonds’ eligibility running out, baseball minds are split on whether one of most talented players in history should be in the Hall of Fame. Despite continuing to trend upward in recent years, Bonds still hasn’t gotten the 75 percent of the vote needed to be enshrined in Cooperstown. On Tuesday, voting.

TEMPE – With the tribute “Megan’s Dad” written across his racing bib number, Neal Oseland was struck by a wave of emotion as he crossed the finish line of the Rock ‘n’ Roll Arizona Marathon in Tempe. The moment was a culmination of nearly a year of uncertainty for the Oseland family after Neal’s daughter.

PHOENIX – With significant decisions on the horizon for the future of the Diamondbacks and Suns in downtown Phoenix, some are concerned about what the future might hold if the teams leave. “It would be terrible. It gives people a reason to come downtown. It gives people a reason to come out, hang out, have.

PHOENIX – Thousands of runners from around the country will make their way to the starting line of the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon in downtown Phoenix early Sunday morning to run the full 26.2 miles.  Among the swarm of people stretching and preparing for the hours of running ahead, a few dark blue signs at.

MESA — Saying the elimination of football has denied African-American players “their civil rights,” an attorney representing 11 of them met with media Thursday to express concerns about the motivation of the Maricopa County Community College District. The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Phoenix in December, said the players have suffered “the indignity.

PHOENIX – At 11:05 p.m. on Nov. 10, the lights turned off at John D. Riggs Stadium on the campus of Mesa Community College, as they usually do after the Thunderbirds play. But it might have been the final time the stadium goes dark after a junior college football game. Citing financial reasons, the Maricopa.

FORT DEFIANCE – The trip was about more than a 300-mile journey to play a nationally televised game against a ranked opponent. The Arizona State women’s basketball team also viewed its November excursion to the Navajo Reservation as a time to embrace Navajo culture. “Just hearing the stories that we’ve heard today and weeks before.

TEMPE – After making one of the more divisive hirings of the NFL offseason, the Arizona Cardinals introduced Kliff Kingsbury as their new coach Wednesday. He succeeds Steve Wilks, who was fired in December after only a year in charge. Under Wilks, the Cardinals finished 3-13 with the NFL’s worst-ranked offense and 20th-ranked defense. “We.

PHOENIX – Craig and Kathi Juntunen retired in 1998, leaving their successful consulting firm to live a life spent mostly on the golf course and ski slopes. “We were living a … very privileged life that we were lucky enough to stumble onto,” Craig Juntunen said. While golfing one day, he had a conversation with.

GLENDALE – LSU placekicker Cole Tracy was an unknown when he stepped on campus in Baton Rouge in the offseason. He had transferred from Assumption College in Worcester, Massachusetts, where he converted 68 field goals, ranking second all-time in Division II. Yet there he was Tuesday at State Farm Stadium poised to make the record.

SCOTTSDALE – It’s a cool November evening in this desert city. Bo Takahashi, a 21-year-old pitcher from Presidente Prudente, Brazil, warms up in the bullpen before taking the mound for the Salt River Rafters. He is preparing to play in what is, at that moment, the only Major League-affiliated baseball game in the world. Takahashi,.

SCOTTSDALE – The Central Florida Knights have won 25 straight games and will play in a New Year’s Six bowl for a second consecutive year. It’s a remarkable turnaround for a team that was 0-12 just three seasons ago. “I remember our games my freshman year. There were nobody there,” senior defensive lineman Titus Davis.

PHOENIX – Sports have long been a vehicle for social protest, from U.S. Olympians Tommie Smith and John Carlos raising black-gloved fists at the Mexico City Games to quarterback Colin Kaepernick taking a knee during the national anthem to protest police brutality. Although some argue that athletes should stick to sports — or as a.

TEMPE – As college football players, coaches and fans tune in to bowl games across the country, one select group is staying busy preparing for the big games: the groundskeepers. Meet Brian Johnson, Arizona State’s athletic grounds facilities manager. He spends the bulk of his time during football season caring for the fields at Sun.

LAS VEGAS — The more things change, the more they remain the same. Arizona State captured the attention of the college football world when it hired ex-NFL head coach Herm Edwards last December. The school’s head football coach changed. Its defensive coordinator changed. And Athletic Director Ray Anderson spoke of more movement to come. Yet.

LOW MOUNTAIN – On a late-September morning deep within the Navajo Nation, Larron Badoni practiced his golf swing. Sun blanketed the plateaus and mesas surrounding the Lowerville Stingers Golf Club – nine holes scattered over a rocky, hilly, shrubby landscape dotted with blue shade structures, weathered carpets and pins flying red and white flags. It.

PHOENIX – Through renovation and coaching changes, the ground floor of the Ed and Nadine Carson Student-Athlete Center at Arizona State has withstood the test of time. The museum is designed to chronicle proud moments in ASU athletics history, highlighting such alumni as Houston Rockets guard James Harden and former San Francisco Giants outfielder Barry.

CHINLE – Even with modern technology, it’s nearly impossible to find the homemade boxing gym identified by a tattered wooden sign that reads, “Damon-Bahe Boxing Gym.” In and around this small town on the Navajo Reservation, house numbers rarely exist. And Google Maps can’t quite explain that, off Indian Route 7, less than a quarter.