Baseball commissioner pushing changes to speed up games
PHOENIX -- Major League Baseball is walking a fine line. The sport is trying to build its fan base by speeding up the game and eliminating unnecessary dead time between plays.
University of Arizona hopes new student fee for athletics can be game-changer
TUCSON — Granted, it is the offseason, but a quick glance around the Gate 2 underpass at Arizona Stadium shows the need for upgrades.
Fan friendliness of Cactus League makes it popular draw
The Chicago Cubs won the World Series last fall for the first time in 108 years. This spring, fans in the Cactus League turned out in record numbers to watch the new champions — home and away.
Passion, hard work pay off for Valley NASCAR driver McDowell
LOS ANGELES - When Michael McDowell first visited the Phoenix Kart Racing Association track, it was not to drive but to clap and cheer for his brother’s friend. Engulfed in the competitive atmosphere and a witness to Arizona’s love for the sport, the experience captivated him.
Diversity among fans, players a priority for NHL
PHOENIX -- The Valley is a symbol for the changing face of hockey. One of the Coyotes’ top young players is of Haitian descent. The head of the team’s instructional school is female. And the No. 1 pick in the 2016 NHL draft, Scottsdale’s Auston Matthews, has a mother from Mexico.
Southern California All-American lends big hand to young yoga students
LOS ANGELES -- Later this month, Zach Banner’s name will be called at the NFL Draft, whereupon he’ll leave the college comforts of Southern California and begin a life of professional size and skill.
With Final Four nets cut, could Valley’s next big game be a political ball?
PHOENIX — Even before 76,000 people in University of Phoenix Stadium were looking up at game-ending confetti on Monday night at the NCAA men’s basketball championship game, Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton was already looking ahead.
UNC finds championship redemption in Glendale
GLENDALE — In a national championship game that will be remembered more for its missed shots and free throws, it was the bounce back performance of North Carolina senior forward Isaiah Hicks that helped lead the Tar Heels to their third national championship under head coach Roy Williams.
Zags fail to reach zenith with uncharacteristic mistakes in national title game
GLENDALE - The same sequence played itself out three separate times over the course of Monday night for Gonzaga - poor execution, a change of possession and an easy Tar Heels bucket.
Size looms large in NCAA title game between North Carolina, Gonzaga
GLENDALE -- When Roy Williams was in his first season as a Division I head coach with Kansas in 1988, he probably wouldn’t have been surprised to see a matchup of two big men who would combine to total nearly 600 pounds in the low post.
A trailblazer for women’s basketball, Mercury’s Meyers Drysdale honored with lifetime achievement award
SCOTTSDALE — Phoenix Mercury Vice President Ann Meyers Drysdale was presented Sunday with this year’s Naismith Outstanding Contributor to Women's Basketball award at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale at the 49th annual Naismith Awards brunch.
CBS’s Fishman aiming to craft perfect shot for Final Four viewers
GLENDALE — While there have already been a lot of big shots taken inside University of Phoenix Stadium during the NCAA men's Final Four, the most important shot for CBS television viewers comes from way outside — well beyond the basketball floor.
