The Suns are on the rise...

I have this thing about the NBA or I guess I should narrow that down to my favorite pro basketball team, the Phoenix Suns. Every season seems a bit long. An 82-game regular season schedule...that's a lot of games and I get excited every time the Suns jump off to a good start.

I try to ignore the basketball standings in early December, but it's tough because I'm a nut for reading the box scores. Yep, and once again the Suns head into December with 14 wins and just three losses. I see them embedded in first place and I find myself calculating the what if scenarios. The Suns have never won an NBA title, but there's always hope. Back in 1993, the Phoenix Suns finished the regular season with 62 wins behind Charles Barkley and Company and they also hit that milestone again in 2005, under the direction of Steve Nash.

So, here I go again, I'm hooked. A win over the struggling Nicks in New York on Tuesday night would give the Suns 15 wins! That would be a franchise record for the most wins to start a season. Could the Suns be on their way to maybe a franchise record of 63 wins for an entire season? See what happens to me. With Nash directing traffic, it is certainly a pleasure to watch the Suns play, and now with the addition of a former Arizona Wildcat (Channing Frye) added to the mix, I guess you can say the team from up in the big city now has my attention.

Back in 1993, Charles Barkley averaged 25.6 points a game during the regular season and the Suns rolled into the playoffs. They beat the Lakers in five games, knocked off San Antonio in six and then won the Western Conference finals by besting Seattle in a seven-game series, winning the last game easily, 123-110. I'll never forget what happened in the sixth game of the NBA Championship Series against the Chicago Bulls in Phoenix. The Bulls' John Paxson ended the Suns' hope for the title in 1993 when he hit a three-pointer with 3.9 seconds left to give the Bulls a 99-98 victory and the championship. In 2005, the Suns shutdown Memphis in the first round of the playoffs, winning all four games, and took out the Dallas Mavericks in the second round, winning 4 games to 2. But San Antonio took the Suns out in the Western Conference Finals, winning four of five games. This year, we'll have to see how it all pans out. I'll try to focus on football again this week. There's a lot of that going on. I'll try to ignore the Suns for a few games...maybe when I check the basketball standings in a week or so, I'll be pleasantly surprised.

Suns' Update: Well, wouldn't you know it. The Phoenix Suns go into New York and can't find the basket. They lose to the lowly Knicks, 126-99. And now it is on to Cleveland to face the Cavs. Oh well, we'll get back to the Suns in a few weeks. It looks like I might have jinxed them last night.

With Black Friday in the books, Wildcats hope for a Red Saturday...

In the Stands Reports by Bookemdano: It was "Black Friday" yesterday for Arizona shoppers. Arizona football fans hope it'll be "Red Saturday" today, starting at 1:30 p.m. when the Wildcats tangle with the Arizona State Sun Devils in Tempe.

A lot is riding on this one. What else is new? Every game this year, it's been the same scenario. "We got to have this one," is the response you'll hear again all day from every Arizona fan who knows his college football. Records do not matter in this one. And that ride home, down I-10, can be a sad one for the diehard Wildcat fan. I'll just keep it simple, take a deep breath and say: Go Wildcats!

Note: Wildcats win! Wildcats win! Survive in Tempe with 20-17 last-second victory. Enough said.

Arizona Rattlers edge TOTS in Old Timers Holiday Game...

A bunch of old timers got together at Tucson Udall Park on Friday morning, the day after Thanksgiving, to play in an old fashioned slugfest.

The Arizona Ratters, a club team from the southside, got the best of the host Tucson Old Timers (TOTS),13-10, thanks in part to a seventh inning uprising, spearheaded by a three-run home run from Rueben Leyva. Thirty-one players participated in the Thanksgiving Holiday Baseball Game, which gave the participants a chance to run off the extra turkey and mashed potatoes that they had consumed the day before.

It looked early on like it was going to be the TOTS day as they received six consecutive singles in the bottom of the first inning to take a 4-1 lead. Floyd Lance, Ed Rife, Danny Price, Chico Bigham, Doug Mullins and Brad Tolson, all hit safely off of Rattlers' starter Carl McCormick to get things off and rolling for the Tucson Old Timers. The Rattlers chipped away in the middle innings and trailed only 6-4 when they came to bat in the top of the seventh. Leyva's shot off of losing pitcher Chico Bigham capped the wild seventh.

Ed Rife pitched the first four innings for the TOTS and gave up six runs, mostly unearned. McCormick hurled the first five innings for the Arizona Rattlers and reliever Rueben Hernandez pitched the final four to pick up the win. Lance, who went 3 for 3 for the TOTS, summed up the holiday game. "It was a beautiful day and lot of old guys got a chance to get out and play the game of baseball." The TOTS hit the ball well through out the contest as Jerry Hamelin, Ed Rife and Doug Mullins garnered two hits apiece to go along with Lance's three singles. The oldest player to take the field Friday was TOTS' catcher Clarence Fieber. Fieber, a former diary farmer from Wisconsin, is 89 years old and he caught over half of the game. Clarence said, when asked about his performance on the field, "It's all good. Every day is a good one."

Fieber and the rest of the old timers will be back at it on Monday. The TOTS play every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at Udall Park, while the Arizona Rattlers normally play their games at Mission Manor Park with a Tuesday-Thursday schedule year round.

Stayin' awake for the Wildcats...

In the Stands Report by Bookemdano: This is not the first time, nor will it be the last, that I will stay up til midnight to watch my favorite team, the Arizona Wildcats, play a basketball game. Late tonight, 10 p.m. to be exact, the Wildcats will tangle with the Wisconsin Badgers in Maui.

It'll be a great experience for the very young 2009 Wildcats who are probably, at this moment (as I type away), enjoying a nice walk along the beach. I, on the other hand, find myself squinting and it is only 4 o'clock in the afternoon--six hours til tip off.

I tried to take a little nap this afternoon, but to no avail, instead I watched the first game of the tournament on my new 42-inch HD Vizio (Great...great picture by the way). I watched the Colorado Buffaloes, a team penciled in as the worst team in the Big 12, give Gonzaga fits. The Zags held on for a 76-72 win and are probably(as I type away),on the way to the beach themselves.

 I, on the other hand, will probably eat dinner within the hour, head back to the couch, and continue with my on-going struggle to stay awake. But, while I'm awake, I will give you a few of my pregame thoughts. Wise and Company will have their hands full for the first two rounds. First they'll battle the slow-down offense of the Badgers, and if they can squeeze by Wisconsin, they'll then battle Gonzaga on Tuesday night. Arizona senior guard Nic Wise will have to keep the Wildcats' turnovers to a minimum, and at the same time he'll need his younger teammates to play within themselves. At this point, I feel it could go either way...either it'll be a coming-out party for the young freshmen, namely MoMo Jones, Derrick Williams and Solomon Hill, or it'll go the other way...mistakes galore and it'll be back to the beach. Now, I know I can't sleep!

Wildcats' Update: It's now time for bed. Arizona Wildcats lose to Wisconsin, 65-61. They battle back from 14 down and go close to 10 minutes in the first half without a field goal to make a game of it. Lack of field goals early and a ton of missed free throws through out the game led to defeat. But they hung in there behind the play of freshman Derrick Williams (25 points, 8 rebounds, 3 steals) and at one point even held the lead at 55-54.

 The young Wildcats learned a lot and the 5-point loss to the Badgers will pay big dividends down the road. The Wildcats take on Colorado at the Maui Invitational tomorrow (Nov.24) at 2 p.m.

Wildcats' Update: The Arizona Wildcats finished the Hawaii trip with a couple of day games. A little easier on the sleep pattern. As for the games, the Wildcats won one and lost one. On Tuesday, Wise scored 30 as Arizona edged Colorado in overtime, 91-87, but on Wednesday, Vanderbilt (4-1) slid by the Wildcats, 84-72,to grab fifth place in the tourney. Arizona (3-2) returns home to face UNLV on Dec. 2.

Masoli heroics too much for the Wildcats...

In the Stands Report by Bookemdano: With 7:41 left in regulation, Arizona's Juron Criner celebrated in the end zone. The Wildcats' receiver had just hauled in a pass from his quarterback, Nick Foles to complete a beautiful 71-yard play that resulted in a 31-24 lead for the Arizona Wildcats in front of 57,863 screaming fans last night at Arizona Stadium.

Now that is an eternity if you're an Arizona football fan, but if you happen to be Oregon quarterback Jeremiah Masoli, then a shade under eight minutes is plenty of time to engineer a comeback and lead his team to the promised land.

Bottom line: Masoli drove the Ducks 80 yards to tie the game with just six ticks left on the clock. Overtime ensued not once but twice, and in the end Masoli was not to be denied as he scampered in from one yard out to give the 11th-ranked Oregon Ducks a 44-41 win.

No Rose Bowl for the Wildcats. Arizona (6-4) will go bowling, but it'll just be on the wrong alleys. In my book, if the Ducks are No. 11 in the country, then the Wildcats should be No. 12. I know it doesn't work that way, but I still love my Wildcats. A missed field goal and a fumble at the goal line. Heck we should have won by 10. Hats off to Masoli and the Ducks...they'll give Ohio State fits. As for the Wildcats, take a collective breath and prepare for the Sun Devils.

TOTS player on hitting streak...

Ron Petersen, 64, has been one of the top hitters on the Tucson Old Timers (TOTS) baseball team for the past four years. Petersen, who is also the current TOTS manager, batted a hefty .667 during the month of September with 18 hits in 27 at bats and two home runs.

Ron was absent from the TOTS and Udall Park for the most of October as he motored north to compete in the Men's Senior League Baseball (MSBL) World Series in Phoenix, along with TOTS teammates Jerry Hamelin, Chico Bigham, Floyd Lance, Billy Heiny and Danny Price. "I didn't exactly knock the cover off the ball at the World Series," Ron said. "But I've been hitting the ball pretty well since I've been back."

 That may be an understatement. Petersen is batting over .700 for the month of November and last week may have been his best week in quite some time. In back to back games, Petersen walloped three home runs, all tape measure jobs over the right field fence at Udall.

Petersen is one of a handful of TOTS players who still works full time and is forced to mix in his job (as a TEP employee) and his playing time with the "boys of summer" at Udall. "I work it out. I love baseball," Ron said. He especially loved it this week as he sprinted around the bases following each of his round-trippers. As for the TOTS, the club's roster is expanding. The baseball club adds players this time of year. "The weather is good and we pick up a lot of winter visitors," Petersen adds.

Baseball is a big "hit" at Udall Park. Ron Petersen can attest to that.

97-year-old catcher saves the game...

I tried to do a little research on this one, but I didn't get very far. But I'll tell you anyway. Ran across an Associated Press article about a 97-year-old man who played baseball. Now, I've been reporting that the Tucson Old Timers (TOTS) at Udall Park in Tucson, of which I'm a member, is the oldest baseball club around (men ranging in age from 60 to 89). So when I read about this old fella from Spring Valley, New York, the story definitely got my attention.

Spring Valley, from what I understand is a Jewish community, 22 miles north of Manhattan. The man's name was Tobias Wildstein and in 1941 he was an inmate and a catcher in a pick-up game at the Sons and Daughters of Israel Institution. The game pitted the officers of the institution against the inmates. As the story goes, Wildstein, in front of a cheering crowd, flipped off his mask and tagged out a 92-year-old runner by the name of Max Render. The play saved the day for the inmates who battled to a 0-0 tie with the officers of the institution. The average age of the inmates' team was 94.

Baseball players never die, they're just institutionalized. I have a lot to look forward to.

Note: Mr. Wildstein passed away in 1943. He was born in 1844. There seems to be some question about his age, one article I found on him reports that he lived to be 109 years old! I'll probably never know the whole story regarding Mr. Wildstein.

Only those with young legs need to apply...

I know this is a blog for the older athlete who just happens to be in their sunset years, but I just couldn't ignore what a prep star did last night (Nov. 20) at a high school football game in Oro Valley.

My goodness, Canyon del Oro's Ka'Deem Carey rushed for 427 yards and six touchdowns in the Dorados 63-35 blowout over Glendale Apollo. Mr. Stoops get your lasso out!

That of course set a single-game Southern Arizona rushing record. So, that got me to thinking (which is normally a scary thought). Just who owns the state rushing record?

According to AIAOnline.org, Elfrida Valley's Ozzie Anaya rushed for 477 yards back in 1985. Of course that was in the 1A division. How about the other divisions? Well, I'll tell you. In 5A, Avondale's Jeremiah Cornist owns the record. He rushed for 380 yards in 2008. In 4A, it's Brent Michaels who galloped for 470 yards for Lake Havasu in 2007.Stanley Jackson of Chinle High owns the 3A record with 469 yards, set back in 1976, and in 2A, the record belongs to Jon Retzolff of Tonopah Valley who scampered for 415 yards this season in a single game.

As for Carey, what a future he has ahead of him. Carey, the nephew of former Arizona football star Vance Johnson, has narrowed his college selection to either Arizona or Oregon. I'm sure the young lad will be at Arizona Stadium tonight to watch the Arizona Wildcats take on the Oregon Ducks.

It'll be his turn soon.

Bookemdanosports reaches 100...

Bookemdanosports became a blogspot on July 19, 2009---four months ago.

My better half, Sue Crain, and yours truly, were enjoying a weekend in Greer, Arizona at the Amberian Peak Lodge (a beautiful place for a weekend getaway...by the way). I did relax, believe it or not, but I was still up bright and early every morning and I, of course, went right to my trusty old laptop.

I've been banging out sports-related articles ever since--most of them centered around the 50-and-over athlete who still plays sports for the love of the game. Sometimes, I've been known to get carried away after two cups of java, and I've unleashed a thought-provoking story or two. But basically, I center on the older athlete who does extraordinary things on and off the field of play.

Today's addition marks my 100th story and I hope, God willing and the creeks don't run dry, to continue the streak. It's good therapy for me and I hope you all get a kick out of my daily offerings.

Sometimes, I'll dig around and locate an old athlete from the 1960s,1970s and report on what he or she is up to, and I'll follow the Arizona Wildcats of course with my In the Stands Report, so for all my readers, hang with me, and we'll continue this journey.

Derrick Williams unleashes a thunderous dunk...a sign of the future for the Wildcats

In the Stands Report by Bookemdano: University of Arizona freshman Derrick Williams took two giant steps in the key and unleashed a thunderous dunk four minutes into the second half of the Wildcats 66-49 win over the Rice Owls last night at McKale Center.

That one play alone showed the crowd of 13,000 plus what the future of Arizona basketball will be like for the next four years. Arizona coach Sean Miller inserted Williams and three other freshmen in the lineup during the not-so-easy, sluggish, Wildcats win over the Owls (3-1).

Arizona (2-0) made just five of its free throws and committed 17 turnovers during the contest, but those things can be expected from a team with just one senior and a handful of sophomores and juniors. On the upside, Williams tallied 10 points, six rebounds, two assists and two blocks in 29 minutes, while freshman Solomon Hill added 12 points, 3 rebounds and two assists in 24 minutes. Another freshman, MoMo Jones, pumped in eight points to go along with four rebounds, three assists and three steals in 21 minutes. Junior Jamelle Horne added 13 points and seven rebounds, while senior Nic Wise scored 15 points and dished out seven assists.

The Wildcats looked like a bunch of Energizer bunnies with Captain Wise leading the way. Sean Miller's uptempo game is fun to watch. And now it's on to Hawaii and plenty of ocean for the Wildcats to look as they jet toward Honolulu.

Speed the name of the game at El Tour...

For you old timers who feel like dusting off the old bike and hittin' the road, more power to you.

Don't worry about the speed just worry about staying upright and try to get in as many revolutions as you can. It's got to be good for the old legs. If you think you're ready to compete in the El Tour de Tucson, just take a gander at these statistics.

The three winners in 2008 crossed the finish line in 4 hours and 20 minutes for the 109-mile scamper around Tucson. That averages out to 24.9 miles per hour. Outrageous! I got into cycling, back in the late 1980s, and actually completed 70 miles, but my average speed was 17 miles per hour. I held my head up high and I figured I was flying. I could barely keep my shoes on. Wow! Close to 25 miles an hour, I can barely do that in my car as I rocket down Speedway during rush hour.

Granted, the three winners were from Hermosillo and they were top level athletes with plenty of experience. Many of the entrants last year rolled in averaging anywhere between 12 to 20 miler per hour. The guy who finished second to last averaged 9.1 miler per hour and the gentleman (Philip Kaslo of Tucson) was 62 years old at the time. The three winners were David Solomon (28), Carlos Hernandez (32) and Edgardo Logo, the youngin' of the group at 22 years of age.

I'm anxious to see what the winning time will be this year. Good luck to all the cyclist at the El Tour de Tucson and I pray for a safe race.

2009 El Tour de Tucson Update: Two fellas from Hermosillo (Rafael Escarcega and Hector Rangel) won the race in 4 hours and 17 minutes.

Attn: Arizona Wildcats...It's your turn!

ESPN.  Entertainment and Sports Programing Network.

It has been around since 1979. It is owned primarily by the Walt Disney Corporation and this Saturday...all day long...beginning at 8 a.m. and lasting until somewhere close to midnight all of its cast of characters will be in town...and they'll be using Arizona Stadium as a backdrop while they fill the HD screens across the country with coverage of the Wildcats vs. Oregon game.

ESPN's College GameDay will preview the contest. The game will be broadcast on Channel 9. That means Arizona fans will need to be at their best...yelling, cheering and doing all those crazy things while the cameras roll.

It should be a fun day.

As for the 2009 Arizona football team, it'll be its chance to show the country that the Wildcats are worthy of the coverage. The Wildcats have fallen face first in front of a national audience before and maybe it is a bit unfair to expect this group of Wildcats to reverse history and actually expect them to do what teams in the past couldn't do...and that is to shine on center stage and bring home the victory.

A win will not come easy. The Oregon offense reminds me of a bunch of ants, forced from their home -- scurrying over our dry desert ground for shelter.

So much riding on this one. A possible Pac-10 title and a trip to the Rose Bowl. I guess that's why the TV cameras are pulling up to Arizona Stadium.

Go Wildcats. It's your turn!

They call him "Mr. Suggs"...

I've been following his career for 13 years. The first time I saw him play football was back in 1997. I was a staff sports writer for the Chandler Independent at the time and I was sitting at my desk when I received a phone call on a Thursday morning from a local football fan who wanted me to keep my afternoon free. The fan said I'd be very interested in seeing a running back perform at a Chandler High JV game.

I kept the afternoon free, went to the game...and I witnessed a man among boys as the big running back ran around, over and through the much smaller defenders. He scored, if I remember correctly, four touchdowns that day...maybe more. I went back to my newspaper office, sat down at my desk, and wrote a lengthy article about the young man.

In the headline I wrote: Remember this name, Terrell Suggs.

Well, for all my readers out there who are pro football fans, now you know the rest of the story.

Suggs of course, went on to graduate from Chandler Hamilton High School, played at Arizona State University and signed with the NFL in 2003.The Baltimore Ravens' pass rusher has accumulated 516 tackles in his six-year pro football career, but that total will not rise for a while thanks to a chop block by Cleveland's Brady Quinn during the third quarter of Monday night's NFL game. Suggs will be out indefinitely. Hopefully, he'll be back sooner than later.

It's hard to believe how the years have flown by since I witnessed the young man's performance on a Chandler High School football field in front of, maybe 75 people at the most. Suggs now does his thing in front of 80,000 fans (actually 69,023 in Cleveland last night). I hope he's back on the field soon.

Wildcats' BB report card: 1st half B+, 2nd half C-

In the Stands Report by Bookemdano: Arizona 87, NAU 70.

Class dismissed. It's always tough when the Arizona Wildcats play the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks, even when the game is held at the friendly confines of McKale Center, which, come to think of it, is always the case. Easy win, but ugly. I'd have to give the young Wildcats (not including old timer Nic Wise, of course) a B+ for their play in the first half.

The Wildcats did a lot of things right and at times were smooth in the process as they rolled to a 51-31 lead at halftime. The second half: a different story. It looked like the Cats were in class and waiting for the bell to ring as they let the Lumberjacks outscore them 39-36. The good news: the young whippersnappers (the senior Wise not included as a whippersnapper)will be back next week with their basketball text book in hand and one win on their resume. It's going to get better. It is uphill from here and the one who will lead us to the promised land (along with Wise, that is) will be freshman Solomon Hill.

Hill led all scorers (oops, sorry...the Wildcats' defense allowed a guy named Cameron Jones to pump in 29) with 17 points to go along with his eight boards. Captain Wise added 15, while junior Jamelle Horne netted 14 points and completed a double-double with 11 rebounds. Kyle Fogg (10 points), Brendon Lavender (8 points), MoMo Jones (8 points), Derrick Williams (8 points) and center Kyryl Natyazhko (7 points, 7 rebounds) completed the scoring for the young Wildcats.

It's going to be a long school year and a good teacher should be able to turn those B's and C's into A's. I have a feeling Sean Miller is going to have his students on the honor roll before class is dismissed this spring.

I'm feeling kind of low...

In the Stands Report by Bookemdano: I get this feeling every year. It's not the flu, but I seem to ache all over. Sometimes I get it in the fall, other times in the winter and once in a while even in the spring. It starts with a giant headache, followed by soreness in the neck area. My muscles get tight and I just want to scream.

I call it Wildcatitis! So far I've missed the Swine Flu, but this Wildcatitis has hit me twice already this fall. This time, I figure it'll last until next Saturday. A win over Oregon at Arizona Stadium would send the Wildcatitis packing. A few weeks ago I came down with Wildcatitis. On my blog I think I called it "Footless in Seattle". We all know what happened up there.The football bounced off the foot of an Arizona receiver and into the hands of a Husky defender. You know the rest.

Wildcat weird-loss No.1.

Now weird-loss No.2! Wildcats' quarterback Nick Foles goes back to pass...and Nick Foles goes back to pass...twice in one play, he unleashes a toss. A nine-yard penalty ensues and ruins a drive which could have ended up in an Arizona come-from-behind victory, but instead jump starts the California Golden Bears to a 24-16 victory.

It is now Sunday morning. I can't discuss this any further. I'm going to take two Excedrin and go back to bed. I'll be okay in a couple of days and I'll be back on the edge of my seat come Saturday when the Wildcats take on the Ducks.

Southwestern, who?

The Northern Arizona Lumberjacks will be in town tomorrow afternoon to tangle with the Arizona Wildcats. The Lumberjacks are fresh off a lopsided 113-61 win over Southwestern College.

Southwestern,who? Turns out Southwestern motored to Flagstaff Friday night to tangle with the Lumberjacks. It didn't take them long to get there...maybe an hour...or two at the most. You see Southwestern is a small Christian college just north of Phoenix..somewhere off of Cactus Rd. It is their first year in the NAIA and their breakout game was one for the record books--NAU's record book, that is. NAU, toyed with the Eagles at first...my goodness, it was 7-7 at one point. But eventually the Lumberjacks soared like they were the Eagles and went on to crush the team from North Phoenix.

For those of you that are interested, Southwestern did have one player from Tucson. AJ Koch (Flowing Wells) scored three points and hauled in two rebounds. As for NAU,it was the most points they have ever scored in a season opener.In fact, it was the most points they have scored in a game since the 1999-2000 season when they blew away Southern Utah, 116-63. Eric Platt led the Lumberjacks on Friday night as he pumped in 26 points. Don't look for Platt and the Lumberjacks to do that kind of damage on Sunday afternoon at McKale.

They'll be lucky to have 26 points by halftime.

What about JC football in AZ?

For those grandparents out there who have a grandchild or two playing junior college football in Arizona, I'm sure you would like to pick up a daily paper and see the scoop on what's happening say at Eastern Arizona College in Thatcher or possibly Arizona Western College over in Yuma.

Most of the time it is a secret and the JC scores seem to be absent from the weekend football recaps at most of the papers. So, I thought I'd get you up to date. Would you believe the Gila Monsters and the Matadors are ranked in the top twenty this season? In fact, Arizona Western is ranked number 7 in the country, while Eastern Arizona is holding on to No. 11. AWC is 8-1 on the season, while EAJC is 8-2. Currently the top-rated team in the country is undefeated Navarro College (10-0) of Corsicana, Texas, while the second best team is Ft. Scott Community College (10-0) of Ft. Scott, Kansas, and they also remain unbeaten. Closer to home is Snow College (9-1) of Ephraim, Utah, and they are currently ranked 4th in the country.

Eastern Arizona, Arizona Western and Snow College are members of the Western States Football League (WSFL). The Matadors beat Snow College back in September, 35-14, and also knocked off Eastern Arizona, 27-2,back in October. The Gila Monsters' other loss came at the hands of Snow College, 30-24, in mid-October. EAJC and AWC both played 16th-ranked New Mexico Military Institute (7-3) this season, the Gila Monsters got by NMMI, 42-27, while Arizona Western's only loss was at the hands of the New Mexico team, 40-33.

JC Update: Seventh ranked Arizona Western College won the WSFL title, its first ever championship, with a 30-17 win over 4th ranked Snow College last Saturday (Nov. 14) in Yuma. AWC finished 9-1 on the season and now await word on who they will play in a bowl game. Eastern Arizona College, ranked No. 11 in the country, lost to Phoenix College, 27-21, on Saturday and finished 8-3.

Arizona will not face Cal's Best...

In the Stands Report by Bookemdano: Chances are Cal's great running back Jahvid Best will not play on Saturday when the Arizona Wildcats take on the Golden Bears at California Memorial Stadium in Berkeley.

On the other side of the coin, chances are Arizona's top running back Nic Grigsby will not take the field either. Is it a trade off? Not hardly. Best, a junior, has carried the ball 141 times this season for a total of 867 yards and 12 touchdowns. In his three years at Berkeley, Best has logged 2,668 yards. Grigsby, on the other hand, has been limited to just 71 carries for 535 hard-earned yards.

It seems like Grigsby has been hurt all season, while Best received a concussion in a game last week against Oregon State. Both teams have plenty of running backs to run in and out of the game and the game will probably be won in the trenches. And I like the way Arizona's big men are playing up front. I give the edge to the Wildcats and go out on a limb and predict an 11-point Arizona win, 31-20.

It is Miller Time at McKale...

Arizona's head basketball coach Sean Miller sent 15 players to the floor during last night's exhibition matchup between the Wildcats and the Western New Mexico University Mustangs from Silver City, New Mexico.

It became apparent early on that Coach Miller has plenty of ammunition this year and chances are he'll never run out of bullets.

Translation: It looks like the 2009 Arizona Wildcats have depth, possibly a rotation that may go as many as 11 deep. Miller substituted freely at McKale last night as a steady stream of players checked in at the scorers' table and then took to the court to log in their minutes.

The result: a 96-55 thumping of the Division II Mustangs. What a cast of characters. Where do we start? Let's start with the big men. Freshman Kyryl Natyazhko is 6-10, 255 and reminds you a little of Ivan Drago, the Russian boxer from Rocky IV. Ivan...I mean Kyryl,who hails from the Ukraine, looked good around the basket against the Mustangs and even unleashed one three-pointer that almost went in.

His backup, at center, is second-year man Alex Jacobson (7-0, 245) who, at least last night against the Mustangs, showed he could hold on to the ball and add a little creativity under the bucket--something that was lacking in his game last season.

Then you have the forwards led by returnee Jamelle Horne, (6-7, 215) ,along with three outstanding freshman in Derrick Williams (6-8, 235), Kevin Parrom (6-6, 205) and Solomon Hill (6-6, 230). Add to that a quintet of guards, headed up first and foremost, by veteran Nic Wise (5-10, 180), along with the likes of MoMo Jones (6-0,200), Garland Judkins (6-3, 200), Brandon Lavender (6-5,205) and Kyle Fogg (6-3,185).

If they all come through the Wildcats may have to add another coach to the bench just to keep track of each players' minutes. All kidding aside, the Mustangs from Silver City are not anywhere near the caliber of say USC, Cal or Washington and we will probably see Miller's rotation shrink a bit between now and the Pac-10 opener.

But from my perspective as a fan, sitting in Section 18 last night, I like what I saw. And with only one senior on the roster (which of course is Nic Wise, who just happened to score 21 points against the Mustangs), it is a given the Wildcats will only get better with time...Miller Time, that is.

Next on the agenda is Northern Arizona. By late Sunday afternoon we should have a few more questions answered.

It was in the cards for a 21-year-old...

Joe Cada, 21, became the youngest player to win the World Series of Poker early Tuesday morning in Las Vegas.

Cada outlasted 6,494 players to grab the 8.55 million dollar prize.

The 2009 WSOP started back in July and ended with Cada turning over a pair of nines, good enough to capture the title. I love to play poker, but I have learned to stay away. I can't tell you how many times I've drawn hold cards like a 7 and a 9, or a 10 and a 2, or a...well you get the idea. The biggest pot I have ever been involved in was about 200 dollars...and I was shakin' in my boots.

I can't imagine the pressure that the 21-year-old must have been under.They play for millions in a single hand...and some of them are bluffing! I try a bluff and everybody calls. I'm on social security now and I can't afford a jaunt to the Casino to try my luck. But I have to admit it is a real kick to hit that flush on the river and haul in the chips.

Back in the 1980s, I sat down at a table in Las Vegas and played for three days straight. I even had a room for free. I never went to it. After three days of playing seven-card stud, I pocketed 25 dollars! I walked out of the casino wondering what year it was. And that was just playing with some good ole guys from Wisconsin, Minnesota and Arizona, who were enjoying a long weekend in Sin City -- in what officials from WSOP would call a penny-ante game.

Hats off to all those poker players in Las Vegas that have nerves of steel and can withstand that lifestyle, day in and day out. I think I'll stick to baseball. Physically it is more demanding, but I know for sure that my heart can take it.

Shuffle up and deal!

They live to run again...

I found this article last week in a Texas paper (staff writer Tyler Mayforth, the Daily Record) about a masters athlete who puts on the spikes and decides to run again...

San Marcos — Homer Guerrero never planned on competing at today’s 2009 Texas State Senior Games Championships.
Guerrero didn’t intend on getting back on the track to race again after a 40-year absence.
He only started training again because he wanted to lower his blood sugar.
“I’m a diabetic, so I wanted to bring my blood sugar down,” Guerrero said. “When I was out there running, I said ‘You know what? I should run in the Senior Olympics.’ Plus, it works out because my wife has always wanted to see me race.”
And just like that, Guerrero’s plan was born. The Senior Games were two months away (in Houston) and he wanted to compete in the 100-meter dash.
For any other 60-year old this would be off the radar. Yet, speed runs in Guerrero’s blood.
“I think my speed is a God-given speed,” Guerrero said. “In other words, I was born with it. My dad was fast. I was fast. My brothers always ran track and I had a sister (Barbara) who was in the summer Olympics 40 years ago.”
Guerrero isn’t a slouch either on the track.
He was a member of the 1968 1600-meter relay team at San Marcos High that still holds the school record (3:16.8). He finished his leg in 47.9 seconds.
After high school, he earned a full scholarship to Southwest Texas State (now Texas State), where he led off the Bobcats’ 1600-meter relay team.
“I was always a gifted athlete,” Guerrero said. “I always liked being competitive and track is one of those sports where you don’t only race others, but yourself.”
When he began training for the 2009 Senior Games, Guerrero blasted through his 100-meter sprints.
Guerrero set his sights on last year’s winning time (13.39 seconds) as motivation. He blew that time out of the water.
“A few weeks ago, I wanted to see where my conditioning was,” Guerrero said. “I finished the first one in 13.01 seconds and just to make sure the timers were working, they wanted me to run it again.”
He matched the mark again.
Guerrero feels ready for today’s race even though he hasn’t raced competitively on a track in 40 years. He’s admittedly nervous, but at 10:15 a.m., Guerrero will feel right at home.
And hopefully with a gold medal around his neck after he finishes.
“My goal is to bring back the gold,” Guerrero said. “I’m 100 percent sure I can do it.”

Note: Guerrero actually finished fourth in the race with a time of 14.46. There seems to be other old timers out there with the same idea.A fellow by the name of Edward Jones won the race in 13.66. According to USA Masters Track and Field Rankings, 62-year-old Charlie Allie ran a 12.18 in August of this year out in Palo Alto, California. Amazing!

It's a great weekend to be a UofA fan...

In the Stands Report by Bookemdano: I'll get up Sunday morning and retrieve my morning paper from the driveway, I'll then quickly head back inside my house, pour my first cup of coffee, sit back on my sofa and read about the Arizona Wildcats.

I already know what happened, but I'll read the sports page anyway. It's a ritual. My goodness, don't take away my morning paper...I'd be lost without it!

Of course, the score of the game was the same as it was 14 hours earlier. The headline says Wildcats 48, Cougars 7. Reading about a Wildcats' win is a great way to begin the day. This Sunday morning will be a special one, seeing's how the UofA now finds themselves in first place (in loss column, that is) in the Pac-10 with four games to go.

Wow! Oregon decides to get in a slug fest with Stanford on Saturday afternoon...and the Cardinal hang tough as they knock off the Ducks, and all of a sudden the fans of the Wildcats (me included) are talking the Rose Bowl. You have to admit, Arizona's destiny is now in their hands. Win the next four and it's on to Pasadena.

I've been waiting all season for a kickoff return or a punt return. I finally got what I was praying for as Travis Cobb raced 95 yards for a touchdown to start Saturday's game against the Cougars and I really got some icing on the cake when Bug Wright goes 86 yards to paydirt, after receiving a punt in the third quarter. Now, Bug is my man. A few weeks ago I wrote an article on my blog that this would be the "Year of the Bug". Of course, Bug has been out of action due to a leg injury and I have had to wait patiently for his return. Punt return, that is. It was a thing of beauty, just like Mr. Cobb's electrifying run,which started the Wildcats' rout of the lowly Cougars back in the first quarter.

Also, hats off to Mike Stoops' and his staff. They had a gameplan: get the early lead, pour it on a little, then back off and play the reserves and rest the starters. It worked to perfection.

California here we come!

84-year-old batting a blistering .545 at MSBL

Floyd Lance, 84, who plays regularly with the Tucson Old Timers (TOTS) at Udall Park three days a week, is the oldest player on the Arizona Diamondbacks, a 70-and-over team that finds themselves just one win away from the championship game at the Mens Senior League Baseball (MSBL) World Series,which concludes this Saturday in Phoenix.

Lance, who has played for the TOTS for 10 years, is batting a hefty .545 with six hits in 11 at bats after four round robin games at the World Series. Another member of the TOTS, 80-year-old Billy Heiny, is playing well defensively this week for the Diamondbacks. Besides his catching chores, Heiny pitched three innings today without allowing an earned run as the Arizona Diamondbacks lost for the second time in the tournament to San Diego. The San Diego team is sporting a 4-0 record and is a cinch to make the title game on Saturday.

Lance and Billy will take the field tomorrow as the Arizona Diamondbacks take on South Dakota with the winner advancing to the final.The Arizona Diamondbacks have beaten a Philadelphia squad 19-9 and own a 9-8 victory over South Dakota earlier in the tournament. A win tomorrow would give Floyd and Billy's team a 3-2 record and would allow them to meet San Diego for the third time in the tournament."Our problem is that we're out of pitchers. We have our work cut out for us," says Lance. "But we are having fun and that's what counts." Lance adds, "If we lose tomorrow we'll be heading home." Billy and Floyd will be back at Udall Park on Monday, on their home field, playing with the TOTS.

MSBL Update: The Arizona Diamondback were eliminated from the MSBL 70-and-over tournament Friday afternoon (Nov. 6) after dropping a 13-7 decision to South Dakota at Tempe Diablo Stadium. Floyd Lance and Billy Heiny return home without a trophy or a ring. But, the good thing is: there is always next year.

13M DH leads Yankees to WS title...

The Yankees won the 2009 World Series as expected, besting the Phillies in six games.

 How did they do it? They opened the bank.

The sixth game of the series was won by the Yankees thanks to the batting exploits of their DH Hideki Matsui, the 35-year old from Japan who just happens to make 13 million a year.

And he's not anywhere close to being the highest paid player on the Yankees' payroll. In fact, he's tied for eighth on the list with Johnny Damon.

Of course, we know who's at the top.

Alex Rodriguez makes a cool 33 million per year. Total payroll yearly on the Yankees is a shade over 208 million. Compare that to the Arizona Diamondbacks' salary of 73.5 million. Enough said.

Still, it was a pleasure to watch Matsui go about his business. Matsui singled, doubled and homered, while knocking in six runs to lead the Yankees to a 7-3 win in Game 6 as New York won its 27th World Series title.

You either love or hate the Yankees. If you dislike the Yankees it is probably the money-thing.T he Yankees are the bully. They're like the man sitting at the poker table holding all the chips. He's tough to beat. It can be done and maybe next year the series will be won by a low-salaried team. That's why they play the game.

But if you're a gambler it would be hard to bet against the Yankees.

The Kid and the Bulldog...

I recently returned from the 2009 Mens Senior League Baseball (MSBL) World Series, the largest amateur baseball tournament in the world. For twenty two years the event has brought ball players together to participate in the game they love. I can tell you right now, I'm ready for No. 23.

Next year, in the middle of October, I'll head back up I-10 in hopes of competing in both the 60-and-over and 65-and-over divisions. This was my first World Series. My first rodeo, so to speak. I found out rather quickly that the event not only brought senior ball players together to play the game between the lines, but it was also a chance for many to renew or make new friendships that will last a lifetime. I had the honor of meeting a teammate who plays baseball year round in a town 3,000 miles away. He hails from New Hampshire and was a star pitcher for the University of New Hampshire in the 60s. During the Senior World Series, Bob, 67, pitched a total of 46 2/3 innings, including 18 innings one day when he hurled both ends of a doubleheader.

I played third base and I watched in amazement throughout the Series as Bob battled for every out. But that's only half of the story. Off the field was as much fun as playing on the field. Six of us--1/4 of the Tucson Golden Aces--rented a house during our two-week stay in Phoenix. We were strangers when we met, but we were best buddies by the time we headed our separate ways. Four of us are from Tucson--Joe Banner, Tom Barrow, Tony Bonillas and yours truly. Bill Smith, from Wakefield, Ma. was the fifth member of the group (and an amazing character as well and I would need more space to do him justice) and of course the "Bulldog" -- Mr. Fortier, completed the half dozen.

I had forgotten all the locker room antics I had found myself in, back in the 60s, when I played college ball. After spending two weeks with the "dirty dozen" or  -- as I like to refer to them as members of the "House of Cards" -- the memories came back front and center. Oh, what a time we had! Smith and Barrow are both 69 years of age. Bonillas, who had triple bypass surgery four months ago, is 66 years of age and Banner is 67. That makes me the "Kid" at 64. I spent a lot of time with the "Bulldog" throughout the two-week period. He's a talker and I found out rather quickly that the only time he remains relatively quiet is when he's on the mound. But I learned a lot from him. This was my first rodeo, but definitely it was not his. Bob called his wife one morning and advised her that he was rooming with a "Kid".

She giggled. There's only three years difference in our ages. I have five new friends now and they all love the game of baseball just like I do. I can't wait til next October.

Photos: Top photo: Tucson players (l to R,top row) Cres Carino, John Nowotny, Joe Banner, Mike Morales, Frank Castillo and Larry Armstrong. Bottom row,l to R) Danny "The Kid" Price, Ron Petersen and Doug Mullins. Bottom photo: Out of state players (l to R) Billy Smith, Wakefield, MA., Bob "The Bulldog" Fortier, Nashua,NH., Doug Randall,Las Cruces, NM., Don Drown,Ft. Myers, Fl., and Jay Hayner, Rexford, NY.

Arizona foes combine for 35 wins...

In the Stands Report by Bookemdano: Just for fun let's take a look at what the 2009 Arizona Wildcats' seven opponents have done so far this season.

 Central Michigan has done well since its opening loss to the Wildcats. They own a 5-2 record, including a 29-27 victory over Michigan State and a lopsided 48-0 win over Alcorn State. Northern Arizona, a Week 2 loser to the Wildcats, sport a 5-3 slate, while Iowa, the team that handed Arizona one of its two losses, has a clean 9-0 record with impressive wins over Michigan and Penn State.

The Wildcats' four Pac-10 opponents--Oregon State, Washington, Stanford and UCLA--are a combined 16-16. Oregon State and Stanford are both 5-3, while Washington and UCLA are 3-5 on the season.

So, do you want to know how the Wildcats' final five opponents are doing?

Well, I'll tell you anyway. Washington State is the Pac-10 floor mat with a 1-7 record and the ASU Sun Devils are a mediocre 4-4. As for the other three, that's a different story. Oregon is 7-1,while USC and California are both 6-2. That's a combined 35-21 for the seven Arizona opponents.

Not too bad. But get this, you take away the Cougars and that means the Wildcats' final four opponents are a combined 23-9 as we enter another week of action. Of course, the won-loss records mean very little and it is what happens between the lines on any given Saturday that matters. But it is fun to play with the records and do some comparisons.

Go Wildcats!

Cougars limp in to Arizona Stadium

In the Stands Report by Bookemdano: It is definitely not the "Year of the Cougar".

Washington State will limp in to Arizona Stadium Saturday with a record of 1-7 and a dismal Pac-10 slate of 0-5. In their last two games the Cougars have allowed 89 points and a few weeks ago allowed Oregon to post 52 points. Arizona should do the same and Mike Stoops should be able to rest some of his key players. As far as the Cougars are concerned, you can see the "Forrest" above the trees as in Reid Forrest, the excellent punter for Washington State. Forrest, a senior, averages over 43 yards per punt and should help the Cougars stay within four or five touchdowns.

The Cougars do have a top defensive player in safety Chima Nwachukwu (5-11, 201), a junior who has 55 tackles this season, including 35 solo tackles and two fumble recoveries. Expect his name to be called out by the stadium announcer throughout the afternoon.

As for our Arizona Wildcats...enjoy!

Ducks await...but Wildcats need to stay afloat

In the Stands Report by Bookemdano: The Arizona Wildcats' football team find themselves in second place in the Pac-10 with a 3-1 record (5-2 overall).

That's a far cry from some of the preseason predictions by the prognosticators who picked the Wildcats to finish near the bottom of the 2009 standings.I know you know, and I know, that the Oregon Ducks are now the team to beat, after their convincing win last night over USC, but we all know from past experiences that we shouldn't look ahead

Chances are Mike Stoops will see to it the players get that message this week as they prepare for Washington State. Still it's a fun week to be a Wildcat fan.   Ranked No. 21 in the country and with an outside shot of finishing 8-4 (oops! getting ahead of myself, again),t he Wildcats should have their way with the Cougars on Saturday at Arizona Stadium.

Shall I offer up a prediction?  How about Arizona 44,Washington State 14?

We'll talk about it on Sunday.