Trojans prevail in ugly Pac-10 opener...

In the Stands Report by Bookemdano: The Arizona basketball team continues to struggle.

This time it counts big time. The Wildcats lost to USC 56-50 at the Galen Center last night in the Pac-10 season opener for both teams. The game was just plain ugly as both teams struggled. Unfortunately, it was the Wildcats that dug themselves a big hole early in the first half and spent the rest of the night trying desperately to catch up.

The Trojans helped the Wildcats out by playing poorly themselves. USC (9-4, 1-0) waited...and waited...and waited for the Wildcats to catch up. And Arizona almost did! The Wildcats somehow pulled to within five at 53-48 with 52 seconds remaining, but that would be as close as they could get. The Wildcats shot 27 percent from the field in the first half.

They made just seven field goals in the first 20 minutes and trailed the Trojans by 17 midway through the half. So, the Wildcats fall to 0-1 in the Pac-10 and 6-7 overall. The Wildcats continue their road trip and will take on UCLA Saturday morning. Sean Miller wants the Arizona fans to be patient.

Believe me, I'm trying to do just that. But for now, it is Sean Miller 0-1 and Kevin O'Neill 1-0 in the Pac-10. I'm getting used to Miller on the Wildcats' sideline, but O'Neill on the Trojans' sideline...that will take a while. But as Coach Miller has said over and over again, be patient.

Not a good week for UofA sports...

It's not a good week for University of Arizona sports.

On Monday night the Wildcats' basketball team lost 99-69 at McKale Center. A junior guard from BYU named Jimmer Fredette pumped in 49 points to set an individual scoring record at McKale. It wasn't pretty. It was embarrassing. It was so bad that many of the Arizona fans were forced to stand up and cheer Fredette and his unbelievable performance.

And last night in San Diego, the Wildcats left Qualcomm Stadium with their heads down after absorbing a 33-0 loss to Nebraska in the Holiday Bowl. It wasn't pretty. It was embarrassing. I love my Wildcats, but I almost hate to turn on the television this afternoon to watch the Arizona basketball team take on USC and its head coach Kevin O'Neill and follow up on Saturday morning with a game against UCLA. Both games are in California to make matters even worse. Things have got to get better.

I'm running out of Excedrin.

Arizona outclassed and out coached at Holiday Bowl...

In the Stands Report by Bookemdano: I have to admit I wasn't in the stands for this one. I didn't motor over to San Diego to watch the Wildcats take on Nebraska in the Holiday Bowl. It's just as well.

I did have a few buddies make the trip and I know they're heading home this evening disappointed, to say the least. Maybe the word I should have used in the last sentence was devastated. It was a miserable showing by the Wildcats. They were outclassed and out coached. Nebraska won 33-0.

It was as if every Nebraska player had memorized Arizona's playbook. The Cornhuskers did everything right and the Wildcats did everything wrong. I suppose I should thank ESPN for televising the exciting conclusion of the Humanitarian Bowl in Boise, Idaho, before they decided to make the switch to San Diego and the Holiday Bowl. At least I missed the first Cornhuskers' touchdown. So, in reality, I only had to absorb another 26 unanswered points and another 58 minutes of domination by Nebraska over the Wildcats.

No running game and no passing game. It seemed like the Cornhuskers' secondary knew what was coming on every passing play. What did we have...a shade over 100 yards of total offense, with most of it coming on a fourth-quarter drive that went nowhere? I must say, the Arizona Wildcats deserve a pat on the back for their outstanding regular season, eight wins, four losses, a second place finish in the Pac-10, and a bid to the Holiday Bowl.

Unfortunately, the Wildcats failed to show up in San Diego. It'll be a long ride home for my buddies and a quiet flight home for Coach Stoops and the Wildcats.

The Boss...

Every year the Kennedy Center Honors upholds a tradition of recognizing the lifelong accomplishments and extraordinary talents of individuals whom, whether we know it or not, help to shape our lives.

I took a timeout from sports last night and watched the two-hour award ceremony, honoring the five new inductees. As far as I'm concerned they saved the best for last as the final 45 minutes of the program focused on "The Boss" Bruce Springsteen.

Of course, the other four inductees--writer, composer, actor, director, and producer Mel Brooks; pianist and composer Dave Brubeck; opera singer Grace Bumbry; along with actor, director, and producer Robert De Niro--were certainly worthy individuals of the prestigious award, but Springsteen still blows his followers away with his talents as a performer and songwriter.I struggle at times to put a few words together on this blog and sometimes fail miserably.

It is not an easy undertaking to string words together, like Springsteen does, that can actually change the thoughts and attitudes of millions and millions of people. I am in awe of "The Boss" and, last  night, I took it all in as the likes of John Mellencamp, Melissa Etheridge and Sting brought the house down as they performed a string of Springsteen hits.

Over the years, I've witnessed the performances of many rock stars and I can barely make out a word or two, much less a lyric, as they rattle away on stage. But Springsteen, who will leave you exhausted by just watching him perform at a concert, gives you an insight to life's on-going struggles...and all you have to do is sit back, close your eyes and let the words filter in.

It is an amazing experience. Long live "The Boss".

Pac-10 bowl teams can still make a statement...

Oregon State and California lost bowl games last week and in doing so gave the eastern sports writers plenty of firepower, allowing them the opportunity to fill their respective tabloids with a bunch of gobbledygook about the Pac-10 being a mediocre conference.

Thanks to Southern Cal's 24-13 win over Boston College in the Emerald Bowl last Saturday and UCLA's 30-21 victory over Temple earlier today at the EagleBank Bowl, the Pac-10 has roared back to even the slate at 2-2. Now if the big boys --Arizona, Stanford and Oregon-- can come through in the next three days, the Pac-10 can finish the post-season with a respectable 5-2 record. The odds makers no longer have Arizona as a one-point favorite. The Holiday Bowl is now a pick 'em affair and I'm surprised they haven't given the edge to Nebraska with all the press releases out there regarding defensive tackle Ndamukong "he can do it all" Suh.

We'll see how it all plays out tomorrow in San Diego. Go Wildcats! As for Stanford, they have fallen to a 10-point underdog in its Sun Bowl battle on New Year's eve against the Oklahoma Sooners, while Oregon is still holding pat as a 4-point favorite over Ohio State in the Rose Bowl, slated for New Year's day. Go Stanford and go Oregon!

Diamondbacks add old guy to roster...

The Arizona Diamondbacks' latest addition to the bullpen for 2010 is an aging reliever from the San Francisco Giants, and no, it's not the return of Randy Johnson.

Instead it is Bob Howry, a 36-year-old right-hander who pitched in 63 games last season and has been in the pros for 12 years. Howry has been around a while. Heck, I remember the guy. Back in my sports reporting days (almost two decades ago when I covered prep sports in the metro Phoenix area), Howry was a teenage flame-thrower for Glendale's Deer Valley High School. That was 1991 and in 1993 he was a star pitcher for Yavapai College in Prescott.

In fact, Howry led the Roughriders to their third national championship in the spring of '93. Howry will now have the distinction of being the "old guy" on the Diamondbacks. Augie Ojeda was the old timer on the Diamondbacks' staff before this week's latest signing. Augie turned 35 on December 20. Arizona will certainly have more experience in the bullpen.

I'm still waiting on Randy Johnson. Why not add another old timer to the mix?

Jimmer Fredette sizzles...Wildcats fizzle

In the Stands Report by Bookemdano: BYU guard Jimmer Fredette broke the single-game scoring record at McKale Center last night, pouring in 49 points.

Fredette came within 20 points of out-scoring Arizona as the 13-1 Cougars rolled to a 99-69 lopsided win. It was quite a performance as the junior guard hit 16 of 23 from the field, including 9 of 13 three-pointers.

He tossed in 8 of 9 free throws and dished out 9 assists, while hauling in 7 rebounds. I've witnessed a lot of games at McKale, but I've never seen a performance like the one I witnessed last night. Why didn't we have an answer for Fredette? Couldn't we at least foul him a few times? It was almost like the Wildcats were doing the same thing I was doing: watching in awe as Fredette hit nothing but net for 37 minutes.

By the way, Fredette left the game with three minutes remaining. The Wildcats didn't stop Fredette from scoring more than 50 points...his coach did!

Don Shula can rest easy tonight...

Don Shula can rest easy tonight.

He can thank Indianapolis Colts' head football coach Jim Caldwell for the quiet, rest full sleep he'll get this evening. Caldwell decided to pull the plug late in the third quarter of today's NFL game against the New York Jets (8-7) in Indianapolis and rest his star quarterback Peyton Manning.

 he result: The Colts lose 29-15 and in doing so watched their unbeaten season go down the drain. Manning and the Colts are now 14-1 and can now concentrate fully on the playoffs and the Super Bowl. When the Indianapolis football players got up this morning, they needed to win their final two regular season games, a couple of playoff games and the Super Bowl to become the second NFL team to go unbeaten from start to finish. In 1972, the Miami Dolphins went undefeated during the regular season, won both of their playoff games and then the Super Bowl. Shula was the head coach of the Dolphins, and chances are he's on his cell phone right now, talking to his former players, discussing today's game and the unblemished record that he and the Dolphins still own.

On the other hand, Caldwell will be preparing his speech for all the television networks, explaining his decision to call off the dogs with a little over five quarters left in the regular season. The Indy fans will also be interested in Caldwell's reasoning. They may offer a few collective boos, but all will be forgiven if the Colts go on to win the Super Bowl. Two weeks ago there were two teams chasing history. The New Orleans Saints started out 13-0 this season and are now 13-2. They're history. The Colts have been erased from the unbeaten list and they're history. Shula and the 1972 Miami Dolphins established a professional football record that has stood for 38 years...that team and its coach are still the proud owners of an NFL record that may never be broken.

Pac-10 teams 0 for 2 in bowls...

It is not looking good for the Pac-10 as far as the holiday football bowls are concerned.

I expected the conference teams to make a statement early with wins at both the Las Vegas Bowl and the Poinsettia Bowl. Boy, was I wrong. Oregon State and California, two teams that gave the Wildcats fits during the regular season, failed to get the job done as the Beavers fell to BYU, 44-20, and the Bears were stung by the Utah Utes, 37-27. Eight-one points scored against the two Pac-10 schools.

As for me, there is a reason why I don't throw money down in all those office pools out there. I checked my picks last night and thank goodness I didn't hand over cash to my bookie (just kiddin'...I don't have one). I'd be 0-5 right now. I picked Florida State in the New Mexico Bowl, Central Florida in the St. Petersburg Bowl and Southern Mississippi in the New Orleans Bowl. Of course, Wyoming, Rutgers and Middle Tennessee were the three victors in those bowls. At this point, I want to get one right. I hope it'll be my Arizona Wildcats in the Holiday Bowl next Wednesday. I'll settle for one out of 34.

What have I got to lose.

Down to the wire at McKale...again!

In the Stands Report by Bookemdano: It's now time to label the young Arizona Wildcats basketball team the "cardiac kids".

 For the second night in a row senior point guard Nic Wise hit a shot with one tick left on the clock as the Wildcats escaped their home court with a 76-74 win over North Carolina State. If the Wildcats keep this up, they'll have to raise the ticket prices at McKale. Arizona's previous heart-stopping win was over little Lipscomb University from Nashville, Tennessee on Monday night when Wise canned a three-pointer at the buzzer in overtime for an 83-82 win.

Last night, it wasn't a long-range shot from Wise that produced the victory, but instead, it was a coast to coast dribble and a lay-in with one second left that gave the Wildcats their sixth win of the season.

Wise, who netted 17 points in the game,t raveled the length of the court and put up the shot with three defenders in his face.

Captain Wise had help in this one, especially from freshman Derrick Williams who chipped in 24 points, while junior Jamelle Horne, who returned to the Wildcats' lineup after a one-game absence with an ankle sprain, added 12 points and eight rebounds. Arizona basketball fans will take a collective breath and now await the Cougars from BYU on Monday night at McKale. By the way, the Cougars will enter McKale, sporting a 12-1 record, including a win over Arizona State.

Wildcats at 1,573 and counting...

T

he Kentucky Wildcats reached the 2,000-win plateau in basketball Monday night with a victory over Drexel. Kentucky now sits on top of the world as the winningest collegiate power.

How far back is Arizona? Well, our Wildcats, after their exciting win over Lipscomb last night at McKale, have won 1,573 games in 105 seasons. That puts us in the top 20. Not too bad.

Go, Arizona Wildcats!

You got to love college basketball...

In the Stands Report by Bookemdano: You got to love college basketball.

What happened at McKale Center last night will make all the sports channels highlight reels for the next week and a half. A buzzer beater to beat all buzzer beaters. Somehow Arizona's Kyle Fogg unleashed a pass to a somewhat startled Nic Wise who in turn threw up a three pointer at the buzzer to give the Arizona Wildcats an 83-82 overtime win over Lipscomb University.

When they turned the lights off at McKale last night, the Lipscomb coach was probably still wandering around the confines, pleading his case for another replay to anyone who would listen. You can't blame him. It was that close. A half a dozen replays...heck I couldn't tell. It was the Wildcats' fifth win of the season and it was over a college from Nashville, Tennessee, that has a shade over 3,000 students.

Wins are not coming easy for the Wildcats this season, but last night's miracle shot by Wise will be remembered by the Arizona fans who were in attendance for a long, long time. On paper, it shouldn't have been a contest, even for the very young, and sometimes bungling Wildcats. If there ever was a sure-fire "W" on the Wildcats' schedule, this was the one.

My goodness,the most heralded alum to come out of Lipscomb is crooner Pat Boone. If Nic's shot had bounced off the rim, Boone would of come out of retirement and exchanged those white buckskin shoes of his for some basketball shoes with a Bison logo on them. The Lipscomb University Bison played more like a herd of buffaloes heading for a watering hole last night. For 44 minutes and 59 seconds they outplayed the Wildcats.

Unfortunately for Lipscomb, the last second (or should I say fraction of a second) belonged to Nic Wise. The Wildcats' senior guard didn't disappear in this one. He scored 26 points,i ncluding the buzzer beater that put the 13,000 fans at McKale into a frenzy.

Bookemdano's top five wishes for 2010...

The diehard sports fan wants their team to rise to the top.

They cheer for the game-winning touchdown, the last second bucket or the walk-off home run that sends their team to victory. Well, Bookemdanosports is no different and here are my top five picks...my top five "dreams" for 2010.

First and foremost, the Arizona Wildcats' basketball team will somehow win 18 games, finish second in the Pac-10 with an incredible run at the end of the regular season and in doing so will qualify for the NCAA tournament.

The Arizona Cardinals will win the NFC West Division title, go crazy in the playoffs, reach the Super Bowl, and win it on a last-second, hail-Mary pass to knock off the unbeaten Indianapolis Colts.

Somehow, Andy Lopez will push the right buttons and use all his expertise to qualify the Wildcats for a trip to Omaha and the College Baseball World Series. Once there, the Wildcats will hit, steal and run their way to the title and will win the championship with a walk-off home run blast that will signal the return of Arizona to an elite status in college baseball.

As for the Arizona softball team, they will ride the strong arm of Kenzie Fowler to a Pac-10 championship and then battle their way to another NCAA title in Oklahoma City.

And finally, next year at this time, the Arizona Wildcats will cap an undefeated season with a four-touchdown victory over Ohio State in the Rose Bowl.

Aren't dreams wonderful?

Blind Side is an eye opener...

The recently released sports movie, The Blind Side, is an eye-opener and looks at how one person, and in this case, one family, can make a difference in an individual's life down on his luck.

It is a feel-good movie, and you'll leave the theater thinking better of your fellow man. Now, every time I tune into an NFL game involving the Baltimore Ravens, I  won't be looking downfield to see the result of the play. Instead, I'll be back at the line, focusing on No. 74, Michael Oher, to see if the 6-4 309-pound tackle did his job.

For all you sports fans out there, it has been well publicized how Oher, a homeless teenager, was taken in by a well-to-do family, learned to play football at a Christian school, went on to star at Ole Miss and was drafted by the Ravens earlier this year and has now started in all 13 NFL games.

I doubt Blind Side will garner any Oscars unless Sandra Bullock can beat out Meryl Streep for the best actress hardware. Bullock is outstanding in her role as the matriarch of the white, well-to-do Tuohy family, who ropes in the homeless African-American teenager and changes his life forever.

As a side note, I'm becoming a Tim McGraw fan. Not because he's a heck of a country singer or for the fact, he's the husband of Faith Hill, but because he's not too bad on the silver screen. Although McGraw, who plays Leigh Anne Tuohy's husband in Blind Side, takes second billing to Bullock's performance, I noticed his soft-spoken, behind-the-scenes portrayal of the family's breadwinner. A few years back, McGraw played the opposite in his portrayal of Charles Billingsley, an alcoholic father, in the 2004 sports movie Friday Night Lights. Two different roles, but they were two outstanding performances. As for Blind Side, I'd give it a five-star ranking and put it among the decade's best sports movies.

In the year 2010...

In the year 2010...wow!

It's finally here...just a few weeks away. Flashback...It was close to 47 years ago and I remember taking a peek at my new driver's license as I exited the MVD. I was a bubbly teenager and I was eying the expiration date on my Arizona license.

In the right hand corner it read: good until my 65th birthday...July 2, 2010. I said out loud, "Wow, that's a lifetime away." My goodness, how quickly the years have gone by. I think back and try to recall that stretch of road that led me from a know-it-all teenager to a know-nothing adult.

All those twists and turns along the way. It certainly wasn't a yellow brick road and I can't remember spending a lot of time in Kansas. Dorothy certainly had an adventure, as for me, well, somehow I've come out on the other end, still standing.

I went on a five-mile walk this morning. There's a pond a short distance from the house and beyond the pond a forest with a path that weaves by dozens of tall, eucalyptus trees and hundreds of mesquite trees. The ducks were swirling around on the surface of the pond. The sun was creeping up over the Rincon Mountains. Hawks were echoing through the forest as they scurried from one giant tree to the next. As I continued on my jaunt, I thought to myself: Would I have noticed any of those things 47 years ago?

 Probably not.

Who's on first?

Who's on first?

As far as the Arizona Diamondbacks are concerned it looks like it's going to be 23-year-old Brandon Allen. That's a "no" to Chad Tracy. That's a "no" to Tony Clark. And now, a "no" to Josh Whitesell.

 Tracy is a free agent looking for work as is Whitesell, who became a free agent Saturday. Clark may have a few swings left, but chances are pretty good he will retire to the broadcast booth, unless Josh Byrnes decides to pick up the phone and give the former Wildcat a call. The way things are going, you never know. But as it stands now, Allen is the Diamondbacks' first-sacker for 2010.

Allen played in 32 games for the Diamondbacks last season. He hit four home runs, knocked in 14 runs and batted a dismal .202. At 6-2 and weighing in at 235 pounds, the young man does have power and could pepper the right field fence with his share of hits. I guess the Diamondbacks are counting on that. It's a cinch Allen will get a day off, now and then, with left fielder Conor Jackson and third-sacker Mark Reynolds available to play first base.

Last week it was the three-team trade that made the sports headlines and brought pitchers Edwin Jackson and Ian Kennedy to the Diamondbacks, while sending the Diamondbacks' hard-throwing, right-hander Max Sherzer packing.

This week it's Whitesell. What next?

When Wise disappears, so do the Wildcats...

In the Stands Report by Bookemdano: The word wise is defined in the dictionary as cunning; shrewd; informed and having the ability to show good judgement.

Arizona's Nic Wise possesses all those qualities and most of the time you could argue the fact the Wildcats' point guard does all those things when he's on the court. He has to if the 2009 Arizona Wildcats' basketball team expects to win a game.

Last night in San Diego, Wise disappeared from the Wildcats' offense and the result: A resounding defeat to the Aztecs, 63-46.

Wise played 32 minutes and scored four points. He made 2 of nine shots and was 0 for 2 from three-point land. His teammates followed his lead as they added just 14 more field goals.

At this rate, the Wildcats will be lucky to be 6-6 when they enter the Pac-10 race in a couple of weeks. Next up for the Wildcats is a home game on Dec. 21 against Lipscomb University, a small college out of Nashville, Tennessee. While the Wildcats were getting blown out in San Diego, Lipscomb was busy dispensing Oakland City, 105-68, at its home court, Allen Arena, in Nashville.

It was Lipscomb's fourth win of the season. They have lost five. Wise and Company will need to show up at McKale on the 21st of December. Last night's loss was bad enough...losing to the Bisons from Nashville, well I hate to say it, but it won't be Wise that disappears, it'll be the Arizona fans.

Brush up on rugby and then see "Invictus"...

Before you buy the movie tickets and order your popcorn, be sure to take about five minutes or so and brush up on the game of rugby.

Then head for the theatre door, grab a seat and watch Morgan Freeman portray South Africa president Nelson Mandela in Clint Eastwood's latest gem, Invictus.

In 1995, Mandela used the sport of rugby to bring a nation together, and now, Freeman, in 2009, uses his talent as an actor to show the world on the silver screen how one man's courage and fortitude brought together a nation of 43 million.

As for a quick-reference guide on rugby, it is football without pads and it is rough. Forty-minute halves and no timeouts. No forward passing...and if you have a kicker who can boot the ball a long way, that will help. Field goals are worth three points, extra points are two, and if you can battle your way across the goal line it is worth five points. There you go.

Of course, there's a few more rules (but not many), but that's enough to make you a little more knowledgeable then the fella next to you who just asked his friend next to him,"What is the score?"

A conversation with the "Coach"...

This evening I tagged along with my better half, Sue Crain, to a real estate agent's function at the the Tanque Verde Guest Ranch. At these functions, I usually just sit around and listen to everyone yak about the real estate business in the state of Arizona...or should I say the lack of it.

Luckily, I was setting next to a gentleman, who the rest of the people at the table affectionately referred to as "Coach". Turns out, it was none other than Dick McConnell, the winningest high school basketball coach in Arizona. Now, at 79, Dick and his wife, Clarine, dabble in the real estate market and, fortunately for me, the McConnell's were present at the function...and it wasn't long before I had Coach McConnell cornered and we starting "rapping" about basketball.

The stories were endless as we discussed players, teams and coaches from the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, all the way up to the present time. It was an enjoyable hour. McConnell owns the state record in wins with 714,  most of those coming in his 38 years as the boys' head basketball coach at Tucson Sahuaro High School. McConnell has mentored many young men who have gone on to coach basketball in Arizona, like Santa Rita's Jim Ferguson and Ironwood Ridge's Brian Peobody. His son, Rick, is currently the head boys' basketball coach at Mesa Dobson High School and his grandson, Mickey McConnell, is a junior guard at Saint Mary's College. Mickey broke and then established the career-scoring record (1,650 points) and career-assists record (545) at Dobson High School a few years ago.

One of Coach McConnell's comments, during our table-talk, had me shaking my head. McConnell said, "I had some chances to coach college ball, but you know, all I ever wanted to do was be a high school basketball coach." His decision was a good one. Just ask Peobody or Ferguson, they'd second that. McConnell has been away from coaching for three years now and he misses it. "We do keep busy...seems like we're always at a basketball game somewhere." McConnell said a lot of his coaching buddies stopped coaching too early in their lives. Coach McConnell certainly didn't. He kept it up well into his 70s. That decision alone, gave many more young players a chance to learn from the best: Coach Dick McConnell.

Fogg lifts at McKale...

In the Stands Report by Bookemdano: With Kyle Fogg inserted into the starting lineup, the Arizona Wildcats rolled to an 83-67 win over Louisiana Tech (7-2) last night at McKale Center.

 Fogg created plays, played tough defensively, hit a couple of three-pointers and scored 11 points to lead the balanced Wildcats' attack as Arizona (4-4) finished the night with five players scoring in double figures.

It didn't look like the same Arizona team that had been blown out just a few days ago by the Oklahoma Sooners. The Wildcats led at the half 35-31 and gradually pulled away in the second half. Despite a handful of turnovers midway through the second half, the Wildcats were able to increase their lead to 68-53 with five minutes remaining in the game.

Nic Wise led the Wildcats' scoring with 24 points,while Jamelle Horne pumped in 20. Solomon Hill chipped in 14 and Derrick Willams added 11. But it was Fogg, who at least for the moment, has cleared up, at least in Sean Miller's mind, the player to start for the Wildcats in the backcourt along with Captain Wise.

Goodbye Max...

The Arizona Diamondbacks' Josh Brynes is at it again. Say goodbye to flame thrower Max Sherzer and hello to newcomers Edwin Jackson and Ian Kennedy.

Sounds like a couple of U.S. Senators from back east. Nope! Instead, we have the new No. 3 and No. 4 Diamondbacks' starters for 2010. Of course, we're a long way from spring training, but it looks like we can pencil in Webb, Haren, Kennedy and Jackson, thanks to a three-team swap with the Yankees and the Tigers on Wednesday that sent both Sherzer and reliever Daniel Schlereth packing.

I didn't see that trade coming. I figured Max would be around for a while. I didn't get a chance to see Daniel perform much, but he should have been a keeper just because he's a former Wildcat. All kidding aside, the trade may turnout to be a good one for the Diamondbacks. We have 162 games to see what happens. What next? Could it be a one-year contract for a reliever named Randy Johnson?

Whitey and The Umpire...

This summer a couple of old guys will be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame at Cooperstown.

Recently, I got a kick out of watching both of them jawing at each other during an interview on the MLB cable show, Hot Stove. The two inductees are none other than Whitey Herzog and Doug Harvey. Thirty years ago, the two were performing on the field -- Herzog as a manager and Harvey, as the umpire of umpires. Harvey was a Major League umpire from 1962 to 1992 and on more than one occasion gave Herzog, who managed both the Kansas City Royals (1975-1979) and the St. Louis Cardinals (1980-1990), the heave-ho.

It didn't look like they were buddies then. I can remember seeing Herzog jawing away with his red face stuck way up under Harvey's chin. Of course, that's part of baseball and their duels on the field add to the game itself. I know one thing, I'd love to be stuck at an airport for a few hours, waiting for the weather to clear and find myself at the local bar, listening attentively to the two men. The stories they can share about Major League baseball, on and off the field, must be endless.

 f I ever get such a chance, I'd better have a couple of spiral notebooks and a handful of pens available. What fun that would be. Herzog, now 78, won over 1200 games as a manager in the big leagues, including a World Series title with the Cardinals in 1982, and Harvey, now 79...my goodness, he's umpired over 4600 games in the Majors.

Both of these fellas deserve to be in the Baseball Hall of Fame. You have to wonder, what took so long?

Perfection!

Perfection!

Two professional football teams are chasing the unblemished record. Sixteen games without defeat.

Sixteen weeks against the best the NFL has to offer...add to that a couple of playoff wins and a Super Bowl victory...and that makes it nineteen! Highly unlikely and down right impossible. It is hard to do and it is a rarity. It has happened only once. Back in 1972, the Miami Dolphins went 14-0 during the regular season (back in those days, they had it a little easier), won two playoff games and then defeated the Washington Redskins in Super Bowl VII.

Seventeen wins without a loss. I was 26 years old at the time, and if you're my age and a pro football fan, then you'd remember what went down and the names of the guys who accomplished the feat. Do these names ring a bell? Bob Griese, Earl Morrall, Larry Csonka, Mercury Morris, Paul Warfield and head coach Don Shula. Fast forward to this season and you have the Indianapolis Colts and the New Orleans Saints at 12-0. Two very good football teams with two very good quarterbacks, Peyton Manning for the Colts and Drew Brees for the Saints. I hope I didn't jinx the two teams by bringing this up. I have a habit of doing that.

I can't see it happening this year, but then again, I'm not a very good fortuneteller, either.

This Tiger thing...hurts

It'll never be the same along the fairways again.

Oh, the crowds will be there every time Tiger Woods approaches a ball and eyes the green. And there will be that familiar roar when he hits one of his gorgeous approach shots. What will be different is how his fans will look at him as he walks up the fairway. The fans will eye Tiger and wonder why. Why could he have done this? All that money...all that glory...and all that talent, wasted.

If you're a Tiger fan it hurts and I suppose if you're not a fan, then you'll enjoy all the jokes. Kobe Bryant has lived through it and still has success on the basketball court. But the money thing alone, it is just not close in comparison. Tiger is practically an institution...Kobe is simply a very good basketball player that makes millions. Tiger makes billions before he even tees up for a drive.

Another writer would follow the above sentence up with: Watch out for fire hydrants. Not me, not now...not ever. This is a sad turn of events...even if one quarter of it turns out to be true. In the future, we will not see an asterisk by Tiger's records. We won't need that mark or footnote to dissect Tiger's accomplishments. We won't have that luxury. We, like Tiger, will have to live with this for a long time. Unfortunately, it'll be Tiger Woods who has to walk up the fairway with the world watching.

And while we're at it...Go Toby!

As long as we're rooting for all the Pac 10 teams to come out on top at this year's bowl games, let's throw in our votes for Stanford's Toby Gerhart for the Heisman Trophy.

On Saturday, I expect the hardware will go to Florida quarterback Tim Tebow or the Texas signal-caller, Colt McCoy. But why not give it to Gerhart? The 6-1, 235-pound senior rushed for 1,736 yards and 26 touchdowns...the most by any player in the country.

Against the Fighting Irish last week, Gerhart rushed for 205 yards and three touchdowns...and pretty much hammered the final nail in the coffin for old Charlie's job at Notre Dame. And against the Ducks, earlier in the season, Gerhart rushed for a season-high 223 yards and three touchdowns as Stanford edged Oregon, 51-42. In his collegiate career, Gerhart amassed 3,387 yards and 42 touchdowns.

Okay, so he's not a quarterback. Maybe, I'll receive a phone call this week and be asked to pencil in the deciding vote. Just kidding. So, maybe the best I can hope for is for Gerhart to run wild at the Sun Bowl. The people who are setting the line for these bowl games have Oklahoma favored by 9 1/2. They don't expect Toby to do much...and historically, they haven't favored the Pac 10 to do much either.

This year they are doing better, they actually have the Pac 10 teams favored in most of the bowls...including, believe it or not, Arizona, favored by 1! Go Toby and go Pac 10.

Let's go bowling...

Listen up readers. This is the time to not only get behind our Arizona Wildcats, but it is time to get behind the Pac 10 as well.

Six bowl participants...maybe seven if UCLA squeaks in. And I'm betting, we (the Pac 10) will show the rest of the country that we are a conference to reckon with. The "Big Daddy" of them all, the Rose Bowl, has our Oregon Ducks taking on Ohio State and the Wildcats get second billing as they go up against the Nebraska Cornhuskers in the Holiday Bowl.

Stanford gets third billing as they'll tangle with Oklahoma at the Sun Bowl. Our fourth representative, Oregon State, gets BYU at the Las Vegas Bowl, while the USC Trojans, even in a down year, will get its shot at knocking off Boston College at the Emerald Bowl. And if that isn't enough, we have Cal taking on the Utah Utes at the Poinsettia Bowl. We may even find UCLA in the EagleBank Bowl...if Navy gets by Army this weekend. So, let's get ready, get the old refrigerator packed and prepare to cheer on the Pac 10 teams. Why not go 6-0 or 7-0? It could happen!

For your information: Below is the bowl schedule involving the Pac 10 teams.




Rose Bowl:
Oregon vs. Ohio State
Jan. 1, 1:30 pm

Holiday Bowl:
Arizona vs. Nebraska
Dec. 30 5:00 pm

Sun Bowl:
Stanford vs. Oklahoma
Dec. 31, 11:00 am

Las Vegas Bowl:
Oregon State vs. BYU
Dec. 22, 5:00 pm

Emerald Bowl:
USC vs. Boston College
Dec. 26, 5:00 pm

Poinsettia Bowl:
Cal vs. Utah
Dec. 23, 5:00 pm

EagleBank Bowl:
UCLA or Army vs. Temple
Dec. 29, 1:30 PM

Wildcats need more "home cooking"...

In the Stands Report by Bookemdano: The young and simply not very good (at this moment, anyway) Arizona Wildcats' basketball team needs more "home cooking".

It'll be a little easier on them losing at home, because on the road they are simply going to be "road kill". Unfortunately, the Wildcats will be at home maybe 14 more times this season and I figure they'll win half of those games. The Wildcats showed up for their first official "road test" last night at Oklahoma. The game was over after one minute of play. You could see the frustration in Sean Miller's face. His facial expressions didn't change much over the following 39 minutes and the Wildcats left the court after absorbing a 79-62 defeat.

I hate to be negative about the Wildcats and if you've read my recent articles on Bookemdanosports you'd know that I don't say too many bad things about my beloved Wildcats. But how many times can I say it...they are young. The Wildcats may win their next four, split, or lose all four. Next up, Louisiana Tech.

As for me, nothing changes, I'll be there on the edge of my seat, rooting them on.

Fans will wait til the final click of the clock at the Holiday Bowl

It is early Sunday morning and in a few hours it will be official. The Arizona Wildcats, who are still celebrating their giant win over USC, will meet the Cornhuskers from Nebraska in the Holiday Bowl, slated for Dec. 30 in San Diego.

It's been a bumpy road for the Wildcats, but to their credit they've hung in there and were able to grab that coveted eighth win of the season with their stunning 21-17 win over the Trojans. The Cornhuskers, on the other hand, own a 9-4 record and they came within one second on Saturday of victory No. 10, but the replay convinced the officials to add back a second on the clock and allowed Texas to knock through a 46-yard field goal as the Longhorns escaped with a 13-12 win.

Just moments before, the Nebraska fans were ready to storm the field after Longhorns' quarterback Colt McCoy had unleashed a pass that sailed out-of-bounds. The officials gathered around the monitor and discovered that one second still remained in the battle. So, the Nebraska fans watched, some with probably their heads down, as the kick sailed through the uprights. It reminds me a little of the Arizona-Oregon game. The Arizona fans thought their Wildcats had won that one too, but in the end they were forced to watch the Oregon quarterback orchestrate a game-winning touchdown to the dismay of 59,000 plus fans at Arizona Stadium.

I get the feeling that both the Arizona fans and the Nebraska fans will wait til the stadium clock hits zero in San Diego. We hope it'll be the Arizona fans who will storm the field in this one.

What is this world coming to...

It's Saturday morning and I'm enjoying my third cup of coffee while blogging away on my trusty old laptop. I came across a story on Ken Stone's Masters.com that had me shaking my head. I took a deep breath and smiled. What is this world coming to?

 Stone was discussing a rumor (and I hope that is all it is)about the possibility of drug testing for the Masters athletes. Oh, my goodness...nothing like an old time athlete on drugs. I can't see this ever coming to pass. But if it did, I can just see an old timer in his 80s, competing in a track meet at some local senior games, being pulled off to the side and reprimanded for taking too many Cortisone shots. Are we getting that competitive? I guess we are.

I suppose if I was a world-class runner and fighting father time, I wouldn't want some guy from Germany, shot up with who knows what, beating me by 10 meters. I know one thing for sure, if a bunch of guys, wearing black suits and ties, showed up at Tucson Udall Park to see the Tucson Old Timers (TOTS) play baseball and then issued a drug test following the game, we might as well pack up our bats and balls and take up knitting. All kidding aside, I'm sure the concern is not with a bunch of old timers playing baseball...although I did see a player or two at the Mens Senior Baseball League (MSBL) World Series that could of...nah...no way.

Inability to get the ball in the hole leads to Wildcats' loss...

In the Stands Report by Bookemdano: It took two overtimes to decide it.

 In the end, the 24th-ranked UNLV Rebels (6-0) escaped McKale with a 74-72 win over the Arizona Wildcats last night. Arizona did not lose this game in the first half, nor did they lose it in the first or second overtime. The Wildcats lost because of their dismal shooting in the second half. Arizona led 34-31 at the half, but spent the first 11 minutes of the second half bouncing ball after ball off the rim.

Arizona (3-3) shot a miserable 24 percent (6 of 25) in the final 20 minutes of regulation.The Wildcats scored a total of 20 points in the half as both teams played to a 54-54 tie at the end of regulation. Six field goals in the second half...and two of those came during that miserable 11-minute stretch!

Without freshman sensation Derrick Williams, the Wildcats would have scored just 44 points on the night. Williams kept the Wildcats' hopes alive by pumping in 28 points during the 32 minutes he was on the court. Another tough loss...another learning experience for the young Wildcats.

At last some respect...

In the Stands Report by Bookemdano: At last some respect. Take a gander at this comment from USC blogger Ben Malcomson posted yesterday:

  Arizona enters the Coliseum this Saturday sporting a 7-4 record, though the won-loss total doesn't quite represent the team's potency, as all four losses have come via narrow, heartbreaking finishes.The Wildcats lost by 10 at previously unbeaten Iowa, by three on a fluke play at Washington, by eight on another insane play at California and then by three in double overtime against Oregon. Even with the wild finishes, Arizona was once sitting at 6-2 overall and in second place in the Pac-10, so the Trojans are facing a tough task on Saturday."They've had a very difficult season, but they're a very, very good football team," Carroll said about the Wildcats during the team meeting this afternoon.

Nice to hear and read such stuff from USC fans and from Mr. Carroll himself. Now, Wildcats. Let's hit the Coliseum running and let's post that eight-win regular season and then let's go "bowling".

Yankee known as "Old Reliable" dies at 96...

Some of you old timers may recall his "playing days" a little better than I can.

 I was five years old when he took his final at bat with the 1950 New York Yankees. His name was Tommy Henrich and they called him "Old Reliable" for his clutch hits. He died December 1 at the age of 96.

From what I understand he had been the last of the surviving teammates of the great Lou Gehrig. I remember seeing him on TV in the dugouts in the late 50s, as first a coach for the Yankees, then the Giants and finally with the Detroit Tigers. Henrich, who played right field and first base, was pretty good with the stick. He finished, after 11 seasons, with a .282 batting average and a 183 home runs.