Carey, Wildcats roll at AdvoCare V100 Bowl

Arizona Wildcats Football

AdvoCare V100 Bowl


Ka'Deem Carey rushed for 169 yards on 27 carries and two touchdowns as the Arizona Wildcats roll over Boston College 42-19 today at the AdvoCare V100 Bowl in Shreveport, La.

Carey had a lot of help from his teammates in this one as Trey Griffey, son of Ken Griffey Jr. caught two touchdown passes, quarterback B.J. Denker ran for another score and defensive back William Parks intercepted a pass and ran it in from 69 yards to give the Wildcats six touchdowns on the day. Wide-receiver Nate Phillips was the setup man today with nine catches for 193 yards and Denker finished his college career, going 17 for 24 for 275 yards and two TD passes to Griffey.

Arizona (8-5) used a balance attack today to get by the Eagles. The Wildcats rushed for 254 yards and passed for 275 yards, while the defense did its job as well, limiting the Eagles to 351 yards of total offense -- just 145 on the ground while giving up just 75 of those yards to Boston College star running back Andre Williams.

Way to go, Wildcats!

And a special note for Mr. Carey. Please comeback!

Ed Rife's base-clearing triple is a crowd-pleaser

TOTS Senior Baseball Network (TSBN)

60-and-over baseball

Game of the Week

Ed Rife, 76, with his family in the stands cheering on his every move, led Team Blue to a 10-7 win over Team White in a 60-and-over Tucson Old Timers (TOTS) baseball game today at Udall Park.

Rife, who throws right handed but bats left, ripped a bases-loaded triple in the bottom of the sixth inning, just inside the first baseline, to cap off a five-run inning as Team Blue came from behind to earn the win.

The ball rolled all the way to the fence and Rife scampered all the way to third base. "They (the third base coach and Team Blue's dugout) wanted to send me home, but I was out of gas."

Right-hander Dan Lundwall pitched all seven innings for Team White and was saddled with the loss, while right-hander Lloyd Barzell picked up the victory.

Ed's family came all the way from Charlotte, North Carolina to spend the Christmas holiday in Tucson and take in an old-timers' game or two while they are here. They certainly weren't disappointed today and more than once you could hear the words being belted out,  "Way to go, Grandpa!"

Of course everyone on the field of play was a "Grandpa." But in the eyes of the Rife family, there is only one grandpa worth yelling for.

Photo: Grandpa Ed.

Note: Ed Rife, born in Akron, Ohio, turns 77 tomorrow, December 28. Happy Birthday, Ed…and nice hit!

Photos: Mr. Smooth, Ed Rife

No. 1 Wildcats wallop NAU

Arizona Wildcats Basketball


The unbeaten and top-ranked Arizona Wildcats head home for the Christmas holiday with a 13-0 non-conference record as they top visiting NAU 77-44 tonight at McKale Center.

Four Wildcats hit in double figures with Nick Johnson leading the way with 20 points as Arizona used a smothering defense to start the game and led 41-17 at the half. Rondae Hollis-Jefferson chipped in 14 points, while Brandon Ashley and Gabe York netted 11 and 10 points, respectively.

T.J. McConnell dished out six assists, while Ashley hauled down nine rebounds and Hollis-Jefferson grabbed eight boards as coach Sean Miller cleared the bench in the waning moments of the game.

The Wildcats had nine steals in the game and turned the ball over just five times.

Way to go, Wildcats!

The Pac-12 Conference awaits.

Team Priceless takes 2nd place in fantasy football league

UPC Hood Fantasy Football League

Team Priceless


My quest for my first ever championship in the UPC Hood Fantasy Football League came to a screeching halt in the first quarter of the Bears-Eagles game on Sunday night.

I held a slim 23-point lead going into the the game, knowing full well my lead wouldn't hold up as my opponent in the league finale, Team Arps, had Nick Foles and LeSean McCoy, while I had Philly wide-receiver DeSean Jackson left on my roster.

Of course, Philadelphia took a 21-0 lead early on and went on to a 54-11 win over Chicago as Foles threw two touchdown passes (none to Jackson) and McCoy ran wild with two touchdown runs and amassed 133 rushing yards to become the first Eagles player since 1949 to lead the NFL in rushing.

Team Priceless ended up with just 104 fantasy points as quarterback Drew Brees collected just 15 points as the New Orleans Saints loses to Carolina, 13-17.

I'll have to settle for second place, by far the best I've done in four years as a member of the league.

Congrats, Team Arps.

It's an even dozen for the No.1 Wildcats

Arizona Wildcats Basketball


It's an even dozen for the No. 1 Arizona Wildcats basketball team as they cruised to a 69-43 win at McKale tonight over the Southern University Jaguars.

Aaron Gordon went 8 for 11 from the field, but just 4 of 10 from the free throw line and finished with 21 points. four rebounds and two assists, while Nick Johnson knocked down four of eight from the field and nine of 11 from the charity line for 17 points as the Wildcats improve to 12-0 on the season.

Brandon Ashley comes up with a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds, while Rondae Hollis-Jefferson in his first starting role chips in eight points and eight rebounds. Jefferson got the start tonight in place of the injured Kaleb Tarczewski.

The Wildcats led 34-19 at the half and outscored the Jaguars 35-24 in the second half.

Arizona  (12-0) closes out its non-conference schedule with a home game on Monday against Northern Arizona (3-7).

Team Priceless advances to championship game in fantasy league

UPC Hood Fantasy Football League

Team Priceless


For the first time ever my Team Priceless will play for the championship in the UPC Hood Fantasy Football League.

DeSean Jackson led the way this week with 25 fantasy points as the Philadelphia wide receiver caught 10 passes for 195 receiving yards and a touchdown. In the real world the Eagles lost 48-30 to Minnesota on Sunday and wasted an outstanding performance from Jackson and quarterback Nick Foles, who completed 30 of 48 passes for 428 yards and three touchdowns.

Another one of my fantasy players, Pittsburgh's Antonio Brown, capped the day off on Sunday by running wild in the first quarter of the Steelers-Bengals game with a 12-yard TD reception from Ben Roethlisberger and  a 67-yard punt return as he led the Steelers to an early 21-0 lead. Pittsburgh went on to beat the Bengals, 30-20, and Brown finished with 18 fantasy points.

As for Drew Brees, the Team Priceless quarterback, he had a crazy day as New Orleans lost to St. Louis, 27-16, but  the Saints' quarterback racked up 33 fantasy points with a 393-yard passing day, with one touchdown via the airways and another on a quarterback sneak.

I had some help from my running backs today as well as Arizona's Rashard Mendenhall scored two touchdowns and tallied 18 fantasy points, while Dallas running back DeMarco Murray rushed for 134 yards and a touchdown for 20 fantasy points as the Cowboys lost a heart-breaker to Green Bay.

All in all, Team Priceless accumulated 161 fantasy points and knocked Three Feet Right, the league front runner, out of the playoffs and will now play for the league title next week against Team Arps, who edged the No. 2 seeded Assassins, 121-72, this week in the other league semifinal.

It's a crazy finish in the UPC Hood Fantasy Football League this year as the top two seeds are knocked out of the playoffs, leaving the three-seed, Team Arps, to fight it out with the fifth-seeded Team Priceless for the title.

Needless to say, I'm a happy fantasy owner for making it to the final. Now all I have to do is go up against and beat Team Arps and its quarterback Nick Foles, the former Arizona Wildcat.

It's still early and the No. 1 Arizona Wildcats have another win under their belt

Arizona Wildcats Basketball


It's still early in the day and the top-ranked Arizona Wildcats (11-0) have another win under their belt.

The Wildcats travel across the country, play an early morning (Arizona time) game at Michigan and come away with a 72-70 win over the No. 25 Wolverines.

Down 11 points early in the second half, the Wildcats storm back and get double-figure scoring from four players to improve to 11-0 on the season and hang on to their number one ranking.

Brandon Ashley led the way with 18 points, while Kaleb Tarczewski, Aaron Gordon and Nick Johnson rattled the nets for 14 points apiece. Johnson hit a hand full of key free throws down the stretch as Arizona knocked down its first 14 free throws, before missing one on purpose with 1.4 second left on the clock.

Wow! I can sit back in my easy chair and relax the rest of the day.

Way to go, Wildcats! Come on home and prepare for your final two non-conference games of the season against Southern University and Northern Arizona.

The Bucket Brigade

TOTS Senior Baseball Network (TSBN)

60-and-over baseball

They play two games at a time on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

One is played out on the field, wearing gloves, and everything. The other is played by the Bucket Brigade, over by the dugout.

The TOTs play year-around. When it gets really hot in the summer, they start earlier, and when it gets brutally cold, as it is now, Jim, the Scorekeeper, and other leather-bottomed guys, line up on buckets next to Jim out in the sun, and play the Other Game.

"Did you call that a fielders' choice on the ball I hit to the second baseman when he fell down and threw the ball to the left fielder?"

"How can you say I struck out when the ball was so far outside that the catcher missed it? I don't care what the ump said!"

"How can you call that an error on me? I never touched the ball! It went between my legs, for Pete's sake!"

"How many outs are there, Jim?  Four, again?"

The game on the field is often interesting and exciting. And while the game played by the Bucket Brigade is played sitting down, it is a lot more interesting than the other game. It is a kind of Second Chance Baseball. It is a chance to raise one's batting average, and to pick up an RBI or two. It is a second chance. It is redemption.

Note: From the blog of Conrad Royksund at: www.smokesound.blogspot.com

Photo: The Bucket Brigade

"Nebraska" a must see for us old-timers

It's been a while since I've seen a good movie, but today I settled back in a theatre seat and watched the new Bruce Dern flick, Nebraska.

It's a must-see for old-timers like me. Dern plays an old man in his 80s who thinks he wins a million-dollar sweepstakes and, with the winning ticket in his shirt pocket, heads out on foot from Billings, Montana to Lincoln, Nebraska to collect his money.

Dern's portrayal as the crusty, old Woody Grant is a thing of beauty, if you can get by the scraggly beard and his unruly hair, or what's left of it.

The movie turns in to that age old scenario about a father-son relationship, which in this case is more of the son trying desperately to understand his father. As the film moves slowly to its ending the son discovers little in that regard, but does discover his love for his old man.

All relationships have their moments and Hollywood time and time again presses on the heart strings and comes up with story lines which display the difficulties which can arise with those one-on-one encounters, especially when they involve father and son.

I can think of three movies which have moved me to the point of tears with scenes that tear right into the gut when it comes to a father-son conflict. See if any of these ring a bell. Affliction with Nick Nolte and the great character actor James Coburn. How about The Rookie was Dennis Quaid and Brian Cox? And maybe my favorite of all, Nothing in Common, with Tom Hanks as the son and Jackie Gleason as the father.

For a movie buff like me, who enjoys getting his heart strings pulled, I can pick out the scenes in the trio of old films I just mentioned and recall each and every tear-jerking scene as if I'd just seen them today, right along with Nebraska.

In The Rookie, there's a scene near the end where Jimmy Morris, after pitching in his first-ever major league game, hands the game ball to his father. It will get your heart pumping. And in Nothing in Common, the scene at the end of the movie where the father praises his son for being there for him as they leave the hospital -- the father in a wheelchair, the son smiling from ear to ear. As for Affliction, brace yourself for a not-so-happy ending.

As for Nebraska, Alexander Payne sees to it no words are said in the final moments of the film. In this case, a picture paints a thousand words.

So, for all my old-time friends out there, the next time it rains go rent all of the above and see if you can hold back the tears.

As for Dern, if he doesn't win an Oscar for Nebraska, I will be surprised. I haven't seen a lot of Dern lately. I mean how many years has it been since he shot John Wayne in the back in Cowboys? 

My goodness, the answer to that question is 1972!

Movie trivia: Affliction was released in 1997, The Rookie in 2002 and Nothing in Common way back in 1986.

No. 1 Wildcats roll on

Arizona Wildcats Basketball


The No. 1 team in the land struggled a bit at the outset before turning on the after-burners and rolling to an easy 74-48 win over New Mexico State last night at McKale Center.

Monster dunks by Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and Nick Johnson highlighted the Arizona Wildcats' encounter with the Aggies, a team with a roster which included a 7-5 center. The big front line for the Aggies just weren't quick enough to stay with the Wildcats as Brandon Ashley (15 points, six rebounds), Kaleb Tarczewski (14 points, five boards), Aaron Gordon (11 points, four boards) and Jefferson (12 points, eight boards, three assists) ran around, over and through New Mexico State en route to their 10th win of the season.

T.J. McConnell led the team in assists with six, while Johnson served up four. McConnell added nine points, three rebounds and three steals, while Johnson tallied eight points before fouling out late in the game.

Arizona is just one of two teams in Division 1 sporting a 10-0  record this season. The Wisconsin Badgers have also won their first ten games.

The Wildcats won the rebound battle last night, 38-22, and ended up shooting 51 percent from the field (29 for 56), while holding the Aggies to 48 points. New Mexico State hits only 15 of 46 shots from the field.

Next up: Arizona travels to Michigan for a 10 AM, Saturday morning tip-off.

An early start for the Wildcats. Here's hoping the Wildcats get off to a good start against the Wolverines (6-3). Michigan is 4-0 at home this season, but lost on the road to Duke 79-69 on Dec. 3. Both teams have played Long Beach State this season. Arizona beat Long Beach at home 91-57, while the Wolverines knocked off the 49ers 85-61 in an early-season tourney in Puerto Rico.

B-ball Update: Fourth-ranked Wisconsin improved to 11-0 late last night with an easy 78-52 win over in-state rival Milwaukee.

Arizona Wildcats to face a real "big man" at McKale

Arizona Wildcats Basketball

The Arizona Wildcats take on the New Mexico State Aggies on Wednesday night at McKale and the visitors will bring with them a real BIG man.

The center for the Aggies is Sim Bhullar.

Bhullar is a 7-foot-5 sophomore and tips the scales at 360 pounds and he has a younger brother, Tanveer, who the Aggies are redshirting this season. His brother is 7'3" and the two of them will be quite the twin-tower combo in 2014.

As for Sim, who hails from Toronto and played high school ball in Huntington, West Virgina, he averaged 10.1 points, 6.7 rebounds and 2.4 blocks a game as a freshman, which earned him WAC Freshman of the Year honors.

Okay, Mr. Tarczewski, you'd better lace up those over-sized tennis shoes you have for tomorrow night.

Photo: That's the little fella on the left.

Team Priceless rolls into fantasy league semifinals

UPC Hood Fantasy Football League

Team Priceless



Team Priceless won its quarterfinal matchup in Week 14 of the UPC Hood Fantasy Football League, getting fantasy-point production from everyone in the lineup en route to a 155-88 win over Nut Rub to advance to the league's semifinals in Week 15.

New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees led the onslaught with 36 fantasy points, but it didn't stop there as Marques Colston (24 points), Antonio Brown (19), DeSean Jackson (10), Rashard Mendenhall (10), DeMarco Murray (14), Julius Thomas (9) and newly-acquired Marcel Reece, a surprising 21 fantasy points, lifted Team Priceless (9-5) to its ninth win of the season.

Four teams remain as Team Priceless, the fifth seed, will take on the No. 1 seed Three Feet Right (11-2) this week, while Team Arps (10-4), the third seed, takes on the No. 2 seed, Assassins (10-3) in the other semifinal matchup.

Team Arps rolled to its quarterfinal win with a convincing 147-91 win over Peach Fuzz Manholes, while Three Feet Right and the Assassins were able to sit back and enjoy a bye.

As for Three Feet Right, its star running back Adrian Peterson (Vikings) was hurt in Week 14 and is questionable  for Week 15. That could be a big blow to the top-seeded Three Feet Right.

Three Feet Right still has plenty of firepower, including Dallas quarterback Tony Romo, or they could go with Arizona quarterback Carson Palmer. Team Priceless will stick with Brees, no surprise there. Their back-up quarterback is Eli Manning (GIANTS) and hasn't been called upon all season.

The Assassins have Tom Brady (New England) or Matthew Stafford (Detroit) to choose from at the quarterback position, while Team Arps has a Philadelphia flavor to their squad with Nick Foles at the helm at quarterback and an outstanding running back in LeSean McCoy.

It's come down to the final four.

Let the fantasy points fall where they may.

Congrats, 'Cats…You're #1

Arizona Wildcats Basketball


The AP Poll came out today and as expected our Arizona Wildcats basketball team is ranked No. 1. Congrats, 'Cats! Now the fun begins as every opponent on the Wildcats' schedule will have that extra incentive to knock off the top-ranked team in the land.

First up: New Mexico State University. The Aggies come to town on Wednesday with guns a blazin' and the Wildcats hope to take away their firepower early, defend their home court and improve to 10-0.

The new top-10: 1) Arizona 2) Syracuse 3) Ohio State 4) Wisconsin 5) Michigan State 6) Louisville 7) Oklahoma State 8) Duke 9) UConn 10) Villanova. In the Pac-12, Oregon is ranked 15th this week and Colorado moves into the 21st spot.

I had the honor of shaking hands with Ka'Deem tonight

Arizona Wildcats Football

Ka'Deem Carey


I won't say I was dragged by my better half tonight to Loews Ventana Canyon to listen to an hour of Christmas caroling, I did go along willingly and has it turned out I was glad I did.

I ran into Ka'Deem Carey in the lobby. The Arizona running back was just finishing up an interview, along with a few of his teammates, who I figured out later were on hand for some interviews following the football team's banquet, which was held earlier in the evening at the resort.

I must say I was impressed with Mr. Carey, who was dressed in a suit and tie and was answering question after question from the reporters, while shading his eyes from the glare of the TV cameras.

I, of course, introduced myself as Carey walked away from his final interview. I shook hands with the young man and broke the ice by saying, "I see your uncle at least once a year," referring of course to Vance Johnson, the former University of Arizona running back who went on to play for the Denver Broncos.

Every year, I motor up to Parachute, Colorado to visit my son, who lives in the small burg which is located 35 miles east of Grand Junction. Johnson owns a restaurant/bar in Parachute and it is a well-known "watering hole" for my son and many residents in the area, and it's also a special stop-off point along I-70 for Bronco fans who travel east and west on the interstate on a daily bases.

Johnson was a member of the "Three Amigos" -- a trio of receivers from the 1980s who were on the receiving end of many passes from Denver quarterback John Elway.

Here we are close to 30 years later and it is Johnson's nephew, Carey, who is now in the spotlight. With over 4,000 career rushing yards, Carey heads into the AdvoCare Bowl in Shreveport, La. on New Year's Eve as the University of Arizona's all-time rushing record holder.

I patted Carey on the back as we parted ways tonight and told him how much I enjoyed watching him run up and down the football field this season. I almost asked him if he would be coming back to Arizona next season, but I didn't. The reporters had already floated that question once or twice tonight.

I hope he returns.

As for Vance, well if you're ever on I-70 and heading for Denver, stop-off at his place, VJ's Outlaw Ribbs, have a bite to eat and a cool one, take a look at the pictures on the wall, and, if you're lucky, Mr. Johnson may be around to talk some football.

Arizona to play Boston College at AdvoCare Bowl

Arizona Wildcats Football

AdvoCare V100 Bowl


The Arizona Wildcats will play Boston College in the AdvoCare V100 Bowl in Shreveport, La. on Dec. 31. Formerly called the Independence Bowl, this year's matchup will be televised on ESPN. Game time is set for 12:30 pm, Eastern Standard Time.

The matchup pairs the nation's top two running backs in Andre Williams from Boston College and Arizona's Ka'Deem Carey. Both running backs are finalist for the Doak Walker Award and will meet on Wednesday in Orlando for the announcement of the winner.

Need big fantasy-point production from Brees, Murray and Jackson in Week 14

UPC Hood Fantasy Football League

Team Priceless


Week 14 is the week of the first playoff games in the UPC Hood Fantasy Football League.

Needless to say, it's time for my key players on Team Priceless to step up and get the job done. I need a big day from New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees, Dallas running back DeMarco Murray and Philadelphia wide receiver DeSean Jackson, just to name a few. I could get some help from Denver tight end Julius Thomas and could get a little support from Arizona running back Rashard Mendenhall and Detroit's Joique Bell.

I've been hurt all year because I failed to pickup a marquee running back in the preseason draft and I've had to rely on my receivers to come through week after week. Some weeks it works, and sometimes it doesn't. Pittsburgh's Antonio Brown is another one of my receivers capable of putting up some big fantasy numbers. My other starting wide-out is New Orleans standout Marques Colston. He's been a quiet one of late, but I could certainly use some bonus points out of him this week.

My kicker this week is again Dan Bailey and my starting defense is Baltimore.

It's win or go home this week.

Go get 'em, Team Priceless.

Fantasy Update: Last minute change. I picked up Oakland fullback Marcel Reece and will put Reece in the starting lineup in place of Bell. I have New England's Stevan Ridley on the bench as well, but will wait a week to see how he does this week in his short playing time. Ridley, of course, has had trouble holding on to the ball of late and spends more time on the bench than in the game. We'll go with Reece today and hope for some fantasy points.

Grandson plays in FBU Championships in Scottsdale

Football University Championships

8th-grade division

My grandson, Jadon Price, played in the the first round of the FBU Championships last night at Saguaro High School in Scottsdale. Jadon #21, shown above) is a 5-foot-4, 120-pound defensive back for the eighth-grade team representing Southern Arizona.

Football University is an invitation-only, one-of-kind football training experience focusing on developing and enhancing the play-making ability and skill of elite-level athletes in 6th to 11th grade. The training is provided by the NFL's top coaches and players.

This week is the first week of this year's national championships for the young football players as 64 teams from all over the United States and Canada compete in a single elimination tournament to see who is the national champion. Over 6,000 athletes are competing this year in three separate divisions -- 8th, 7th and 6th grade, all with a shot to the finals, which will be held later this month in San Antonio, Texas.

Championship Update: Jadon and his southern Arizona team lost 34-13 to Colorado last night as 150-pound running back Tyrese Bailey scored three touchdowns for the winners. Colorado will face Las Vegas today for the right to advance to the next round.

Congrats, Jadon and to his southern Arizona teammates for a job well done.

Wildcats edge UNLV, eye the top spot in the country

Arizona Wildcats Basketball


On a night when the shots weren't falling, the second-ranked Arizona Wildcats find a way to win.

The Wildcats edge UNLV, 63-58, thanks to the second-half play by point-guard T.J. McConnell at McKale today to improve to 9-0 on the season and should be awarded the No. 1 spot  in the country when the next AP Poll is released on Monday.

It wasn't easy disposing of UNLV as the Wildcats shot 41 percent from the field, making 28 of 67 shots and were forced to battle back after being down 42-39 at the half. With McConnell at the helm, the Wildcats outscored the Running Rebels in the second half 24-16. McConnell finished with 13 points, six assists and five rebounds.

Brandon Ashley chipped in 13 points as well, while Kaleb Tarczewski and Nick Johnson added 12 apiece. Johnson was 4 of 15 from the field. Aaron Gordon went 2 of 10 from the field for four points, but hauled in eight rebounds to tie Tarczewski in that category.

Rondae Hollis-Jefferson came off the bench once again and filled the stats sheet with nine points, seven rebounds and six assists.

Congrats, to the No. 1 Wildcats!

Arizona Wildcats on the verge of a No. 1 ranking

Arizona Wildcats Basketball


With a win on Saturday afternoon over visiting UNLV, the Arizona Wildcats could be and should be the No. 1 team in college basketball.

Michigan State, the top-ranked team the past three weeks, lost at home tonight to the visiting North Carolina Tar Heels, 79-65, opening the door for second-ranked Arizona to vault to No. 1.

The Wildcats (8-0) will need to take care of business at McKale and dispose of UNLV (3-3) on Saturday. One of the Runnin' Rebels three losses this season was to Arizona State. The Sun Devils beat UNLV in Las Vegas by a score of 86-80 on Nov. 19.

Go get 'em, Wildcats!

Wildcats crush Red Raiders

Arizona Wildcats Basketball


The second-ranked Arizona Wildcats toyed with Texas Tech tonight at McKale Center en route to an easy 79-58 win over the Red Raiders.

Too many turnovers, too many missed free throws and a couple of ill advised dunk attempts from the Wildcats, but they still cruised to their eighth win of the year as they unleashed plenty of firepower with three players -- Nick Johnson, Aaron Gordon and Brandon Ashley -- combining for 55 points. Ashley grabbed 10 rebounds for a double-double and point guard T.J. McConnell dished out 10 assists, grabbed five rebounds and scored five points.

Rondae Hollis-Jefferson continues to produce off the bench with nine points and eight rebounds, while Gabe York, despite going 3 for 10 from the field, netted eight points to go along with two rebounds and two assists.

Still, you get the feeling Coach Sean Miller will have a lot to say to his troops before next Saturday's home encounter with UNLV.

The Wildcats made 19 of 33 free throws, that's an improvement of sorts over previous games, but still that's 14 points down the drain and as for the turnovers, 15 in all on the night. Of course, when you hit 50 percent of your shots (25-50), knock down 10 of 22 from beyond the three-point line and grab 43 rebounds to your opponents 23, you can get away with a few negatives.

One thing is for sure, this team is GOOD!

So that's enough nitpicking. Way to go, Wildcats!

A little rain, Thanksgiving holiday kept TOTS' games to a minimum in November

TOTS Senior Baseball Network (TSBN)

60-and-over baseball


A little bit of rain and the Thanksgiving holiday cut into "playing time" for the members of the Tucson Old Timers (TOTS) baseball club, but it certainly didn't hurt the all-around batting statistics of 63-year-old Lloyd Barzell during the month of November.

Barzell played in all eight games in November and collected 18 hits in 25 trips to the plate for a sizzling .730 average. He scored nine runs, second only to Brian Reilly who crossed the plate 12 times, while knocking in 10 runs, which tied him for second in that category.

Tim Tolson was the RBI leader for the month with 15, while Pete Peters ended up with 10 and Pigpen Price was fourth with eight runs batted in.

Tolson went 10 for 17 (.568), Peters hit safely 10 times in 24 trips to the plate for a .417 average, while Reilly went 11 for 26 for a .423 average.

Other top hitters for the month include: Bob Daliege (6 for 14, .429 in just five games), Dennis Crowley (8 for 17, .471 in six games) and Ron Carlson (8 for 24, .333 in eight games).

The TOTS close out the year with 11 games scheduled for the month of December.

Team Priceless garners fifth-seed for playoffs in fantasy league

UPC Hood Fantasy Football League

Team Priceless


My fantasy team, Team Priceless, didn't fare to well in Week 13 of the UPC Hood Fantasy Football League.

The bad news for my 8-5 team included a dismal performance in Seattle from my quarterback Drew Brees as the Saints (9-3) were blown out of the stadium, losing 34-7 to the Seahawks (11-1).

Could any NFL team have beaten the Seahawks on Monday night? What a total domination and the crowd, where do they find such crazy football fans?

I hope Brees can recoup this week because I could certainly use some fantasy points from him next Sunday against Carolina as I go up against Nut Rub (8-5) in the first round of the playoffs. As luck would have it, I will go up against Carolina quarterback Cam Newton.

The good news is Team Priceless made the playoffs for the first time in four years and the eight wins is the most games I've won since becoming a member of the UPC Hood Fantasy Football League.

Of course, the team to beat this year is Three Feet Right (11-2). They own the top spot heading into the playoffs, while the Assassins (10-3) own the second seed. Team Arps (9-4) will be the third seed, Nut Rub the fourth and my Team Priceless ends up with the fifth seed. The Peach Fuzz Manholes gets the sixth seed with a 7- 6 record.

Wish me luck.

Arizona Wildcats ranked 2nd in the country

Arizona Wildcats Basketball


With its win over Duke in the NIT Season Tip-off title game at Madison Square Gardens last week, the Arizona basketball team moves to No. 2 in the country according to the latest AP Poll, released today.

Only Michigan State garnered enough votes to stay in first place. Kentucky, Syracuse and Ohio State round out the top five. Duke falls to the 10th spot.

Arizona takes on Texas Tech tomorrow night at McKale.

Keep it going, Wildcats!

There was no way out

Arizona Wildcats Football


As the clocked ticked away the final seconds of the first quarter it was obvious the Arizona Wildcats were in trouble.

In front of 72,000 screaming fans at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe last night, the Wildcats were in over their head and not even the top running back in the nation, Ka'Deem Carey, would turn out to be the problem solver on this night.

It was all ASU from the get-go, a 13-0 lead at the end of the quarter, a 30-7 bulge by halftime, a 44-21 margin at the end of the third quarter and, sadly, a 58-21 final in favor of the bad guys.

The worst beating -- the most lopsided loss since 1996. A week ago, the Wildcats were giant killers as they knocked off Oregon at Arizona Stadium. Last night, Arizona was simply "roadkill" as the Sun Devils rolled…and rolled…and rolled.

The sting of the loss will remain in the minds of the Wildcats for a long time to come. In fact, it just may keep the fire burning inside of Carey to the point that he just might return in 2014 to build on those 4,000-plus rushing yards.

The Wildcats have a lot of work to do and this Arizona fan, for one, hopes Carey will return to lead the charge.

It might be wishful thinking on my part, but after watching Carey perform week in and week out, and then witnessing his demeanor on the Wildcats' sideline as the final second ticked away last night, I get the feeling the young man is looking ahead to a November night at Arizona Stadium in 2014 when Carey and Company get their payback.

But, that's just me thinking. I'm a diehard Wildcat fan and I've tried all season to put myself in Carey's cleats and run up and down the football field and just "feel" the excitement as I dart left and right and then carry two would-be-tacklers into the end zone with me.

Come back, Carey. We need you!