Wisconsin edges USC at Holiday Bowl

Wisconsin edged USC 23-21 last night at the Holiday Bowl in San Diego.

It was the second postseason loss by a team from the Pac-12 Conference.

Heading into play today, the Pac-12 teams are 5-2 in bowl games with three games remaining.

Bookemdanosports reaches 2,500 posts

A big "thank you" to all my readers and I wish all of you a  Happy New Year.

Bookemdanosports just hit the 2,500 mark in posts and I hope to add a few more posts in 2016. The sports blog has been around since 2009 and as long as my Arthritis doesn't get any worse, I'll continue to keep you POSTED, so to speak.

Once again, HAPPY NEW Year!

Pac-12 Conference at 5-1 in bowl games

Quarterback Jared Goff threw for 467 yards and six touchdowns  yesterday at the Armed Forces Bowl as California beat Air Force 55-36 and in doing so improved the Pac-12 Conference's record to 5-1 in postseason bowl games.

USC could grab a sixth win for the Pac-12 tonight when the Trojans take on Wisconsin at the Holiday Bowl in San Diego.

Daliege tosses a 4-hitter

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)


60-and-over baseball

It was a cold, cold morning, but that didn't stop the Tucson Old Timers (TOTS) from playing their final game of the year today at Udall Park.

Team White won the game 8-0 over Team Blue, behind a four-hit, shutout from right-hander Bob Daliege. Team White got all the runs they needed in the first inning, thanks to back-to-back RBI  singles from Tim Tolson and Joe Opocensky.

As for Team Blue, their bats were as cold as ice. All Team Blue could muster were singles by Tim Boyd, Pete Peters, Jesse Ochoa and Dick Ducklow.

The TOTS ended another season today and will be begin the 60-and-over baseball club's 49th season on Monday.

Photo: The winning pitcher, Bob Daliege.

No.1 Michigan State loses at Iowa City

College Basketball


The No.1 collegiate basketball team in the land loses at Iowa City.

Iowa beat Michigan State yesterday 83-70. The Spartans (13-1) played without their star Denzel Valentine.

Nevada wins first Nova Home Loans Arizona Bowl

Nova Home Loans Arizona Bowl

Nevada  28  Colorado State  23


Nevada won the first ever Nova Home Loans Arizona Bowl tonight at Arizona Stadium 28-23 over Colorado State University.

The attendance: 20,425.

Congrats, to all the folks who made the bowl game a reality. The fans who showed up had to bundle up. The game was a bit nippy...39 degrees midway through the fourth quarter.

Warriors on course to shatter single season wins record

The Golden State Warriors are on course to shatter the single season wins record in the National Basketball League.

It's mind boggling how the Warriors continue to produce win after win after win. With a record of 29-1, the Warriors could shatter the record of 72-10, set during the 1995-96 season by the Chicago Bulls.

Of course, the Warriors aren't quite halfway to the playoffs and when they reach the playoffs, another season begins. The second-best won and loss record in the NBA belongs to the San Antonio Spurs at 27-6.

That's crazy. Here's a team playing at an unbelievable pace and they look over their shoulder and there's the Spurs, a team from the same Western Conference, with 27 wins!

Amazing!

TOTS enter 49th season in 2016 with 50 active players

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

The 60-and-over Tucson Old Timers (TOTS) will enter its 49th season in 2016. The TOTS will enter the new year with 50 active players on the roster, ranging in age from 60 to 90.

The amateur baseball club was formed in 1968 by Joe Gorman and has survived year after year with players who play for the love of the game, every Monday, Wednesday and Friday (year in, year out) at Udall Park.

The youngest member of the TOTS is 60-year-old Tim Boyd from Tucson. The oldest member is Floyd Lance, 90, from Glen Gardner, New Jersey.

Photos: (top) Tim Boyd, (bottom) Floyd Lance

Cardinals rolling at 13-2

Arizona Cardinals

Arizona dominated over the Packers 38-8 on Sunday in Glendale. That's nine straight wins for the Cardinals.

With Carolina's loss to Atlanta, the Cardinals now own the second best record in the NFL at 13-2. The Panthers are 14-1. Are the Cardinals and the Panthers the best teams in the NFL?

Arizona has scored 483 points in 15 games, while Carolina has scored 462. On defense, the Cardinals have the edge there as well, allowing just 277 points, while the Panthers have given up 283.

On paper, the Cardinals have the best offense in the NFL and the sixth best defense.

Next Sunday Arizona will be at home against Seattle. The Seahawks' defense is the best in the NFC and the third best in the NFL.

Should be a good game on Sunday. Go, Cardinals!

Note: The Arizona Cardinals have scored a franchise record 57 touchdowns this season.

1,008 receptions and counting...

When Arizona Cardinals' wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald takes the field today in Glendale against Green Bay, he'll be looking for a few more receptions.

Fitzgerald has hauled in 1,008 receptions since 2004, and he's not done yet. It's very possible Fitz will pass Dallas tight end Jason Witten today and reach the top ten for all-time career receptions in the history of the National Football League.

Go get 'em, Fitz!

Fitz update:  Fitzgerald caught four passes and had a touchdown on Sunday. Fitz is at 1, 012 career receptions. Still two receptions behind Witten.

Pac-12 improves to 4-1 in bowl games

The Pac-12 Conference is off to a good start in postseason bowl games with four wins thus far, including a 45-37 win by the Arizona Wildcats over the Lobos at the New Mexico Bowl, a 35-28 Utah win over BYU at the Las Vegas Bowl, a 20-14 win by Washington State at the Sun Bowl over Miami and a 44-31 victory by the Washington Huskies at the Heart of Dallas Bowl over Southern Miss.

The only loss occurred yesterday as Nebraska beat the UCLA Bruins 37-29 at the Foster Farms Bowl in Santa Clara, California.

Look for a little tougher road the rest of the way. The Pac-12 will have five teams play in bowl games in the next six days with California taking on Air Force at the Armed Forces Bowl in Forth Worth on Tuesday, USC vs. Wisconsin at the Holiday Bowl in San Diego on Wednesday, followed by the Rose Bowl in Pasadena on Friday, which pits the Stanford Cardinal against Iowa. Next Saturday, it'll be Oregon vs. TCU at the Alamo Bowl and later in the day at the Cactus Bowl as Arizona State takes on West Virginia.

As for the first ever Arizona Bowl on Tuesday, it'll be Nevada vs. Colorado State. The temperature at kickoff: the high 40s! Is it ever gonna warm up?

Trier leads Wildcats to win over Long Beach State

Arizona Wildcats Basketball

Allonzo Trier led the way with 20 points and the Arizona Wildcats knocked off Long Beach State 85-70 tonight at McKale Center. Six players scored in double figures as 8th-ranked Arizona improves to 12-1 on the year.

Once again, it was Ryan Anderson with a double-double with 11 points and 14 rebounds, while Dusan Ristic and Kadeem Allen matched Anderson with 11 points apiece. Mark Tollefsen added 12 points, four rebounds and two assists and Gabe York hit a couple of key 3-pointers and finished with 12 points as well.

The Wildcats take a well-deserved break and then return to action on Jan. 3 in their Pac-12 opener against ASU in Tempe.

TOTS lose teammate Richard McAnally

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

The Tucson Old Timers (TOTS) lost another teammate last Friday. Richard McAnally passed away at the age of 83.

McAnally was one of the top catchers for the TOTS for more than 18 years. He became a TOT in 1994 and put his catching gear away in 2012, but continued to show up at the ball park the last few years and root on his teammates. In recent years, he spent his winters in Tucson and his summers in Flagstaff. In fact, Richard showed up at Udall Park and sat in the dugout last Friday morning. He passed away just hours later near his home in Tucson.

The following was published in Richard's home town newspaper, The Casa Grande Dispatch, just six years ago, just a few days after he was inducted into his high school wall of fame.

Richard McAnally graduated from Casa Grande Union High School in 1950. He played football and baseball all four years, lettered all four years, competed in oratorical contests all four years and went to Boys State his junior year. He sang in the boys chorus and was in the Honor Society his junior and senior years, the last year as president. He was freshman council representative, sophomore vice president and senior council representative and he joined the dramatics club his senior year.

McAnally attended the University of Arizona, played varsity baseball for the Wildcats and was admitted to the UA College of Law. He was called to active duty in the Army and given a permanent assignment as a Special Courts martial council in Fort Knox. After leaving the service, he worked full time as a claims adjuster for an insurance company while he completed his law degree. He began practicing law in 1959 and was a personal injury trail attorney before his retirement in 1994. His favorite case was brought pro bono against an insurance company that refused to provide a heart transplant until he stepped in.

After retirement, he became judge pro tempore when Pinal County Superior Court Judge Frank Coxon retired. Today he assists as a settlement conference judge in civil cases. At age 77, he still plays baseball with the Tucson Old Timers 60-plus team as a catcher.

Judge Gilbert Figueroa called McAnally an "excellent example that dedication, perseverance and plain old hard work does lead to great success."

Like so many members of the TOTS, Richard was a success story in life, long before he ever became a Tucson Old Timer. Rest in Peace, Richard. You will be missed.

Note: Funeral service arrangements are pending.

Team Priceless eliminated from fantasy playoffs

UPC Hood Fantasy Football League

Team Priceless

It's all over for me and my Team Priceless in the UPC Hood Fantasy Football League.

I couldn't muster up enough fantasy points in the the first round of the playoffs this week and lost to the Lazar Kats. I'll have to settle for the fourth seed in the playoff this year, after reaching the championship game and finishing second in 2014.

Maybe 2016 will be my year. At least I can sit back and enjoy the rest of the NFL season without worrying about how my fantasy players are doing.

It's is time to concentrate on the Arizona Cardinals. They certainly are in the hunt, along with Carolina, New England, Green Bay and Denver.

My guess: Carolina will run the table and get it done, especially if Cam Newton continues to shine week after week. Of course, if you happen to have a Tom Brady, you have a shot to win it all.

I would love to see the Cardinals do it. Arizona needs a champion! Carson Palmer and Company have it going.

The next few weeks should be very interesting.

TOTS played game today in honor of Jim Pagels

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

Twenty four members of the Tucson Old Timers participated in today's baseball game  at Udall Park in honor of fellow teammate Jim Pagels, who passed away last Thursday at the age of 67. Team White won the game 4-3 over Team Blue and everyone gave it their all for two and half hours.

It turned out to be a hard fought contest from the get go as Team White's starting pitcher Dennis Crowley took a shot off his ankle in the first inning, thanks to a hard hit ball off the bat of Ted Davis. Crowley sat on the bench for an inning and then returned to the game and picked up the win.

If that wasn't enough action, there were two collisions, one at first base, due to a pick off attempt, when the runner, Mike Steele, was caught off base and was tagged out by first baseman Floyd Lance. The other, a collision at second base when shortstop Tim Tolson collided with the runner, Pete Peters. The play resulted in an unusual double play from 9 to 2 to 6. The play started out on a pop fly to right fielder, Billy Heiny, who caught the ball and over threw first base, trying to double up the runner, but Davis, the catcher, retrieved the ball and threw a strike to second base to get Peters and complete the twin killing.

Note: On Tuesday, December 22, there will be a viewing from 5 to 7 p.m. for Jim Pagels at Brings Funeral Home, located at 6910 E Broadway. 

The Mass will take place at 2 p.m. at St Pius X Catholic Church on Wednesday, December 23, The church is located at 1800 N. Camino Pio Decimo.

Arizona reaches No. 8 in AP Poll

Arizona Wildcats Basketball


Arizona (11-1) moved up to No. 8 this week in the Associated Press college basketball poll.

Michigan State (12-0) stays at No. 1.

Congrats, Wildcats!

Pac 12 Conference at 100 non-conference wins

The Pac-12 Conference is off to a good start in basketball.

The teams in the conference, heading into action on Tuesday, are a combined 100 wins and 28 losses with our own Arizona Wildcats at the top of the heap with an 11-1 record.

Colorado follows at 10-1 and the worst showing in the conference thus far is Stanford at 5-4.

Anderson, Ristic lead Wildcats to 82-70 win over UNLV

Arizona Wildcats Basketball


Dusan Ristic poured in a career-high 20 points and Ryan Anderson scored 17 points and grabbed 13 rebounds for another double-double as the Arizona Wildcats beat UNLV 82-70 at McKale Center tonight.

The 13th-ranked Wildcats improved to 11-1 and kept their home court winning streak alive with their 46th consecutive win at McKale.

All five starters scored in double figures as the Wildcats led 44-36 at the end of the first half and then held off the Rebels in the final 20 minutes. Kadeem Allen and Allonzo Trier scored 15 points apiece, while Gabe York chipped in 11.

Scooby to the rescue

Arizona Wildcats Football

Gildan New Mexico Bowl

With 6:42 left in the game at the Gildan New Mexico Bowl, Arizona linebacker Scooby Wright barrels through the Lobos' defensive line and sacks quarterback Austin Apodaca to preserve a 45-37 win today over New Mexico in Albuquerque.

Wright, injured for most of the regular season, stepped up for the Wildcats and finished the bowl game with 15 tackles and two sacks -- including the stopper on Apodaca, as Arizona finishes the 2015 season with a 7-6 record.

It was a tough outing for Wright and the Arizona defense. New Mexico dominated the possessions on offense, holding on to the ball for close to 41 of the 60 minutes.

Thanks to Wright, Arizona took the ball over on downs after his final take down of his college career and the Wildcats were able to take valuable time off the clock the rest of the way. The Lobos did get the ball back with less than two minutes remaining, but  Cam Newton made the final defensive play of the year for the Wildcats with an interception.

Arizona ran out the clock and the Wildcats came away with the victory.

Way to go, Scooby and the Wildcats!

A Twin Bill for our Wildcats

It'll be a busy day for the University of Arizona and the fans of the Wildcats.

A twin bill, if you will: At high noon a bowl game in Albuquerque between the Arizona Wildcats and the New Mexico Lobos. The nightcap, back at McKale Center, will pit the visiting Rebels from UNLV and our 13th-ranked Wildcats. Tip off 7:30 p.m.

A football-basketball doubleheader!

Go, Wildcats!

The Silent Dugout

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

One constant with the 60-and-over Tucson Old Timers (TOTS) is the chatter in the dugout. The club can send only a certain number of players out to the playing field at Udall Park every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, while the bench in the dugout is filled with club members, who for one reason or another, albeit an injury or other heath reasons, remain on the sideline, so to speak, to cheer on their teammates with support, following a good play or a friendly jibe when a fellow TOT makes an error and can't find the handle on a bouncing ball hit his way.

For the last six years, the "leader in the dugout" has been scorekeeper Jim Pagels. Jim's job: Record the hits and the runs for two and a half hours, while participating in the dugout chatter, which over the years has become just as important and necessary as the oldtimers' game being played on the field.

The TOTS' dugout will remain silent for a while. It may take weeks or months before the "chatter" returns. The TOTS lost their scorekeeper, their teammate and their good friend on Dec. 17. Jim Pagels passed away at the age of  67.

Jim, a diehard Green Bay Packer fan, was born in Two Rivers, Wisconsin, but like so many of the TOTS,  settled in Tucson. He became a member of the TOTS in 2009, but for health reasons left the field of play in 2010 to become the club's No. 1 scorekeeper.

Every member of the TOTS has tried, at one time or another, to talk Jim into changing the score book. "Come on, Jim," they would say. "That was a hit, not an error!"

Rest in Peace, Jim Pagels. You will be missed.

Photo: Jim Pagels

Note: Service arrangements will follow and will be posted on this blog.

Arizona makes it 45 straight at McKale

Arizona Wildcats Basketball

The 13th-ranked Arizona Wildcats kept their home winning streak alive at McKale Center tonight as they rolled to a 92-37 win over Northern Arizona.

Arizona extends the streak to 45 games -- the nation's best home court winning streak in college basketball.

The Wildcats improved to 10-1 and tonight they relied on their inside game as starters Dusan Ristic and Ryan Anderson, along with an impressive performance off the bench from Mark Tollefsen to get the job done.

Anderson scored 18 points, Tollefsen, a season-high 19 points and Ristic added 10 points. The three players combined for 27 rebounds with Anderson leading the way with 13 boards for a double-double. Allonzo Trier chipped in 11 points, while Kadeem Allen dished out seven assists, added five steals and scored seven points.

Arizona led 40-24 at the end of the first half and went on a 34-4 run in the first 10 minutes of the second half.

Up next: UNLV at McKale on Saturday at 7:30 p.m.

Team Priceless grabs 4th seed for fantasy playoffs

UPC Hood Fantasy Football League

Team Priceless


Team Priceless won a close battle in Week 14 of the UPC Hood Fantasy Football League to finish the regular season with a 9-5 record and in doing so grabs the fourth seed in the six-team playoff, which gets underway next week.

It'll be win and advance or lose and go home as Team Priceless takes on the fifth-seeded Lazar Kats in Week 15. Team Priceless is three wins away from the fantasy title. Last year, Team Priceless finished in second place.

The starters for Team Priceless next week:

QB  Tom Brady

WR DeSean Jackson

WR Eric Decker

WR Tyler Lockett

RB Eddie Lacy

RB Frank Gore

TE Kyle Rudoplh

K   Graham Cano

DEFENSE  Denver

13th-ranked Wildcats roll past Missouri

Arizona Wildcats Basketball


The 13th-ranked Arizona Wildcats had an easy time of it tonight at McKale Center as they rolled past Missouri 88-52 behind the play of Ryan Anderson, who took a seat on the bench late in the second half after scoring 14 points, grabbing nine rebounds, picking up two steals and dishing out an assist.

Arizona improved to 9-1 in non-conference play and once again received balance scoring as six players finished in double figures. York finished with 16, Allonzo Trier netted 15, Mark Tollefsen came off the bench to score a season-high 17 points, Justin Simon contributed a career-high 10 points and Dusan Ristic added 12 points to go along with Anderson's performance.

The Wildcats led by 19 at the end of the first half, 42-23. Arizona shot 56.4 percent (31 of 55) from the field and 41.2 percent (7 for 17) from three-point land.

Wildcats beat Fresno State, 85-72

Arizona Wildcats Basketball


Allonzo Trier pumped in a career-high 27 points and grabbed six rebounds as the 13th-ranked Arizona Wildcats beat Fresno State tonight at McKale, 85-72.

It wasn't easy. Arizona, behind 46-43 at the end of the first half, clamped down defensively in the second half and held Fresno State to 26 points. Ryan Anderson added 17 points and eight rebounds, Gabe York drilled a couple of clutch three-pointers late in the second half and finished with 12 points, while Kadeem Allen chipped in 13 points before leaving the court in the second half with an ankle injury.

Arizona (8-1) hit 52.6 percent from the field, canning 30 of 57 shots -- including 8 for 21 from three-point land for 38.1 percent. The Wildcats are still struggling from the charity stripe, making 17 of 28 attempts. Dusan Ristic, starting in place of the injured Kaleb Tarczewski, had six points and six rebounds but missed all five of his free throw attempts.

Missouri comes to town on Sunday.

Team Priceless improves to 8-5 in fantasy league

UPC Hood Fantasy Football League

Team Priceless

I still have a shot at all the glory in the 14-team UPC Hood Fantasy Football League. Team Priceless held on for a win in Week 13 to improve to 8-5 on the season.

Fantasy points were hard to come by this week but I did receive 33.78 fantasy points from New England quarterback Tom Brady and a 23-point effort from the Denver defense -- good enough to pull out a win and good enough to remain in fifth place in the league.

The top six teams advance to the playoffs in Week 15.

Next week  -- the final week of the league's regular season -- Team Priceless will take on the Clam Jammers (6-7).

Opocensky singles in game winner in TOTS game

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

Left-handed power hitter Joe Opocensky singled to right field and knocked in the winning run as Team White edged Team Blue 7-6 today at Udall Park in a 60-and-over Tucson Old Timers baseball game.

In the bottom of the seventh inning, Pete Peters singled to left field and Arnie White followed with a perfect bunt which came to rest halfway up the third base line. Hard-hitting Tim Tolson grounded out to first to move the runners to second and third and Opocensky followed with his walk-off single.

White pitched all seven innings for Team White and picked up the victory, while Team Blue's Dan Lundwall was saddled with the loss.

The TOTS will be back in action on Wednesday and Friday with games scheduled for 10 a.m. at Udall.

Wildcats No. 13 in AP Poll

Arizona Wildcats Basketball


The Arizona Wildcats (7-1) are ranked No. 13 this week in the AP College Basketball Poll. The Wildcats moved up six spots thanks to their come-from-behind win over Gonzaga last week in Spokane.

The Michigan State Spartans  (9-0) are No. 1 this week.

Arizona returns to New Mexico Bowl

Arizona Wildcats Football

The Arizona Wildcats are heading for Albuquerque on Dec. 19 for the Gildan New Mexico Bowl. Game time will be 12 p.m. The game will be televised on ESPN.

New Mexico will take a 7-5 record into the bowl game. The Wildcats are 6-6.

Wildcats stun Zags in Spokane

Arizona Wildcats Basketball

The 19th-ranked Arizona Wildcats (7-1) stun 13th-ranked Gonzaga (5-2) today in Spokane 68-63 as they battle back from a 10-point halftime deficit to come away with the non-conference road win.

Gabe York led the Wildcats with 18 points, including a 4-for-6 effort from three-point range in the second half as Arizona, down 38-28 at the half, outscored the Zags 40-25 in the final 20 minutes.

Playing without starting center Kaleb Tarczewski, the Wildcats needed someone to step up and they found their man in York, along with Allonzo Trier, who pumped in 14 points, and Ryan Anderson, who finished with 13 points and six rebounds.

Way to go, Wildcats!

Barzell, Ducklow, Petersen top hitters in November for TOTS

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

Lloyd Barzell, Dick Ducklow and Ron Petersen were the top hitters on the 60-and-over Tucson Old Timers (TOTS) for the month of November.

Barzell played in eight games and went 17 for 30 for a .567 batting average. He also scored 10 runs to lead the club in that category.

Ducklow, who spends his summers in Wisconsin and his winters in Arizona, is off to a hot start since his return to the club with 14 hits in 25 trips to the plate in November for a healthy .560 average, while Petersen, a year-a-round player for the TOTS, made the most of his 17 trips to the plate count as he banged out 13 hits and a club-leading 15 RBI to go along with a .765 batting average.

Photos: top, Barzell, middle, Ducklow, bottom, Petersen

Arizona drops to 19th in AP Poll

Arizona Wildcats Basketball


The Arizona Wildcats (6-1) dropped to No. 19 in the latest AP Poll and received some more bad news today. It looks like the injury to Kaleb Tarczewski is bad enough to keep him out of the lineup for four to six weeks.

Not good. It seems like the old "injury bug" keeps raising its ugly head. First, football and now basketball. As for Arizona coach Sean Miller, he will be forced to shuffle up and deal. We'll see a lot more of Dusan Ristic and Chance Comanche during the month of December.

Up next: Gonzaga on Saturday in Spokane. The Wildcats first Pac-12 game is slated for Jan. 3 in Tempe against Arizona State. That's 33 days from now. Let's hope Tarczewski is ready by then.

Team Priceless falls to 7-5 in fantasy league

UPC Hood Fantasy Football League

Team Priceless


Team Priceless suffered its worst loss of the season in Week 12 and falls into fifth place in the UPC Hood 14-team fantasy football league. The good news is I'm just one game out of first place with two weeks left before the playoffs begin.

I've now lost Arizona running back Chris Johnson, who had been a pleasant surprise this season. The good news is I can pencil in Green Bay's Eddie Lacy in my lineup. I kept him out of the lineup last week and, of course, he puts up 17 fantasy points, Maybe, Lacy is back and ready to roll the remainder of the season.

And I still have New England quarterback Tom Brady available to lead Team Priceless to the UPC Hood Fantasy Football playoffs.

A win in Week 13 and a win in Week 14 will get me into the playoffs. I go into Week 13 with a 7-5 record. Here's hoping for a 9-5 regular-season record and a great run in the playoffs.