Phoenix.BloggersPub

New Years is an interesting concept that I never really understood. How exactly did replacing a calendar become a holiday? The conspiracy theorist in me believes that no matter what the official reasons were for celebrating New Years Day, it was probably a marketing ploy by the Hallmark Corporation to try and pump up the sales of cards and calendars. It is not just replacing a calendar that is odd but it is how people react to this event. All around the world tonight people will join together and consume large amounts of alcohol as they carefully watch the clock and count down the seconds until all 2007 calendars will become obsolete. They will then wildly cheer, throw small torn pieces of paper into the air and kiss complete strangers. They will then sing and dance late into the night then try to navigate the police infested streets trying to avoid field sobriety tests. After a few short hours of sleep these people will drag themselves out of bed and curse being alive as they find that their headache is more painful than being a Tampa Bay Ray lifetime season ticket holder.

besides the usual stuff like world peace, and me being thinner, better organized and more gainfully employed. (Being 52, I find those things make better wishes than resolutions, she said, as she munched on some halvah while typing this.)
I wish…
1. it were March 31 instead of Dec. 31.
2. for me to go to all the […]

The Cardinals season may have closed out yesterday, but Ken Whisenhunt has finally brought this team to the next level. 8-8 was better than even we could have predicted. With a good offseason, add some depth, this team will go to the playoffs next year.

Hopefully we can end 2007 on a high note with a win against Colorado.
Missing Joe Sakic may be causing a bit of an emotional toll on the Avs. They lost to the Kings in their last outing and are 6-10-2 whan away from their home ice. Hopefully we can add to their loss column with […]

Well poop! We did it again. Found a way to lose. We found a way to get ahead of the Ded again… and then we found a way to give the game right back to them.
I’m actually not too disappointed. It was a great game. Chances all around, hustle for the most part by everybody, […]

Sports shows have big plans for Super Bowl

Randy Cordova
The Arizona Republic
Dec. 30, 2007 12:00 AM
When the Super Bowl comes to town, it brings a media circus with it. The networks will be sending their big guns to the Valley to cover the game, plus all the festivities that go along with it.
That means opportunities will […]

“So, this is Christmas, and what have we done - another year over, a new one just begun.” Thus spake the great philosopher John Lennon, and as we sit on the final day of 2007, it seems an appropriate time to look back and see where we are. The obvious answer to that is: National League West champions, something which seemed like a possible, but perhaps unlikely outcome, twelve months ago. Or even less than that, given that a week after the All-Star break, I was asking a poll question, ‘Is Arizona’s season over?’ Still, hindsight is 20/20, and I think we can look back and say that the year just passed was our best, probably since the World Series win. Here are my lists of ten favorite memories from the year; things we learned in the season; and what we have to look forward to in 2008. Please feel free to chip in with more.

Favorite Memories [chronological order]

• The Fanfest at Chase. Meeting Brandon Webb and getting our SnakePit shirts.
• Going down to Tucson to cheer on our boys and free Scott Hairston.
• Webb: 42.1 IP, 24 H, 7 BB, 35 K, 0 R, 0 ER
• Owings goes 4-5 with 2 HR and 6 RBI the next night - round a rain delay too. Insane.
• Taking an 8-0 lead vs. SD, then winning 8-7: St.Penelope slays the rainbow unicorn, and likely the start of our hatred for the Padres.
• Jeff Salazar with a pinch-hit three run bomb, two outs in the bottom of the ninth against the Giants.
• Crushing the Dodgers and Gonzo 12-3, from one row behind the D-backs dugout.
• We’re going to the playoffs! I, meanwhile, watch Resident Evil: Extinction. Not a bad night.
• Clinching the NLCS - 2,600+ comments on a trilogy of GameDay threads, including 932 for #2.
• Getting to my first playoff game at Chase in five years - a game with everything, bar a D-backs win.

What we learned in 2007

• Pythagoras? He’s vastly over-rated.
• Brandon Webb is the real deal.
• Carlos Quentin isn’t.
• Micah Owings could be the best-hitting pitcher since the Babe.
• Our Chris Young is better than your Chris Young. Or, at least, more durable.
• And Hispanic actresses are better than gay, dancing Spideys.
• Waiver-wire pitchers are usually there for a reason.
• Starters aged 43 are unlikely to give you thirty starts - no matter how much you pay them.
• Sedona Red. It’s not so bad.
• The future is now.

What we want in 2008

• Brandon Webb to pitch well against Colorado.
• Doug Davis to pitch well.
• Randy Johnson to pitch.
• Tony Peña to make us forget about Jose Valverde.
• Eric Byrnes to maintain the same level of performance all year…
• …and that’s the first-half level, please note.
• Chris Young and Mark Reynolds not to make a run at the franchise K record.
• A team OPS of at least .750 [2007 NL average: .757; AZ: .734]
• 600 plate-appearances for Conor Jackson.
• Health, happiness and a good New Year to all the Arizona Diamondbacks’ players, management and fans.

Finally, congratulations to Brandon Webb, who won the last of the 2007 Pitties, retaining his title as MVP for the Diamondbacks, which he took a year ago as well. The plurality was slightly smaller this time round, but he was still the choice of a majority of voters, and I doubt anyone could argue seriously with his choice [not that it stopped me from trying ]. However, here’s to some of the Arizona position players ramping up their game and challenging him for the crown next season. With that, I bid you all farewell in 2007, and here’s to seeing you in 2008. Stay safe and have fun tonight, folks.

You’ve got to be kidding me. People are jumping ship on Carpenter after a couple of bad outings and are calling for backup Danny Sullivan to compete for the starting job when spring camp begins in March. Arrogant? Yes. Erratic and unconventional? Guilt…

Danny Sullivan stepped in to the Holiday Bowl against Texas’ starting defense and marched the Sun Devils down the field for two scores, throwing 7-14 for 118 yards including going 5-5 on his first drive. He’s had some serious butterfingers his entire c…

(AP Photo/Steve Yeater) The ingredients for a Suns victory these days: A big game by Stoudemire (31 points, 17 rebound), a bunch of assists from Nash (15), a solid game by Marion (25 points, 10-of-16 from the field) and the usual scoring off the bench from Barbosa (22 points).
That was the game last night […]