Give it up for the home teams
Matt Wilhalme
The state of Arizona professional athletics is no longer a question of can they be competitive, but how far will they go?After 10 weeks of the NFL season the Arizona Cardinals are ranked first in the NFC with a record of (6-3).
Should Matt Leinart, a first round draft pick entering his third season in the NFL, be starting in place of a 37-year-old, two-time NFL MVP and one-time Super Bowl MVP Kurt Warner?
According to Coach Ken Wisenhunt, no.
Wisenhunt’s decision to play Warner is one of the reasons the Cardinals have been so successful offensively.
Accurate passing from Warner in conjunction with the short yardage rushing game of rookie running back Tim Hightower, who has 26 first downs and seven touchdowns already this season, the Cardinals are on track to make the playoffs or maybe even Super Bowl XLIII in Tampa Bay.
Not to be out done, the Phoenix Suns are off to an impressive start as well this season at (6-3).
Despite criticism of the switch from a run-and-gun offensive mindset to a slower half-court game, the Suns have been successful.
New head coach Terry Porter comes into a system developed by former coach Mike D’Antoni and led by two time NBA MVP Steve Nash and is attempting to turn the Suns’ world upside down.
As usual, Amar’e Stoudemire and Shaquille O’Neal can be expected to give many great performances for the fans this year on both the offensive and defensive ends of the court.
We all know Shaq is willing to take out a few fans in order to retain possession of the ball for the Suns.
Now, with more experience working together and a new style, the Phoenix Suns will be a force in the post season this year.
Even though the Arizona Diamondbacks ended the regular season with a disappointing record of 82-80, they placed second in the NL West behind the Los Angeles Dodgers, who mounted a midseason comeback after acquiring Manny Ramirez.
This season, although struggling with an unreliable bullpen, the Diamondbacks leapt into first place and stayed there most of the season only to fall out of first when it mattered most, the end of the season.
The Diamondbacks will be maneuvering their organization around this off-season, making trades and hoping to come up with the perfect formula for success in the NL West.
Now, the Phoenix Coyotes are Arizona’s forgotten sports team.
Although they have been a part of the valley’s landscape since 1996, they seem to get the least amount of respect as a team.
Contrary to popular belief, they actually play every season, and have their own arena where tickets are sold at games.
Under the leadership of Wayne Gretzky, the youngest team in the NHL, the Coyotes have a chance to grow and develop as a franchise and become a real contender for the Stanley Cup someday.
We might even watch them too. All we need now is another championship from one of our teams and then we can have a parade again.
