East Valley Tribune (Mesa, AZ) articles from November 2001

East Valley Tribune (Mesa, AZ) archives from November 2001

Blown opportunities could burst D-Backs' bubble.
November 1, 2001... Byline: Scott Bordow Bordow New York What a way to lose. A game, and maybe a championship. The Arizona Diamondbacks were one out away from a 3-1 victory over the New York Yankees. One out away from a 3-1 lead in the World...

Kim's mistakes lift Yanks.
November 1, 2001... Byline: Jerry Brown NEW YORK _ In more than six innings of work in the first postseason of his major league career, Byung-Hyun Kim had allowed just one hit. And when he struck out the side in the bottom of the eighth inning in his first...

`It's a best-of-three' now; Schilling shines, but Yankees still pull even.
November 1, 2001... Byline: Ed PRICE NEW YORK _ The Curt Schilling decision was sound. But without clutch hitting and clutch relieving, it did not matter. Within an out Wednesday of a commanding lead in the World Series, the Arizona Diamondbacks allowed...

Suns out-publicized by Diamondbacks.
November 1, 2001... Byline: Mike TULUMELLO The Denver Nuggets sink a free throw. Phoenix Suns fans cheer. The Suns call a time out. They walk to the sideline and sit down. The fans roar. What's going on? It's simply the dual set of realities that...

Arizona State seeking respect in Pac-10.
November 1, 2001... Byline: Bob MORAN LOS ANGELES _ This year's Pacific-10 Conference preseason men's basketball poll was all about respect. Arizona and Stanford have it; Arizona State does not. Despite losing four starters each, the Wildcats and...

Suns overshadowed by Diamondbacks.
November 1, 2001... Byline: Mike TULUMELLO The Denver Nuggets sink a free throw. Phoenix Suns fans cheer. The Suns call a time out. They walk to the sideline and sit down. The fans roar. What's going on? It's simply the dual set of realities that...

Rob Moore has surgery to speed recovery.
November 1, 2001... Byline: Darren URBAN Arizona Cardinals receiver Rob Moore underwent outpatient surgery Wednesday to remove scar tissue around his hamstring, ostensibly to speed up his recovery process and get him back on the playing field. But with...

Cardinals in tight spot with only one tight end.
November 1, 2001... Byline: Darren Urban The Arizona Cardinals are precariously thin at the tight end position going into Sunday's game against Philadelphia, but help will apparently have to come from within the roster. With starter Terry Hardy sidelined...

Colangelo finally gets title he so richly deserved.
November 6, 2001... Byline: Scott Bordow PHOENIX _ Jerry Colangelo got home at about 2 a.m. Monday. His suit was soaking wet, his eyes burning from the sting of champagne. He lay in bed for about 90 minutes, unable to go to sleep. Finally, his eyes closed...

Diamondbacks unlikely to make sweeping moves.
November 6, 2001... Byline: Ed Price MESA, Ariz. _ After breaking the Florida Marlins' record for fastest ascent from expansion team to world champions, the Arizona Diamondbacks will not copy Florida's post-1997 break-up. Team officials will meet early...

Suns three-strong on the perimeter.
November 8, 2001... Byline: Mike TULUMELLO In Milwaukee, they're called the "Big Three," a trio of offensive-oriented stars that pushed the Bucks to the Eastern Conference Finals. This is clearly what the Phoenix Suns have in mind as they wade into the...

Cardinals meet the Giants.
November 8, 2001... Byline: Darren URBAN Michael Strahan was making sure to give credit to the Arizona Cardinals who will be blocking him Sunday. He mentally sized up right guard Leonard Davis at 6-foot-6, 370 pounds and right tackle Anthony Clement at...

Coyotes fall to Red Wings.
November 8, 2001... Byline: Jerry Brown PHOENIX _ All things being equal and relative, the young Phoenix Coyotes are going to have their paws full with the experienced, superstar-laden Detroit Red Wings on any night of the NHL season. Now give up the...

Clippers speed it up; Athleticism will test Suns.
November 9, 2001... Byline: Mike TULUMELLO The Phoenix Suns turned up the defensive screws on the toothless Memphis Grizzlies (at least for a half a game) and against the battered Atlanta Hawks. But what can they do against the Los Angeles Clippers, whose...

Winning Skiles' way; Suns' defense smothers Hawks.
November 9, 2001... Byline: Mike TULUMELLO PHOENIX _ You don't have to have an NBA coach's basketball IQ to know this: If you're the league's worst defensive team, you aren't going anywhere. The Phoenix Suns, finally practicing what their coach has been...

Things going well for Suns' Tsakalidis.
November 9, 2001... Byline: Mike TULUMELLO Last season, Jake Tsakalidis could do no wrong. The 7-foot rookie was the prized find at center, the franchise-old sore spot for the Phoenix Suns. But as this season started to unfold, it seemed that Tsakalidis...

Kicker wants another chance; Barth has been unable to hit from 50.
November 9, 2001... Byline: Bob MORAN Mike Barth is longing to hear three words yelled Saturday: "Field-goal unit!" The senior Arizona State kicker has a lingering bad taste in his mouth from the Oregon game. He's upset with himself that he came...

Cougar converts his second chance; safety Thompson overcomes neck injury to star again.
November 9, 2001... Byline: Bob MORAN Lamont Thompson has taken full advantage of what he considers a second chance at playing football. The senior Washington State safety is having an outstanding season and is the anchor on a defense that has helped the...

Boston having a good season.
November 9, 2001... Byline: Darren URBAN While most of the Arizona Cardinal offense is struggling, David Boston isn't. The third-year receiver is second in the NFL in yards with 727 on his 46 catches, and the Cards haven't reached the midway part of the...

Plummer tired thinking about weak offense.
November 9, 2001... Byline: Darren Urban PHOENIX _ Jake Plummer is tired. Not physically tired but mentally tired, worn down from trying to explain week after week why the Arizona Cardinals' offense has been inconsistent at best, completely ineffective at...

Tkachuk to face Coyotes.
November 9, 2001... Byline: Craig MORGAN ST. LOUIS _ The Phoenix Coyotes will take the ice Saturday night at Savvis Center. So will Keith Tkachuk. But for the first time in Tkachuk's 11-year NHL career, they'll be sitting on opposite benches in the...

Coyotes snap slump vs. Stars.
November 10, 2001... Byline: Craig MORGAN DALLAS _ Before Friday's game, Phoenix Coyotes coach Bob Francis was certain his team's offensive slump was about to end. "Based on statistics and the skill of the guys we have, it's got to," he said. It did....

Clippers put Suns defense on trial.
November 11, 2001... Byline: Mike TULUMELLO LOS ANGELES _ In the case of the people vs. the Phoenix Suns, here's the question before the jury: "Did the Suns give away too much defense in trading away Jason Kidd and Clifford Robinson?" The defense...

Home wreckers: Sun Devils lose homecoming to Cougars.
November 11, 2001... Byline: Bob Moran TEMPE, Ariz. _ The old grads of Arizona State will go home muttering again. Arizona State couldn't overcome the loss of starting quarterback Jeff Krohn to a shoulder injury in the first half as the Sun Devils were...

Cardinals meet the Giants.
November 11, 2001... Byline: Dan Zeiger The circumstances are quite similar, with his New York Giants limping going into a game at Sun Devil Stadium. But Jim Fassel has been downright quiet. The Giants coach has not pulled another Namath. No guarantees...

NFL players know the pitfalls of pain.
November 11, 2001... Byline: Darren Urban PHOENIX _ Michael Pittman was lying on the floor on his stomach one Monday evening this season when 1-year-old son Micah ran up and jumped on his back. "I was like, `AAAHHHHH!' " the Arizona Cardinals running back...

Coyotes fall to Blues.
November 11, 2001... Byline: Craig MORGAN ST. LOUIS _ Keith Tkachuk insisted there was no extra incentive. He had only circled this date on his calendar to renew acquaintances with old friends. But once the Phoenix Coyotes former captain hit the ice...

Cardinals' defense trying not to blame incompetent offense.
November 12, 2001... Byline: Scott Bordow TEMPE, Ariz. _ The skin on Ronald McKinnon's right elbow had been torn away, leaving an ugly patch of pink. Every part of his body ached, the hangover from another Sunday afternoon of violence just beginning. But...

Another big receiving game by Boston can't help Cardinals.
November 12, 2001... Byline: Dan Zeiger TEMPE, Ariz. _ It's become a postgame locker-room ritual for David Boston in recent weeks, taking questions about a prolific receiving game that _ more often than not _ wasn't enough for the Arizona Cardinals to win. ...

Cardinals are a Giant offensive flop.
November 12, 2001... Byline: Darren Urban TEMPE, Ariz. _ A New York team was in town, the press passes said Game 7 and Bob Brenly was on the field holding the World Series championship trophy. One week earlier the scene stood for victory. Sunday, there was no...

Price hike cools warm, fuzzy D-Backs feeling.
November 13, 2001... Byline: Scott Bordow Contraction. Lawsuits. And now, just as our goose bumps are starting to recede, a ticket price hike. That's baseball management. Go to a party and Bud Selig breaks out. Was it just nine days ago that we had...

Don't worry fans, you only have to watch it.
November 13, 2001... Byline: Dan Zeiger Arizona Cardinals fans might find it hard to believe, but they have only the second-highest level of disgust at the team's inept offense. The people most indignant, coach Dave McGinnis said on Monday, are the ones...

Johnson: Forever Young.
November 14, 2001... Byline: Ed Price On a golf course one day during spring training, Curt Schilling told Randy Johnson: "Either you're going to win your fourth this year or I'm going to take it away." With his closest competition for the Cy Young Award...

At least give the Suns style points.
November 15, 2001... Byline: Scott BORDOW Take a good look at the NBA standings. See the Phoenix Suns there, treading water in the middle of the Pacific Division? Get used to it. The season is only nine games old, but it's not too early to get a read...

Ewing's old magic works against Suns.
November 15, 2001... Byline: Dan ZEIGER PHOENIX _ Stephon Marbury was on target from long distance to get the Phoenix Suns in position to defeat the Orlando Magic on Wednesday night. But in the final seconds, his aim from inside the paint wasn't as true....

Cardinals hope playing Lions will spark run.
November 15, 2001... Byline: Darren URBAN The Detroit Lions are coming to town, and maybe that can help the ailing running game of the Arizona Cardinals. The Lions were the opponent two years ago, when running back Michael Pittman had the best game of his...

Work ethic makes Lassiter valuable to Cardinals.
November 15, 2001... Byline: Darren Urban It was an innocent comment, really, when Arizona Cardinals coach Dave McGinnis said safety Kwamie Lassiter struggled in part in 2000 because he was "a little nicked up" with a sore knee. Lassiter was nearly...

Arizona State opens with new basketball attitude.
November 16, 2001... Byline: Bob Moran The recovery from a disappointing season for Arizona State's men's basketball team began in May when the team played five games in Australia. "It really helped us get the taste of last year out of our mouths," said...

Arizona State appears on the rise.
November 16, 2001... Byline: Scott Bordow Rob Evans does not care what you think. You're a fan. He's the coach. He knows. You don't. He hears what you're saying. That it's time he got the Arizona State Sun Devils to the NCAA Tournament. That if he...

Cardinals not set up for winning season.
November 16, 2001... Byline: Darren Urban The Arizona Cardinals are exactly halfway through one season of what was expected to be a multi-season rebuilding job. Conventional wisdom said the Cards were only going to win four or five games this season. So...

Marmie puts his stamp on Cardinals' defense.
November 18, 2001... Byline: Scott Bordow The Arizona Cardinals have just finished practice, and defensive coordinator Larry Marmie is off and running. As usual. He sprints toward the locker room where, if his lean frame is any indication, he grabs two...

Even Suchy scores; defenseman gets 1st NHL goal in easy Coyotes win.
November 18, 2001... Byline: Jerry BROWN PHOENIX _ In one sense, it was a meaningless goal, the sixth and final for the Phoenix Coyotes in a runaway win with much of the crowd already starting for home. But in another sense, Coyote defenseman Radoslav...

Suns fall to Raptors.
November 19, 2001... Byline: Mike TULUMELLO PHOENIX _ If you're a Phoenix Suns fan, and you must settle for a moral victory over an elite foe, you might laud their "fighting spirit." This was true, in more ways than one, in the Suns' strange, 87-81 loss...

Arizona State has own version of Survivor.
November 19, 2001... Byline: Bob MORAN Senior Eric Fields says football at Arizona State has brought him a lifetime of friends. Among them Larry Montgomery and Courtney Palmore. If those are two names you haven't heard this season, don't be alarmed....

For Cardinals, this game of losers meant a lot.
November 19, 2001... Byline: Scott BORDOW TEMPE, Ariz. _ Imagine a situation so hopeless that playing for the Arizona Cardinals seems like the good ol' days. Imagine being Matt Joyce, Tommy Bennett or Vince Tobin, three men who thought they had escaped...

Plummer & Co. break through with 45 points.
November 19, 2001... Byline: Dan ZEIGER During the offseason, the Arizona Cardinals put together a highly paid, highly touted offensive unit that they anticipated feasting on opposing defenses. However, the dinner table was pretty much bare the first eight...

We ain't Lion but Cardinals win.
November 19, 2001... Byline: Darren URBAN PHOENIX _ The problems associated with losing to the winless Detroit Lions Sunday would have been massive. The Arizona Cardinals knew that. So maybe it helped the Cards were dragging along the bottom of the...

Suns blow out Knicks; Phoenix's fast start offensively, frantic defense key to win.
November 22, 2001... Byline: Mike TULUMELLO PHOENIX _ Maybe the biggest misnomer about the NBA over the years is that, "You only need to watch the last two minutes" to know what went on in any given game. More often, it's the FIRST two minutes that count...

Walter to start at QB; Arizona State makes switch to give injury-prone Krohn chance to finish game.
November 22, 2001... Byline: Bob MORAN Andrew Walter will make his first start at quarterback Friday against Arizona, Arizona State coach Dirk Koetter said Thursday. The decision to start the redshirt freshman was made to give injury-troubled starter Jeff...

Battle for the Cup: prize that debuted in 1899 up for grabs Friday.
November 22, 2001... Byline: Bob MORAN It won't rank with the discovery of a pendant worn by a passenger on the Titanic, or finding a spittoon that belonged to Abe Lincoln. But for a few with the sense of history regarding the nation's 48th state, the...

Coyotes' Simpson sidelined; broken foot keeps defenseman out for at least three weeks.
November 22, 2001... Byline: Jerry BROWN One minute, Phoenix Coyotes defenseman Todd Simpson was at the top of his game and in the midst of a rare scoring streak and asserting himself at the forefront of a surging team. The next, he was staggering toward...

Penny returns to hometown as Suns meet Grizzlies.
November 23, 2001... Byline: Craig MORGAN MEMPHIS, Tenn. _ The journey into Penny Hardaway's past begins with an abrupt change of scenery. As you head east along North Parkway away from the Mississippi River, the tree-lined streets, wide lawns and brick...

Arizona State-Arizona still worth the wait.
November 23, 2001... Byline: Scott Bordow Top 20 reasons why Friday's Arizona State-Arizona game is still worth watching: 1. It's for sole possession of eighth place in the Pac-10. 2. Two more wins and ASU is in the Humanitarian Bowl. New Year's Eve...

Plummer improving slowly but surely.
November 23, 2001... Byline: Darren URBAN The play gets lost in the game's play-by-play sheet, one part of a long drive five minutes into a game that featured 83 points. 2-10-ARZ 6 J. Plummer pass to F. Sanders to ARZ 11 for 5 yards. What the...

Delk steals show in Penny's homecoming.
November 24, 2001... Byline: Craig MORGAN MEMPHIS, Tenn. _ It was billed as Penny Hardaway's homecoming. But Tony Delk stole center stage. Delk, who grew up in nearby Brownsville, scored a game-high 23 points on 9-of-15 shooting Friday to lead the Suns to...

Wildcats dance on Sparky logo; Farmer's running sets tone for Arizona.
November 24, 2001... Byline: Bob Moran TEMPE, Ariz. _ What was that about the Arizona State-Arizona rivalry lacking some intensity? Arizona brought the in-your-face cockiness that has been a fixture in recent years at the Florida-Florida State and...

Rivalry turns ugly after Arizona-Arizona State game; coaches embarrassed with teams' behavior during on-field melee.
November 24, 2001... Byline: Scott Bordow TEMPE, Ariz. _ An ugly afternoon for the Arizona State Sun Devils turned uglier when a brawl ensued moments after Arizona's 34-21 victory Friday at Sun Devil Stadium. A group of Wildcats' players, led by running...

Misery not quite over for Koetter.
November 24, 2001... Byline: Scott Bordow By any definition, this has been a miserable rookie year for Arizona State coach Dirk Koetter. The Sun Devils will not go to a bowl game for the first time since 1998. If they get beat by UCLA next Saturday in Los...

Time for 2001 Pac-10 awards.
November 24, 2001... Byline: Bob Moran Certainly the reputation of the Pac-10 was enhanced again with an even stronger showing this year. For much of the season, the league had five teams in the polls. Five teams with the highest BCS numbers. There...

For now, Mackovic quiets the chirping wolves.
November 24, 2001... Byline: Slim Smith During John Mackovic's postgame interview session, a Tucson reporter asked if Arizona's 34-21 win over rival Arizona State on Friday would quiet "some of the wolves out there that were beginning to chirp." Well,...

Fatafehi earns his first start in NFL.
November 24, 2001... Byline: Dan Zeiger and Darren Urban For Mario Fatafehi, Sunday's game will be his first NFL start, so it's no surprise that the rookie defensive lineman will be nervous. However, Fatafehi will be playing defensive end after a lifetime...

Coyotes not Wild enough on the road.
November 24, 2001... Byline: Jerry Brown ST. PAUL, Minn. _ With the Christmas shopping rampage hitting full-swing Friday morning, many folks spent the day circling their local malls in search of that perfect holiday surprise. Dovetailing with the spirit of...

Suns have no `D' vs. Big D; smaller Phoenix lineup can't contain Nowitzki, Mavericks.
November 25, 2001... Byline: Craig MORGAN DALLAS _ Through 14 games the Phoenix Suns look like a team stuck on a fast-moving treadmill. The running pace appears to be taking them somewhere, but the ground beneath their feet keeps nullifying any gains. Case...

Loss to Arizona won't go away; Arizona State must recover, play UCLA.
November 25, 2001... Byline: Bob MORAN Arizona State football coach Dirk Koetter spent a sleepless night thinking about his initial experience in the ASU-Arizona rivalry. "I watched the tape in my brain about 100 times," said Koetter, whose Sun Devils were...

Stadium suits Sun Devils just fine; talk of a shared facility with Cards doesn't make sense.
November 25, 2001... Byline: Scott Bordow Every day, it seems, another voice speaks out, advocating that the Arizona Cardinals and Arizona State Sun Devils should play nice and share a new football stadium. Why do we need two stadiums, the theory goes,...

Cardinals aim for rare streak; team eyes second straight victory of second half.
November 25, 2001... Byline: Darren URBAN SAN DIEGO _ The negative stats that surround the Arizona Cardinals are usually plentiful. It's not hard to find some number to describe years of ineptitude. Another is ready to serve as a backdrop for Sunday's game...

Charge to respectability; San Diego shows right moves can yield quick turnaround.
November 25, 2001... Byline: Dan Zeiger In the concrete jungle of the NFL, two franchises at different places on the league's road map take the field Sunday at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego. The San Diego Chargers have found the express lane to...

Coyotes are cure for struggling Blues; Phoenix takes early penalties, gives up 3 first-period goals.
November 25, 2001... Byline: Jerry BROWN ST. LOUIS _ The St. Louis Blues trudged home to Missouri after scoring only four goals _ none for their 0-for-20 power play unit _ during a miserable winless five-game road trip that ended Friday night in Detroit. ...

Victory may begin turnaround in hopeless team.
November 26, 2001... Byline: Scott Bordow SAN DIEGO _ Arizona Cardinals wide receivers coach Jerry Sullivan looked up at the face of Leonard Davis. The big man was smiling. "I think," Sullivan quietly told Davis, "we may have come of age today." ...

Cardinals zap Chargers.
November 26, 2001... Byline: Darren Urban SAN DIEGO _ A funny guy, that Pete Kendall. But then, the joke's been on the Arizona Cardinals for so long, why not enjoy a little self-deprecating humor? "It's the first time we've won back-to-back games since...

Winning streak gives Cards hope.
November 27, 2001... Byline: Darren Urban PHOENIX _ This is what a modest two-game winning streak gives you in today's parity-driven NFL: hope. How else can the Arizona Cardinals think right now, a 4-6 record just two games behind slumping NFC East leader...

Marbury rises with the Suns.
November 29, 2001... Byline: Scott Bordow Scott Skiles sees it. So does Dan Majerle. Stephon Marbury is Kevin Johnson with tattoos. "He can get to the hole any time he wants," said Phoenix Suns general manager Bryan Colangelo. "He's clearly that type...

Suns too much for Bucks.
November 29, 2001... Byline: Mike Tulumello PHOENIX _ The Big 3 played as advertised Wednesday night. Dominated even. But which one? Actually, it was no contest. The Phoenix Suns' lesser publicized "Big 3" _ Stephon Marbury, Penny Hardaway and Shawn...

Suns' salaries rank fifth in NBA; spending hasn't equaled success in season's early going.
November 29, 2001... Byline: Mike TULUMELLO The Phoenix Suns have struggled, at least until recently, to leave the break-even level in their season's rear-view mirror. But it's not because they don't spend money. The Suns are responsible for $55.9 million...

Delk out at least 2 games.
November 29, 2001... Byline: Mike Tulumello Tony Delk, who took a knee to his right thigh in Phoenix's blowout win over the Milwaukee Bucks, will miss at least the next two games, the Suns said Thursday. Delk will miss Friday night's game vs. the Utah Jazz...

Walter to start vs. UCLA.
November 29, 2001... Byline: Bob Moran Jeff Krohn was practicing with the first unit at the start of Arizona State's football practice Thursday. At running back. Coach Dirk Koetter revealed that Krohn has physically taken a turn for the worse and that...

Young players show promise for ASU.
November 29, 2001... Byline: Bob Moran TEMPE, Ariz. -- If Arizona State is to have a chance of moving north in the Pac-10 standings next season, the Sun Devils will need their high-profile recruits from two years ago to step forward. While it has been a...

How the mighty have fallen.
November 29, 2001... Byline: Bob Moran Oh where, oh where has UCLA's promising season gone? If Arizona State is feeling miserable about a four-game losing streak that has relegated the Sun Devils to bottom feeders in the Pac-10, think of what the Bruins...

Lassiter gets nothing but respect as reward; safety named top defensive player in NFC for November.
November 29, 2001... Byline: Dan ZEIGER Apparently, the material reward for winning the NFC defensive player of the month is quite modest. Arizona Cardinals safety Kwamie Lassiter got no bonus after being named the November honoree on Thursday. No trophy....

Kicking, sticking together: close-knit clan gave Gramatica brothers a leg up in the world.
November 29, 2001... Byline: Darren Urban Guillermo Gramatica Sr. stood by himself out of the way under a tree, watching Guillermo Jr. _ listed as Bill in the Arizona Cardinals 2001 media guide, rookie kicker from the University of South Florida _ work out....

Markov proves to have most `Mojo'.
November 29, 2001... Byline: Jerry Brown PHOENIX -- It's a 6-inch tall wooden nutcracker, purchased and repainted in Phoenix Coyotes colors by Judy Bowness, wife of Rick Bowness, assistant coach in charge of the defensemen. A little hockey stick is taped...