Here’s what went down Wednesday on Gambo & Ash…

Mighty Mercury!…the Mercury are playing the style of basketball Alvin Gentry dreams of.  Sound strange?  It shouldn’t, especially after the Merc beat the Indiana Fever 120-116 in overtime Tuesday at U.S. Airways Center to take a 1-0 Finals lead.  11,617 people witnessed the highest scoring game in NBA history.  The guys know the WNBA is simply a sideshow to David Stern’s product, but feel the Merc’s high tempo offense suits their style perfect - especially with one of, if not the league’s most recognizable players in MVP Diana Taurasi.  Ash believes Dee alone is worth the price of admission.  John was so impressed that he’s planning on attending Game 2 on Thursday.  One game after Steve Kerr bought thousands of free tickets for fans wanting to attend the game, Gentry did the same for Thursday.

Worth a Watch?…WNBA Finals Game 2 is Thursday night at U.S. Airways Center.  Did Tuesday’s game sway your opinion about women’s basketball when it’s played at a high level like it was in Game 1?  G&A both say they watch the NCAA Women’s Finals so what makes the WNBA any different?

Baum-shell!…the Coyotes mysterious, pain-staking 2009 continued Wednesday when Judge Redfield Baum turned down both bids from the NHL and billionaire Jim Balsillie to purchase the team.  So, for now, the NHL will run the team and incur the near $60 million in lost profits which is expected from the Desert Dogs.  G&A are perplexed by the whole story - especially when the team is preparing for their season-opener this weekend against the Kings in LA.  Gambo believes this is the first time we’ve seen a bankrupt team about to play a full regular season schedule.  John predicts this will be the downfall of Gary Bettman’s tenure as NHL Commissioner.

Take the Money!…in short, the NHL is pulling the strings for the ‘Yotes this season.  This isn’t a good thing for the NHL, especially with other teams around the league struggling financially.  With no corporate sponsors, zero parking revenue and a pricey arena lease due at the end of each month, it’s easy to see why the team will continue to function in the red for the foreseeable future.  The guys debated the true value of the franchise and if moved to another city, like Kansas City or Portland, would it work?

Senior Associate Athletics Director DON BOCCHI checked in to preview the Devils game this weekend against Oregon State at Sun Devil Stadium and everything else making headlines in Tempe.  He also said schools need to be extremely careful when hiring high-character coaches who care as much about the student-athlete as they do about winning.  This comes on the same day Binghamton’s athletic director resigned after endless scandals and legal run-ins involving the men’s basketball program.

Hollywood Reunion…reports in The LA Times say former Coyotes’ coach Wayne Gretzky may be making a return to the NHL - with the LA Kings.  Granted, the conversations were “informal,” G&A know The Great One’s heart is still in the game, at some capacity if not on the bench.  Gambo thinks Gretzky should work for the Edmonton Oilers, but no other NHL team.

We were joined by our baseball insider TIM KURKJIAN from ESPN who shared his thoughts on the NL Wild card race entering the final weekend of regular season play.  Plus, he shared his thoughts on Mark Reynolds and how the great Mike Schmidt defended his high-strikeout total.

Eagle Fly Away?…after just a single regular season game with Philly, Michael Vick may be on his way out.  Reports say Kevin Kolb’s ability to run the offense in place of injured Donovan McNabb, coupled with Vick’s $5 million kicker in 2010 could lead to a trade during the season or next spring.  One team that could be interested is Tampa Bay, which has a crop of young, but untested, signal-callers and need a spark after a 0-3 start.

New York Jets Assistant Defensive Backs coach DOUG PLANK checked in to talk about his first season on Rex Ryan’s staff after playing for his dad Buddy Ryan during his career with the Bears.  The man who the “46” defense was named after will also preview the Jets showdown with the unbeaten Saints Sunday in New Orleans.  Plank told the story of how he used to keep smelling salts in the waistband of pants and just pulled them out on the field in the huddle when he needed them.

To Play or Not to Play?…a story in The New Times reported there’s a higher rate of dementia for former NFL players compared with the national population.  It is especially common for former players between the ages of 30 and 49.  Doug Plank, a former hard-hitting safety for Buddy Ryan’s Bears, told Gambo & Ash there are times now when he walks into a room and can’t remember why.  He certainly doesn’t suffer nearly as much as some he played with in the early 80s.  The buzz today circled around all-everything Florida quarterback Tim Tebow, who says he hopes to play next Saturday at LSU.  Tebow suffered a nasty concussion last weekend against Kentucky.  The guys feel Urban Meyer needs to be extra cautious with Tebow, especially with a likely NFL career awaiting him.  The concussion problem has trickled down to the high school level where athletes are becoming stronger and thus, hitting harder.

Sports 620 KTAR reporter Johnny V. joined us LIVE from San Diego to discuss training camp at the University of San Diego.  He said the Suns appear loose and relaxed under Alvin Gentry, as opposed to Terry Porter’s camp a year ago.  V. said one player to watch closely this pre-season is Grant Hill, who played all 82 games last season.

Getting Defensive…the Pac-10 is changing.  No, no teams are leaving or being added, but changing its’ football reputation and it starts right here in Tempe.  The Sun Devils are in the top-25 nationally for total defense.  They join a host of other Pac-10 schools who appear on the same list.  On the other side of the ball, not one Pac-10 school in the Top 25 for total offense.  The guys debated why this is the case.  Mark feels it could be the fact that coaches, particularly Pete Carroll, have really zeroed in on landing blue-chip defensive stars like Desert Vista’s Devon Kennard, who is freshman with the Trojans this season.  Carroll recruited Everson Griffin to USC from Agua Fria High a few years back.

 

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 Tim Kurkjian [13:50m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (291)

 

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