The Suns are in a bind. Amare Stoudemire is likely not going to Golden State for a package featuring Stephen Curry. In fact, the Suns are looking at a return package that features little more than role players, hardly what the draft war room had envisioned when the erupted in applause at Curry’s selection.

So how does one interpret such a gap in intelligence gathering when it came to the Warriors 7th pick? When the deal was seemingly agreed upon in principle, did the Suns NOT submit a list of names that they wanted with the 7th pick? Did that list NOT include Curry’s? If it did, how did Golden State NOT inform Phoenix that Curry would be their property if he was available at #7? How did the Suns NOT find out a list of names that Golden State was content with drafting instead of the Amare deal? In other words (and this just has to be said) how did Steve Kerr and Suns management screw this up so badly? Moving forward, and in light of Sarver’s empty promise NOT to make a bad move just to make a move (yeah Mr. Sarver, that’s what you call the Shaq deal), how can Suns fans NOT be incredulous to any future moves that this organization makes?

They’re lost in other words. As lost as the star player that they’re trying to trade. So maybe the Suns and Amare really deserve each other. Neither seems to have a clue about where they’re going, where they want to go, or how fast they want to get there. Enjoy the 2009 season together guys… We surely will not.

We surely saw some bad baseball this weekend. But how bad is really bad? Or, better yet, what’s bad enough to be worse than the 2004 season?

Despite the “recentcy factor” Burnsy doesn’t think it’s quite “04’ bad.” He also doesn’t think the 09’ season is the most disappointing in team history. In both cases (at least thus far) it’s a close runner-up:

Worst season:

1. 04’ - 51-111.

Yes, they were expected to be bad. But this bad? It cost Bob Brenly his job, and led to the costly signing of Russ Ortiz. In short, bad with little hope on the horizon.

2. 09’ – 30-46 (in-progress).

No, they were not expected to be this bad. In fact, they were not supposed to be bad at all. All that could go wrong has: The loss of a manager, an ace, and relevance during a baseball season where it’s really hard not to be.

3. 98’ – 65-97.

Expansion teams are supposed to be bad, and the D-Backs were surprisingly good the following year (100-62). Compare that with their expansion brethren in Tampa.

Most disappointing season:

1. 02’ - 98-64.

How can 98 wins be disappointing? Well, it is after you win the World Series the year before, return with perhaps the most dominating 1-2 starting pitching combo in baseball history, and then fall in 3 games in the opening round of the playoffs.
2. 09’ - 30-46 (in-progress).

The D-Backs were supposed to be playoff contenders, World Series contenders according their GM, not irrelevant by late June. And as we said before: It’s very hard to irrelevant this year.

3. 08’ – 82-80 

In April the D-backs were MLBs best team in the worst division in all of baseball. They seemed like a shoo-in for the playoffs, but by the end of September they were the 2nd best team in the worst division in all of baseball. And not very fun to watch.

The D-backs haven’t been very fun to watch this year. Funny maybe, but not fun. This weekend also made Arizona the clear cut leaders in two categories: Errors and team meetings. The latter Burnsy really hates. Sure a team meeting garners some cheap headlines and might enjoy a brief push in the polls…for a day. Afterward you get what you would normally receive. In the D-backs case, that would be bad baseball. But what would be considered more frivolous than a team meeting in sports? We made a list:

Uniform changes – the Oakland Raiders probably have the most iconic uniforms in sports (or at least one of them). They’ve averaged 4 wins over the last six seasons. Uniforms don’t matter.

Team meetings – It shouldn’t take a meeting to realize that you’re not playing well. You shouldn’t play well because someone told you in a meeting that you aren’t playing well.

Logo tweaks – Players don’t player harder because the bird on their helmet looks meaner.
All-Star balloting – If I can name the All-Star starters before the season starts, it’s frivolous.

Stadium Signage – Makes money. Not wins.

Roof at Chase Field – The best team usually wins. Leave it alone.

Halftime interviews in college football –It’s not fun for anyone – the coach, the viewer, Erin Andrews. OK, maybe it’s good for the viewer if Erin Andrews is doing the interview, but other than that it is a waste of time.

NFL injury reports – Especially in New England. Think Tom Brady (pre knee injury)

Super Bowl “home field” – It’s the friggin’ Super Bowl. Trust me when you’re playing on the world’s biggest stage, in front of millions watching on TV, the idea of a few extra Steeler fans booing you probably isn’t going to bother you a whole lot.

All-Star Game Home field Advantage - Exhibition Game having any kind of merit is far-fetched. It’s a holiday for the extremely well paid. It’s a reprieve for the privileged. No matter how many times you harken back to the 1970s, it still will never be important to the athletes in the 2000s!

Retirement in boxing – no such thing

Brett Favre retirement – no such thing

Nationally televised games - Isn’t everything nationally televised now?

NFL schedule/strength of schedule rankings – teams change in the offseason. Those changes lead to more or less wins the following year. I don’t need 30 minutes of an ESPN special to explain that.

Mascots – Kids love them. Adults hate them. Adults pay for most tickets, and kids do not, so mascots should go away.

The similarities of Amare Stoudemire and the Phoenix Suns.

Yes, the 620 Sportsline finally had a full show with host Dave Burns.

As Kobe Bryant celebrates his first non-Shaq NBA championship, the Phoenix Suns may be preparing for a non-Shaq regular season, as there is speculation that the Suns are set to deal O’Neal, possibly to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Burnsy feels that the Suns options with Shaq are threefold. Buy, sell, or trade:

Buy – Keep Shaq and his $20 mill for one more season, writing it off at years end, and hopefully getting another year’s worth of quality work.

Pros: You could get another quality year out of Shaq, enough to be in contention for a playoff spot in the West, or maybe just get a better deal from a contending team at the deadline.
Cons: Shaq gets hurt, gets lazy, gets angry, and you get nothing for $20 million on a bad team next season.

Sell: Shaq to the Cleveland Cavaliers for the remnants of Ben Wallace, and another contract that can be easily dispensed (Sasha Pavlovic).
Pros: Cap relief, possibly enough to pursue a free-agent as soon as this offseason.
Cons: If Shaq is dealt and Amare immediately wants out, the Suns would be left with little more than expiring contracts and young players. You think Steve Nash wants to stick around for that???

Trade – Come up with a more enticing deal, possibly with Dallas, although Eric Dampier and Jerry Stackhouse hardly seem like equal return.

Pros: You could wait for another one to develop with New Orleans, possibly for an athletic big like Tyson Chandler, who although injury probe, could be a steal if the Suns training staff works more wonders.
Cons: By waiting, the Cleveland deal is now off the table (they want help for LeBron right now!), and you’re left dealing with teams mainly in the West, with the main return being Eric friggin’ Dampier.

Speaking of buying and selling, how about the Arizona Diamondbacks?

First, though, a distinction with a difference in regards to the D-backs: The Arizona Diamondbacks are a team of young, talented players.

Or: The Arizona Diamondbacks are young, talented players on a team. Burnsy agrees with the latter, and the later we get into the 09′ season, the easier it is to realize that “young and talented” just isn’t going to cut it, as the D-backs prepare to cut loose what movable assets they have before the trading deadline. The deadline for the D-backs official post-season elimination is what, though? Last year for Cleveland, another young team, the deadline was set at July 7th , when they dealt C.C. Sabathia to the Milwaukee Brewers. The Indians were 37-51 at the time, 13.5 games out of first in the AL Central, and had lost 8 straight at that point in their season. The D-backs are right about the same pace, with a .002 difference in winning percentage, and are 15 in back of the Dodgers. But if a sell-off commences, who stays, who goes, and, where? Burnsy has some ideas:

Who: Chad Qualls – will be 31 in August, makes 2.5 mill this year, and is arbitration eligible for one more. Probably not part of the D-backs long term plans at closer or in the bullpen. Could draw interest from teams with closer issues: Tampa Bay, Chicago Cubs, LA Angels, and Philadelphia. Teams always need help in the bullpen, so NYY and others would surely be involved as well.

Felipe Lopez – is 29 (turned just 3 days before me…he’s old!!), makes 3.5 mill this year, and will be a free-agent next year, not likely to be classified as Type B, meaning compensation would be minimal. Teams with poor production from 2B could be interested, including LAA, Tampa Bay (they lost Iwamura), Chicago Cubs, etc.

Doug Davis – is 33, makes 8.7 mill this year, but is a free-agent this offseason, likely Type B classification (this means a decent pick coming back if he doesn’t). Phillies are interested in acquiring another starter and may be interested. The Cardinals and Brewers do not have a lefty in their rotation, and the Mets starting pitching is iffy. The White Sox already tried to trade for Jake Peavy, while the Tigers only lefty starter is Dontrelle Willis… And Texas always needs starting pitching!

Jon Garland – is 29, makes 6.2 mill this year, free agent at year’s end, and could be a type B class. Phillies, Mets, Tigers, and (you guessed it) Texas could be very interested.

Jon Bloom filled in for Dave Burns.

A big trade was made today in NFL, but it did not involve Anquan Boldin.  But should the Cardinals have been involved in talks to acquire now Falcons TE Tony Gonzalez.  Bloomer thinks the Chiefs asking price was pretty low, one the Cardinals could have easily made, since their 2nd round pick in 2010 is not expected to be very low.

Speaking of the draft, it may be a long wait for the Cards on Sat and here’s a long list of things the Cardinals and their fans should be pulling for on draft day:

*Mark Sanchez going #4 to the Seahawks.  Helps the Cardinals in two ways:

1. It signifies the Seahawks are in rebuilding mode, and at the very least will not add a player (with their best pick) who will compete against the Cardinals next season.

It takes away the player the Jets may looking to draft, and may make them more prone to meet the Cardinals asking price for Boldin
*Knowshon Moreno going before 21, or going before the Eagles can move up and take him.  This may cause the Eagles to meet the Cardinals asking price for Boldin.

*Running backs slipping in the draft.  This might right counter to the previous item, but if RBs slip in this draft, the Cardinals would have a better shot at drafting the one that they want.  Whether that is Lesean McCoy, Donald Brown, or even Beanie Wells remains to be seen.  But if Moreno lasts all the way to #21, it may mean the Cards will have an opportunity to draft any of the previous three, or at the very least, either McCoy or Brown.

*Teams passing on pass rushers.  First sign may come at #9 with Green Bay.  If the Packers pass on drafting a pass rusher, it will give the Cards a better chance of one slipping all the way to #31.  Northern Illinois’ Larry English seems to be the popular choice.

*Wide receivers going early.  This may be the longest shot of the bunch, but if the Seahawks draft Michael Crabtree #4, and the Raiders (#7) and/or Jags (#8) fill their needs at WR, it could give the Cards a better chance at dealing with the Jets, Ravens or Giants in regards to Boldin.

A legend, an icon, and the most decorated athlete in Arizona sports history returns on Saturday, and yet few seem to even care that Randy Johnson will make his first ever start in Chase Field without a D-Backs jersey on.  On the grand scale of Arizona sports, Johnson is the king, and it might not even be close.  He’s got more championships than Barkley, more individual honors than Nash, and could be regarded as the greatest player ever at his position, something no other Arizona athlete could come close to matching.  So, if Johnson is #1, who is #2?  And how do the greatest athletes in Arizona sports history stack up:

1.    Randy Johnson:  One of the greatest, if not the greatest lefty of all-time.  2 more Cy Young’s than Steve Nash had MVP’s.  One more championship than Barkley had. Lock for Hall of Fame.  Most decorated athlete in Arizona history, bar none

2.    Charles Barkley:  First superstar athlete to play in Phoenix.  Captured the imagination of the Valley in 1992-3, and nearly captured Phoenix’s first NBA title.  Suns haven’t reached the NBA Finals since).

3.    Steve Nash:  One more MVP than Barkley, but one less NBA Finals trip.  Also a lock for the Hall of Fame, but was a great player in a less than great era, whereas Barkley was a great player in a great era.

4.    Jake Plummer:  Most popular football player in Arizona history.  Nearly led ASU to a national title, and the Cardinals to their first playoffs in AZ.

5.    Larry Fitzgerald:  Not ready yet for prime-time, but might challenge Randy’s mantle.  Arguably the best receiver in football, who delivered on the biggest stage in sports.

6.    Luis Gonzalez:  Arguably the most popular player in Arizona sports history.  Delivered the hit that won the World Series, and gave Arizona their first major championship in professional sports.  Still, he is a borderline Hall of Fame player at best.

7.    Kevin Johnson:  Suns most popular player prior to Barkley, and was a star in his own right before that.  Still, superstar doesn’t quite fit, and he does not have the championship resume of Gonzo.

8.    Danny White:  ASU’s most popular player prior to Plummer.  Was a collegiate star at a time when Phoenix had very few professional ones.

I’ve seen so many incredible things. I was at Yankee Stadium for games three, four and five of the 2001 World Series. Saw the President throw a strike. Heard the “Paul O’Neill” chant with my own ears.

I was on the field mere moments after Luis Gonzalez’s historic hit in Game Seven.

I was there in Dallas when the Cardinals beat the Cowboys in the playoffs a decade ago.

Was exhilarated by my first ever Coyote White Out.

But I’ve often told people that the most fun I’ve ever had covering one team over the course of one season, was the 1996 Arizona State University Sun Devil football team.

The journey was incredible, the moments unforgettable, the highs exhilarating and the lows indescribable. A magical story. Someone described that season as one of the best in the history of ASU. No. One of the best in the history of Phoenix sports.

Its author was Bruce Snyder and today he is gone.

Coach Snyder was 69-years-old and succumbed to the cancer he was diagnosed with back in June.

He and I weren’t friends by any stretch. But some of my favorite memories of my early days as a broadcaster came in covering his Monday press conferences. Listening to him talk about football, I was hypnotized. Listening to his passion about his team, I was inspired.

I mean, my gosh, I went to the U of A. But because of Coach Snyder I rooted for ASU.

Watching the goal posts come down after the Nebraska game, calling my wife to say I’d be late for a wedding we were supposed to go to because I just had to stay and watch the USC game. The sight of someone sticking a Rose in Snyder’s pocket after the Cal game. Listening to him tell the world his team was the best in the land after beating the Wildcats. Seeing the pain in his face after the Ohio State game.

It was the best of times. It was the worst of times. Charles Dickens had it right.

In December, on a tribute show I hosted on Sports 620 KTAR honoring the late Tom Dillon, Coach Snyder was a guest. When he informed all of us that the cancer had spread to his brain, without even thinking about it, I murmured “oh coach…”

But he stopped me right there. There was to be no pity for him, instead, a promise from him. To fight. To not quit.

Today he lost that fight. But with his family by his side and his dog at his feet, Coach Snyder gave me yet another lesson:

On how to live a life.

Doug, Wolf and Yoda paid up on their loss in the Bracket Beatdown. The morning show wore Ketchup, Mustard, and Relish costumes while running in place after the second inning on Wednesday.

The photos are must see, click here.