Archive for November, 2007

D’Antoni gives Suns a lump of coal

Published on November 28, 2007 in Uncategorized. 0 Comments

Here’s what happened on The 620 SportsLine with Dave Burns :

* With Dennis Erickson’s Territorial Cup debut on the horizon, where does beating Arizona rank for a prospective head coach of ASU. We all know how Dirk Koetter feels, and Burnsy somewhat agrees that it isn’t as high as putting together a perennial power in the Pac-10 and, thus, several Rose Bowl appearances.

* Suns coach Mike D’Antoni stopped by for his weekly visit. He had some interesting comments about the differences between this squad and the one in 2004-5, which also got off to a quick start. He said the team in 2004 took less for granted and treated every game “like Christmas,” especially given where they were one season previous.

* In a follow-up point, D’Antoni said Golden State had that type of enthusiasm and that the Suns did not. He also said that’s what he was trying to emphasize with the fans: The window is closing and they to get enthused right now.

* Audio: Suns coach Mike D’Antoni - Part I

* Audio: Suns coach Mike D’Antoni - Part II

* Audio: Suns coach Mike D’Antoni - Part III

And last but not least, the Cardinals pass the Barr after Sunday’s debacle with San Francisco. Apparently, we know who gets the blame for that tough loss. Not that cutting Neil Rackers, Kurt Warner, or firing himself was really an option for Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt.

 

* Cardinals starting cornerback Eric Green was also placed on IR, creating yet another opening for Bo Schobel, who’s been cut and released by the team more times than Britney Spears has lost her children.

In case you don’t know what I’m talking about and/or don’t read the press releases from Chris Melvin, here you go:

Saturday, November 17, 2007

Tempe, AZ – The Arizona Cardinals Football Club today announced that the team has elevated cornerback MICHAEL ADAMS from the practice squad to the 53-man active roster and has released defensive end BO SCHOBEL.

Tuesday, November 20, 2007

Tempe, AZ – The Arizona Cardinals Football Club today announced that the team has re-signed defensive end BO SCHOBEL (SHOW-bull) and has released cornerback MICHAEL ADAMS.

Saturday, November 24, 2007

Tempe, AZ – The Arizona Cardinals Football Club today announced that the team has elevated cornerback MICHAEL ADAMS from the practice squad to the 53-man active roster and has released defensive end BO SCHOBEL.

Tuesday, November 27, 2007

Tempe, AZ – The Arizona Cardinals Football Club today announced that the team has placed cornerback ERIC GREEN (groin) on injured reserve, re-signed defensive end BO SCHOBEL (SHOW-bull) and released punter MIKE BARR and tight end TIM EUHUS (YOU-us).

Burnsy’s Blog: ArmchairGM Exclusive - Run, Barry, run!

Published on November 16, 2007 in Uncategorized. 1 Comment

Dave Burns hosted the 11-16 edition of The 620 SportsLine:

* Barry Bonds needs your help! Click on Barry and keep the mouse held down (don’t lose track of his whereabouts). Now, move him around the field and keep him away from Bud Selig, the fuzz, some steroids, and Marc Ecko trying to send his ball into space.

Click here to play the game!

* Burnsy bashes Barry Bonds right off the bat . Bonds’ defense attorney Mike Rains had some interesting sound bytes backing Bonds very strongly and criticizing the federal government. Dave thinks A-Rod will be the biggest winner in the steroid aftermath because people will actually root for him.

* UA upsets No. 2 Oregon Thursday night - opening up the possibility that ASU can win the Pac-10 outright. Dave thinks there is a 2 percent chance that ASU beats USC and UA.

* Dan Zieger joined Burns and discussed the upcoming ASU-USC game, including most importantly, their tailgating plans.

* Burnsy touched on the Phoenix Suns. He questioned whether STAT can be mature enough to lead the Suns to the promised land.

Burnsy’s Blog: Fans are still consumers, Mr. D’Antoni

Published on November 15, 2007 in Uncategorized. 1 Comment

It’s good to be king.

Mike D’Antoni and the Suns sit atop the heap of teams vying for your attention and dollar. They are the king of Valley sports at the moment.

Which is what allows the head coach to publicly question the fans enthusiasm.

“If they’re going to boo us, hell, what’s the difference, I can boo them.

“(Tuesday), they didn’t come ready. You have to come every game, you have to bring it … and they didn’t bring it. There was no atmosphere. Everybody — us, them — was just kind of down and blah and there’s not reason to be.”

You think Bob Melvin, or Dennis Erickson or even Ken Whisenhunt could say what D’Antoni said and get away with it?

Remember, when all is said and done, fans are still consumers. They are buyers and teams are sellers.

It’s why I honestly can’t remember a coach, any coach, any league, ripping fans (not counting times when they act like boobs-throwing stuff on the field and things like that).

They’re your customers.

Besides, let’s be honest about this. Is it reasonable to think fans are going to be as jacked up about a mid-November game against the Stephon-Marbury-Zack-Randolph-less-Knicks.

I know, I know. Enjoy the ride, right?

What the Suns have accomplished these last few years is extraordinary. They’ve made the NBA fun again. It’s an exceptionally entertaining product. But with this team, again, let’s be honest, there is only one thing that will scratch the itch. And that one thing can’t happen until June.

I imagine it’s what it was like being a Red Sox fan before 2004.

In retrospect there is one thing I said last night that I’d like to take back. I said that the team could win 70 games this year, but if it didn’t come with a championship attached to it, it would be hard to be excited about it.

It would be an empty feeling to be sure, but, a 70-win season would be an accomplishment to celebrate to be sure.

Burnsy’s Blog: An encyclopedia of cheaters

Published on November 8, 2007 in Uncategorized. 0 Comments

On the day after Thanksgiving every retail clerk in America goes to the front of their store and before turning the lock and opening the door, pauses and thinks…..here they come. Hang on tight. It’s going to be a long day.

So when the two men who wrote the book “Game of Shadows” about Barry Bonds, authored a story alleging that former D-backs third baseman and currently the special assistant to the managing partner for the team Matt Williams bought 11 grand worth of HGH and steroids, I think the same thing. This, my friends, is just the beginning.

Sometime between now and the end of the year, the Mitchell report will come out and we’ll be inundated with names of guys who used, bought or tried steroids and Human Growth Hormone. We’ll have more names in front of us than we know what to do with. An encyclopedia of cheaters and litany of excuses. Can’t wait.

In the case of Williams, he says he tried it in 2002 because a doctor recommended it for his ankle problems. A flimsy excuse that was backed up by team President Derrick Hall who, in a statement, said “Matt is a standup guy, who without hesitation, admitted using it and not liking it.” That doesn’t explain why he placed two orders (one in March of 2002 and one in May of 2002) or why, according to the Chronicle he put in more orders even though his career was over.

I guess you credit Williams for admitting he used it, though his reason has become the motive-of-the-day. “Well my doctor told me to take it.” You don’t need a phony doctors prescription to overdose on that line. We’re going to hear it a lot in the next few months.

But the truth of the matter is simple; that era will be littered with guys who were juicing. If you want to look backwards and hold everyone accountable for something that perhaps most who played during that time frame were doing, go ahead, but I think you’re missing the big picture. Holding Matt Williams accountable now means nothing. It has no value and no useful purpose. What do you accomplish? The cancer of steroids might be so widespread, my guess is you’ll never be able to remove it.

But holding baseball accountable to make certain it never happens again? Making sure they are truly committed to doing everything in their power to test tough and punish tougher? You bet your syringe free ass that the goal.