Sure, it seems like a tough time to be a Phoenix sports fan.
The Suns, after all those projections of this being "the year," started 1-5 and still can't play defense.
The much-hyped Cardinals are contenders, but it's for the No. 1 pick in next year's draft, not for a playoff spot
And, for the small number of you out there who actually care, the Coyotes are one of the worst teams in the dying league known as the NHL.
But fear not, Valley fans. Call me a foolish optimist, but I think this past week showed that ASU sports are at least heading in the right direction.
Let's start with the football team. Certainly it's been a rough season. Three straight losses to open the Pac-10 season and three losses of 28 points or more will do that every time.
Then, after UA upset No. 8 California just hours before ASU kicked off with Washington State, it seemed things were getting even worse.
UA was 5-5 with three conference wins, and an ASU loss would have left the Sun Devils with the same overall record and behind the hated Wildcats in the Pac-10 standings.
But then ASU football found itself. Coach Dirk Koetter returned to his roots - the downfield passing game - and took the handcuffs off Rudy Carpenter, who looked like his 2005 self again.
The Sun Devils' 47-14 win made them bowl-eligible, got the dogs off Koetter and Carpenter for at least one week, and should have ASU fans feeling better about the chances to beat the Wildcats and keep them from making their first bowl trip this century.
Then there's men's basketball. While we all hoped for a better start to the Herb Sendek era than a loss to NAU, anyone who knows basketball should not have been surprised.
NAU was nearly an NCAA tournament team last season and will contend for a Big Dance invite again this year, and this ASU team is young and inexperienced. That means there are going to be some bumps in the road, and Monday night's loss was one of them.
But there were still positives to take from the game. One was the play of true freshmen Christian Polk and Jerren Shipp, who combined for 45 points and showed they could combine with next year's touted recruiting class to make ASU a force in 2007-08.
Another was the crowd of more than 10,000 fans, specifically, the jammed student section. Seeing the corner of Wells Fargo Arena full of students for a November nonconference game was simply fantastic.
They stood throughout the game, cheered big plays, berated the referees and showed that it doesn't require a visit from Lute Olson and his band of crybaby misfits to create a big-game atmosphere in Tempe.
Sure the Sun Devils lost, but let me make the same appeal Sendek did after the game. Stick with this team. They're headed for good things, but they need loyal fans. Let's make visiting teams fear coming to Wells Fargo Arema.
But that's not all. The nationallyranked women's basketball team won its first three games this weekend, lighting up the scoreboard in the process, with point totals of 87 and 96 in two of its victories.
Lastly, I can't forget the women's volleyball team. The Sun Devils delivered two big wins last week, including a potentially season-defining upset of Oregon Friday.
Two wins in their final three matches will give them a winning record, and playing a schedule loaded with NCAA tournament teams should certainly earn them a postseason invite as well.
So, to all you frustrated Phoenix-area sports fans, here's my advice. Get yourself to the ASU campus, especially in these next couple of weeks.
See the rejuvenated football team the improving men's basketball team, the emerging powerhouse women's basketball team, and the hopefully tournament-bound volleyball team.
One final note: To the athletic department - you're welcome for the P.R. I'll assume the check is in the mail.
Reach the reporter at: Matthew.Storey@asu.edu.
