For the first time in several years, fans of all the major sports teams in the Valley have something to cheer about.
The Phoenix Coyotes came through with a five-game winning streak to end the season and clinch the Pacific Division title, entering the 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs as the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference.
This is the third straight year the ‘Yotes have made the playoffs, although they lost to the Detroit Red Wings in the first round in each of the past two. Fortunately for coach Dave Tippett’s squad, the Coyotes will enjoy home-ice advantage and boast a 3–1 record this season against the No. 6-seeded Chicago Blackhawks.
The Arizona Diamondbacks began the 2012 season with a bang, sweeping their division rival, the San Francisco Giants. The Diamondbacks are coming off a 2011 season in which they won 94 games and won the National League West.
The current team was picked by a few baseball analysts to win the National League and appear in the World Series, a feat it hasn’t accomplished since the magical 2001 season.
The Phoenix Suns are currently battling for the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference with the Utah Jazz, Denver Nuggets, Dallas Mavericks and Houston Rockets.
Steve Nash is again defying the laws of age and carrying this Suns team on his occasionally injured back. With Grant Hill out of the lineup because of a knee injury, guard Shannon Brown has stepped up in his absence, averaging 17.6 points and 4.3 rebounds per game since being named to the starting lineup in the seven games prior to Monday’s matchup with the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The Arizona Cardinals finished off the 2011 season on a positive note and for the first time since Kurt Warner departed, have an air of cautious optimism surrounding the 2012 team.
Last year’s squad won seven of their final nine games after beginning the season with a dismal 1–6 record. In the second half of the season, the Cardinals finally looked like a competitive football team — something fans hope to see for the entirety of the 2012 campaign. Plus, Kevin Kolb has the chance to prove he’s a competent quarterback with a full offseason to heal and learn the team’s plays.
Last, but not least, we come to the Sun Devils. In the past two weeks, ASU announced plans for a renovated Sun Devil Stadium and named Steve Patterson athletics director. Couple that with the energy and optimism emanating from football coach Todd Graham, and there is finally a positive buzz surrounding the Sun Devils after a disappointing 2011 football season.
So, sports fans, live in the here and now. The Arizona sports scene is as exciting as it’s been in recent memory, and it’s time to get out and embrace it.
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