PHOENIX – Known for his work ethic, intensity and good nature as a four-time NFL Pro Bowl selection, retired Arizona Cardinals player Ron Wolfley and his business partners are proud to announce the Grand Opening of Wolfley’s Neighborhood Grill, scheduled for September 7, 2010.

Located in north Phoenix at 21001 N. Tatum Blvd., Wolfley’s is the newest member of the Desert Ridge Marketplace community. The 4,900 sq/ft restaurant has been thoughtfully planned with a comfortable interior design, three patios, two fireplaces and will feature 22 giant LCD screens and four HD projection areas for a superior sports viewing experience.

“I’m absolutely thrilled to be opening Wolfley’s Neighborhood Grill,” said Ron, whose resume includes a 10-year NFL career and 15 years in broadcasting including time with 620 AM KTAR Radio and as radio color analyst for Arizona Cardinals games. “People who know me know I hold myself to a high professional standard while also having a lot of fun and keeping things light. It’s those same principles that will serve as the foundation for Wolfleys.”

Wolfley and his team will bring a commitment to providing an exceptional menu of All-American classics based on high quality ingredients, freshness and especially value. In fact, menu items will start as low as $2.95 and most items will be in the $8 – $12 range. The menu will feature appetizers and small bites ranging from ahi tuna and filet mignon sliders to bruschetta, golden ravioli, and mac and cheese. There will also be an assortment of soups and salads, burgers, sandwiches and pizzas, as well as entrée items ranging from rib eye and New York strip steaks to BBQ ribs, grilled salmon, jambalaya and chicken piccata. There will also be extensive and creative Kids Menu.

In this food-first endeavor, it’s critical that all parts of the menu development, recipes, procedures, presentations and service be at an optimal level. Leading Wolfley’s food program will be its culinary partner, Steve Petrie. Petrie is a highly accomplished industry veteran who for many years was the corporate development and training chef for Jillian’s (now owned by Dave and Busters). Additionally, he has worked on many independent restaurant ventures around the country under the direction of Vucurevich Simmons Advisory Group.

Operated in a professional and responsible manner, Wolfley’s will be committed to providing warm, friendly service in a comfortable and inviting environment. Enter long-time Valley restaurateur Brian Adams, Wolfley’s operating partner. With more than 15 years of industry experience, Brian will bring the same level of customer service and attention to detail as he did as an original partner of Sapporo in Scottsdale and during his many years managing within the Mastro’s Group.

At the very core of its philosophy, Wolfley’s believes in the importance of giving back to the community. As such, Wolfley’s will donate 50 cents to charity for every kid’s meal purchased, alternating between the 100 Club of Arizona and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metropolitan Phoenix. The 100 Club is a non-profit organization that provides financial assistance to families of public safety officers and firefighters who have been seriously injured or killed in the line-of-duty. The Boys & Girls Clubs of Phoenix provides structured, comprehensive development programs for 35,502 youths in grades K – 12 at its 12 clubhouses.

Wolfley’s hours of operation will be Monday – Thursday, 11 AM – 12 midnight; Friday and Saturday, 11 AM – 1 AM; and Sunday, 9 AM – 12 midnight during the NFL season. For those NFL Sunday mornings, Wolfley’s will be serving up a tasty breakfast menu which will include omelets, breakfast burritos, French toast, pancakes and more.

The 2010 class includes student-athletes Kellee Booth (Women’s Golf), Amanda Burbridge (Volleyball), Paul Casey (Golf), Shawn Charles (Wrestling), Aaron Cox (Football), Attila Czene (Swimming), Eddie House (Basketball), and Dwight Phillips (Track & Field). All inductees will be honored at the Hall of Fame football game on September 25 vs. Oregon at Sun Devil Stadium/Frank Kush Field.

Kellee Booth
Women’s Golf/ 1995-1999/ Inducted 2010
Booth established herself as one of the top amateur golfers in the country while at Arizona State University. A first-team All-American from 1995-1996 and again in 1998, Booth was also the 1997 Dinah Shore Award winner and 1998 Honda Award Winner for Golf, and led her teams to NCAA team titles in 1995, 1997, and 1998. The Coto de Caza, Calif., native was also an Academic All-American at Arizona State University from 1996-1998. In her final year at ASU, Booth won the 1999 South Atlantic Amateur, Doherty Cup, Women’s Western Amateur and Trans National Amateur. Kellee was a member of the 1996 and 1998 U.S. Curtis Cup and World Amateur teams. In 1997 she received the Dinah Shore Award, the 1998 Marilyn Smith award and in 2000 she received the Chick-fil-A Charity Championship Nancy Lopez Award, which is given to the top amateur from the previous year, for her accomplishments in 1999.

Amanda Burbridge
Volleyball / 1997-2000/ Inducted 2010
Burbridge finished her career as a Sun Devil ranked third all-time with 1,597 career kills, including a school record 599 during her senior season in 2000. She led ASU in kills in three of her four years as a Sun Devil, ranks 11th with 1,060 career digs, and is still the ASU Volleyball record holder for kills in a match (39,38) and single season kills (599). Amanda is one of only ten players with 1,000 digs and kills in a career in ASU history. The Chaparral High graduate was a 2001 Pac-10 medal award winner, two-time Academic All-American. and a ASU Scholar athlete and first team all Pac-10 all four years she was a Sun Devil. Amanda graduated in 2000 Cum Laude with a degree in Sociology and returned to ASU to get her Masters in Secondary Education. Amanda is currently the Women’s Volleyball coach for Phoenix College and the Co-Founder of Arizona United Volleyball.

Paul Casey
Golf / 1997-2000/ Inducted 2010
Casey was a three-time Pac-10 men’s golf champion and three-time All-American during his time at Arizona State. Casey shot a 67 in the final round in the 2000 Pac-10 Men’s Golf Championship to break Tiger Woods conference par-72 mark and win his third straight Pac-10 title. Casey also led ASU to its sixth-straight league title in 2000, as the Sun Devils shot 56-under 1,384 (339-351-342-352) to also set Pac-10 records for low score and best score under par. He finished at 23-under 265 (66-65-67-67) and broke Woods’ 18-under 270 set in the 1996 Championships at Big Canyon Country Club in Newport Beach, Calif. (61-65-73-71). Paul shot a 15-under 265 at the Broadmoor Golf Club in Seattle on the par-70 course in 1999, including a NCAA record 60 in the final round. Casey ended his career with six championships, tied for third on the ASU wins list as he passed 1993 NCAA Champion Todd Demsey, who had five. The Gloucestershire England native currently has 11 wins since joining the PGA tour in 2000.

Shawn Charles
Wrestling/ 1989-1992/ Inducted 2010
Charles was Arizona State’s first four-time wrestling All-American and was a two-time Pac-10 individual champion (1992 and 1993) at 126 pounds. A two-time NCAA finalist, Charles helped the Sun Devils to a second-place finish at the 1990 NCAA Championships as well as three Pac-10 titles (1990, 1991, 1993). He collected 103 victories in his collegiate career, ranking him tied for 19th on the program’s all-time wins list at Arizona State. He also ranks 19th in career dual-match victories after he posted a 44-15-5 record in those matches. Charles also was a two-time competitor in the East-West All-Star Dual and captured the Las Vegas Invitational twice while also finishing second at the prestigious Midlands Championships once during his Sun Devil career. After several coaching stops in wrestling powerhouses like Iowa State and Oklahoma, Charles was named head coach of the Sun Devils in 2009.

Aaron Cox
Football / 1984-1987/ Inducted 2010
Cox was a part of three bowl teams while at ASU, including the 1986 team that defeated Michigan 22-15 in the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1, 1987, a game that saw him catch six passes (all for first downs) for 104 yards. He was a two-time AP Honorable Mention All American during his time at ASU, and still holds the record for longest completed pass from scrimmage (95 yards), and receiving yards by a freshman (159 vs. Florida State) and ranks fourth on the career all time receiving list with 2,692 yards. Cox was the 20th overall pick in the 1988 NFL Draft by his hometown Los Angeles Rams and played with them from 1988-1992. He finished his career as a Indianapolis Colt in 1993.

Attila Czene
Swimming / 1999-2000/ Inducted 2010
In 2000, ASU welcomed two-time 200 IM Olympic medalist Attila Czene to its roster and the team flourished, placing among the nation’s top-10 for only the third time in nine years. In his only season as a Sun Devil, Czene was member to three school record-setting relay teams and added two individual ASU records. Tying the world record in the short-course 200m IM (1:42.72 converted), Czene became only the sixth NCAA champion in ASU men’s swimming and diving history.

Eddie House
Basketball/ 1996-2000/ Inducted 2010
House earned the Pac-10 Player of the Year honors in 2000, becoming the first Sun Devil to earn the honor. He was one of the best-known players in the nation his senior year, led by his Pac-10 record matching 61-point outburst at California on Jan. 8 in a 111-108 double-overtime win. It marked just the sixth time since 1978 that a player had more than 60 points in a game involving two Division I teams. The 61 points matched Lew Alcindor’s mark set in 1967.The first Pac-10 player to notch four 40-point games in one season as he had 46 vs. San Diego State, 42 vs. Penn State and 40 vs. UCLA, House ended his career season as the nation’s fourth-leading scorer at 23.0 ppg. He joined Gary Payton as the only players in Pac-10 history to record more than 2,000 points and 250 steals during their collegiate careers. He earned All-Pac-10 honors twice in his career and was selected in the second round (37 overall pick) of the 2000 Draft by the Miami Heat and won a World Title with the 2008 Boston Celtics.

Dwight Phillips
Track and Field/ 1999-2000/ Inducted 2010
Phillips was a both a star on the track and in field competitions during his two years as a Sun Devil after transferring from the University of Kentucky. In 1999 he captured conference crowns in both the long and triple jump and was the first person to win both those titles in the same year since Oregon’s Latin Berry in 1988. He broke Kenny Frazier’s 15-year-old school record in the long jump with a leap of 26-10, eighth best in Pac-10 history and a Pac-10 Championships record and it was the best jump in the Pac-10 since 1991. Phillips tied for the longest collegiate jump in 1999. Phillips earned two more All-America honors as he finished as the national runner-up in the long jump and eighth in the triple jump in the indoor 2000 season, and set a school record in the long jump at the national meet with his leap of 8.11m in that same season. He finished out his career as the national runner-up in the long jump for the second time in the 2000 outdoor season with a leap of 26-7.75 at the national meet and also earned All-America honors with the 4×100m relay team after a fourth-place finish at the national meet. Following his collegiate career, Phillips placed eighth in the long jump at the 2000 Sydney Olympics before taking gold at the 2004 Athens Olympics. Phillips also has won three other world titles in the long jump since 2000.

For a complete list of ASU Athletics Hall of Fame inductees please visit:

http://thesundevils.cstv.com/trads/asu-trads-halloffame.html

Source: ASU Athletics

When it was announced that Mark Cuban was finished with his pursuit to purchase the Texas Rangers, one thought quickly came to mind, “I wish he would buy the Phoenix Coyotes.”

At first the idea may sound outlandish but let’s lay the facts on the table because the pairing could be great for both parties.

The mantra in business or investing is to buy low and sell high. Well, there is no franchise in any of the major sports that will come at a bigger bargain today than the Phoenix Coyotes and there is plenty of upside.

Let’s first spell out the appeal to buying the Coyotes:

Affordability:
Buying an NHL team would come at a fraction of the investment involved in buying an MLB franchise. The Coyotes reportedly are expected to sell for somewhere in the $140-$160 million range or about 3 ½ times less than the cost of the Texas Rangers.

Plus, since the Ice Edge deal appears to be perilous at best and they lost their exclusive negotiating rights, any interested buyer would hold serious leverage in lease negotiations with the City of Glendale who has $25 million to lose this year and many more millions if the team relocates. After all, Jerry Reinsdorf was considered a serious buyer and his bid consisted of no out-of-pocket investment. And if another partner is needed, TV producer Jerry Bruckheimer is a hockey nut who is dying to buy a team.

Misconception:
Media outside of Phoenix pan the market as unable to support an NHL franchise, when those who have followed the club closely know that is untrue. The Coyotes have been snake bitten by poor ownership since coming to Phoenix in 1996, which led to a compounding of errors that put the Coyotes in their current situation.

Take a look at this track record of Coyotes ownership:

Richard Burke/Steve Gluckstern: This duo only moved the Winnipeg Jets to Phoenix because Burke was unable to get an arena deal done in his hometown Minneapolis and Phoenix was the only city with an NHL-ready arena – or so they thought. It turns out team President Shawn Hunter among others failed to notice that 4,400 seats at America West Arena had an obstructed view of the ice.

This issue along with having to share arena sponsorship revenue with Jerry Colangelo’s group who owned and operated the arena, along with playing second fiddle to the Suns for quality weekend dates put a financial squeeze on the franchise. Then, Gluckstern bailed on Burke to buy the NY Islanders, leaving Burke high and dry. Burke had no choice but to sell since he couldn’t carry the financial burden himself, which brings us to the next ownership group.

Steve Ellman: To his credit, the Coyotes would have relocated to Portland, Oregon if not for Ellman. However, his motive to buy the Coyotes was simply to leverage the team to secure the development of the Westgate Entertainment District in Glendale. He didn’t want to be a sports owner. Mission accomplished. Unfortunately, his chip in getting the deal done was Wayne Gretzky who, along with Ellman, led the organization into a state of disarray. Ellman saw the writing on the wall, which led to the next ownership debacle.

Jerry Moyes: A lifelong Glendale resident, Moyes’ heart started out in the right place. Moyes, a minority owner that Ellman brought in to add capital, essentially traded his interest in Westgate for Ellman’s ownership in the Coyotes to protect his initial investment and keep the team in his hometown. Unfortunately, problems with Moyes’ trucking business, and bleeding the Coyotes to line his own pockets and his trucking company coffers, in addition to further ineffectiveness as a coach and executive by Gretzky, pushed the Coyotes to the brink of insolvency.

The Phoenix Coyotes have never had truly engaged ownership to give the team a chance to meet its potential, so imagine the possibilities if an innovative and attentive owner took the reins and built the franchise properly.

Tourism:
Phoenix becomes a haven for tourists during the winter as the Valley is swarmed with snowbirds. The majority of them come from Canada, and other hockey mad regions such as Michigan, Illinois and Minnesota. They go to games, especially games featuring their hometown team.

Jobing.com Arena:
The Phoenix Coyotes play in a beautiful arena that is very hockey friendly and is only six years old.

Strong hockey operations core:
The Phoenix Coyotes have the best head coach and best general manager in the NHL. Dave Tippett won the Jack Adams Award as coach of the year last season and GM Don Maloney won the inaugural GM of the Year Award. The team is in good hands.

Momentum:
The Phoenix Coyotes are coming of their most successful regular season in franchise history, despite facing the uncertainty of the bankruptcy proceedings, potential relocation and a small payroll. The team finished among the top teams in the NHL and made the postseason for the first time in 8 years.

Kids:
When the Coyotes came to Phoenix in 1996, many people said one of the results would be substantial growth in youth hockey in the market. That has proven correct as Phoenix is now home to a vibrant youth, junior and high school hockey base. This generation of young Coyotes fans will carry the franchise forward when they grow up and become ticket buyers.

ESPN:
There are many hints and indications that it is only a matter of time until the NHL ends up back on ESPN. When that happens, the profile of the league, as well as revenue from a new TV deal, will increase, which will benefit every team in the NHL.

Labor strife:
Both the NBA and NFL are facing likely work stoppages for the 2011 season, which will leave the NHL as the lone major league standing. This will force the sports media to shine more of a spotlight on the league and its teams.

Track record:
Other NHL teams have faced similar situations, only to turn around and enjoy great success. When Henry Samueli bought the Anaheim Mighty Ducks from Disney in 2005, they won the Stanley Cup two years later. The Buffalo Sabres were in bankruptcy and looked like they would fold. They were sold and reached the Stanley Cup finals a couple years later. The Pittsburgh Penguins have been in bankruptcy twice, but have also won three Stanley Cups in four Finals appearance. We’ve seen the renaissance with the Dallas Mavericks. A turnaround in Phoenix can be done as well.

TV:
The plan was to combine the Rangers with the Mavericks and perhaps form another regional sports network. How about an NHL team partnered with an MLB team? With the way the team has operated the last few years, it seems like at some point the Diamondbacks will completely self destruct and they are on the market. Once their deal runs out with Fox Sports Arizona, the teams could be combined and serve as the centerpiece programming for another regional sports network in Phoenix.

There are also challenges for a new owner to overcome but there are solutions.

The business side needs to be rebuilt as the Coyotes brand took a beating last year. Reports are that ticket sales are healthy to date but they can still be better. Also, sponsorships took a deep hit last year as house ads filled a large portion of the boards advertising. A high profile owner would bring a lot of cache back to the club and make the Coyotes a franchise brands want to align themselves with.

Phoenix has all four major sports leagues, a Division I athletic program, NASCAR, PGA and more, so there is a lot of competition for the corporate sponsorship dollar. With that said, the timing is right for the Coyotes to grab more market share as the Suns, Diamondbacks and ASU all appear to be at the beginning of a multi-year slide on and off the field/court.

There is also a large segment of sports fans who are accustomed to the Phoenix lifestyle of not having to drive far for anything, so driving 30-45 minutes from the East Valley to Glendale seems like and arduous task on a weeknight. This is easily fixed by having the NHL award more weekend homes games. Also, the snowbirds who attend games tend to be better hockey fans, so they don’t mind the drive. Of course, winning makes the drive more palatable too.

Finally, the Coyotes are an NHL team in a busy sports market so the sky is not the limit on revenue. The team can be a mid-market team but that means there is little room for error. With a strong core in hockey ops and an overhaul on the business side, this too can be overcome.

This team is like a business that puts together a couple of winning quarters after years of struggle and the stock is just beginning to climb. All it takes is a visionary to come in, buy the team and give the franchise the direction it has lacked since moving to Phoenix. The Coyotes should only be so lucky to have that visionary be Mark Cuban.

Not only can you read the stories in MVP Today, but they actually come to life. You can watch video, listen to interviews, or view a slideshow, all within the design of a story.

As part of the NASCAR’s schedule realignment, Phoenix International Raceway’s SUBWAY Fresh Fit 500 will move from April to February 27 – just one week after NASCAR’s largest event, the Daytona 500. PIR will look to capitalize on the season-opening excitement of Daytona with a new Sunday day-race format, allowing fans to take in the 500 km race in Phoenix with a more traditional local start time of 1 p.m. The SUBWAY Fresh Fit 500 will be televised nationally on FOX.

Phoenix will continue to host the semi-final race in NASCAR’s playoffs – the Chase for the Sprint Cup – on November 13. The Kobalt Tools 500, a race in which fans have come to expect heavy championship implications, also starts at 1 p.m. locally and will be televised nationally on ESPN. NASCAR will conclude its season the following week at Homestead Miami Speedway in Florida.

“Phoenix will be the first and last stop NASCAR makes in the West,” Sperber said. “It’s a great privilege for us to help celebrate the excitement of a new season in February and to help crown season champions as the year winds down with the Chase in November.”

Phoenix International Raceway is one of just 13 NASCAR facilities to be awarded two Sprint Cup weekends in 2011. Past studies conducted by Arizona State University’s W.P. Carey School of Business for PIR have indicated that the economic impact of hosting two NASCAR Sprint Cup weekends annually in Phoenix exceeds $400 million.

“The State of Arizona is well aware of the tremendous economic impact that comes along with hosting a NASCAR weekend in the Valley of the Sun,” Sperber said. “The fact that Phoenix International Raceway has been confirmed to host two Sprint Cup events provides a shot-in-the-arm for our local economy at a time when it’s most needed.”

Phoenix International Raceway will release information about its 2011 NASCAR Nationwide Series, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and NASCAR K&N Pro Series West events at a later date. NASCAR is expected to release the entire 2011 Sprint Cup Series schedule in coming weeks.

First off I’d like to thank the Hall of Fame committee. I want to congratulate my fellow members of the Class of 2010. I want to say congratulations to the members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame that are sitting up here. I want to say thank you for setting a standard for the rest of us. Thank you for protecting the integrity of the game. Thank you for all the great memories of this sport.

It’s a privilege to play in the NFL. It’s been a privilege to coach in the NFL. It’s an honor to be selected here in Canton. Thank you.

“Growing up,” said Russ Grimm, “I dreamed of playing college football. In college, I dreamed of playing pro football. When I was in the NFL I dreamed of winning Super Bowls. But I never dreamed I would be standing here today.”

I’d like to thank all the owners, especially the Cooke family, Dan Snyder, the Rooney family, and the Bidwill family. I’d like to thank the commissioner. I’d like to thank all the players, past and present, those I played with and those I played against, for making the NFL a special place.

Growing up, I dreamed of playing college football. In college, I dreamed of playing professional football. When I was in the NFL, I dreamed of winning Super Bowls. I dreamed of winning championships. But I never dreamed that I’d be standing here today. I want to make sure that I thank the people that made this possible.

First off, I want to thank my two best fans, my two best coaches, my two best friends, mom and dad. They made sure I had all the spikes that I needed. They got me to all the practices. They got me to all the games.

I’d come home from those games, and my mom would be up on that chair giving me her post-game speech on what I did right, on what I did wrong, and my dad would just sit there smoking that cigarette on telling me what I needed to do to get better. But they taught me family values, they taught me how to respect others, they taught me how to compete and how to be thankful for what I have. Thank you very much.

I want to say thanks to Karen and my kids, Chad, Cody, Devin, Dylan, for all the sacrifices they made. Proud of you.

I’d like to thank my brothers Dave and Donn, my sister Carol Sue for their interest they’ve showed throughout my career. I’d like to thank you Stacey for putting up with me, putting this weekend together. It’s been special.

I’m proud to say that I’m from a small town in Western PA. That’s right. It’s a special part of the country, like here, where the knowledge and the support for the game of football is unmatched. They fill the stadiums on Friday night, Saturday afternoons and Sundays. You created an excitement that growing up as a young man I wanted to be a part of. Thank you very much.

Scottdale, PA, I will always call you home. Thank you for all your support.

Southmoreland High School, my coach John Bacha, the administration, the teachers, thank you for creating a strong, healthy, positive environment for myself and the students of Westmoreland County.

The class of ‘77, we graduated singing Free Bird. If I leave here tomorrow, would you still remember me? Not only did you remember me, you took a special interest, you stayed in touch, you supported and followed my career. For that, I will always remember you. Thank you.

University of Pittsburgh, I played quarterback and linebacker in high school, I went to the University of Pitt as a linebacker. After my sophomore year, Jackie Sherrill called me into his office and told me that we had a lot of seniors graduating on the offensive line and he thought it would be an opportunity for me to switch over and play center.

I told him I never had my hand in the dirt, that I’d just stay at linebacker.

He lifted his eyes up and looked at me and he said, son, I’m not asking.

So I moved over. I wasn’t very happy about it. But I had a great offensive line coach named Joe Moore. He knew I wasn’t happy. I didn’t like the transition. But he called me in one day, sat me down, talked about it, told me that I was a football player and I should play whatever position that they thought I was best capable of playing. He told me that playing offensive line, there’s no greater feeling than to be able to move a man from Point A to Point B against his will. I tried it; I liked it; and I was playing offensive line (smiling).

I was fortunate enough to play on a lot of great teams with a lot of great football players, built a lot of friendships. Thank you, Jackie Sherrill. Thank you, Joe Moore. Thank you to all the guys at the University of Pittsburgh.

I got drafted by the Redskins in ‘81. I’m a true believer that if you work hard and you have the talent necessary, good things are going to happen. But I’m also smart enough to realize you have to be a little bit lucky and get the right opportunity.

I was selected to a team that had a new head coach in Joe Gibbs, a staff that included Joe Bugel, and a lot of talented players selected by Bobby Beathard. We struggled early, started winning some games. We finished 8-8 the first year. The next year was the first of three Super Bowl wins. In my 11-year career, we won a lot of football games.

Through that time I was fortunate because I played with some great veterans, I played with some good young players, I played with some smart veterans. But I’m sitting there an offensive linemen, usually have no stats. Offensive linemen go unnoticed. I know I didn’t get here by myself, all right?

Joe Gibbs, thank you very much. Joe Bugel, you’re special. You always will be. Bobby Beathard, thank you.

Next I want to mention a few guys that made it possible for me to be here today, a group of guys that grew together, worked together, played together, raised families together, celebrated together, guys that I consider family, a group known as the Hogs. Joe Jacoby, Jeff Bostic, Mark May, Fred Dean, Donnie Warren, George Starke and Rick Walker. Your names are going to be embroidered on the inside of this jacket so I always remember the things we went through, the tough times we had and the good times we celebrated.

Mark Schlereth, Raleigh McKenzie, Jim Lachey, Jim Hanifan, all the guys I played with up front, thank you very much and thank you for the memories.

Last but not least, to burgundy and gold fans, there’s many a time when I closed my eyes and I picture myself still putting on those pads at old RFK Stadium, and those stands are rocking up and down and 50 some thousand chanting, We want Dallas. I can hear the diesel horns blowing when 44 was carrying the football, and I remember standing there in the pouring rain when everyone was throwing the seat cushions down on the field in the playoff game versus Atlanta.

You provided a lot of memories for me and my teammates. You made playing for the Redskins special. You created an atmosphere on game day that was second to none. The support you showed, the enthusiasm you had, the love you displayed for those teams will always be remembered. Thank you very much.

To all football fans, no matter who you root for, no matter what level, you’re the reason we play the game. Thank you very much.

Source: Pro Football Hall of Fame

As we all know by now, social networking sites are considered a part of the daily routine of most peoples’ lives. When anything good, bad, exciting, or sad happens, our first thought is to write about it on Facebook, Twitter, or a blog. But before being too hasty and writing anything that may be on our mind, everyone should consider the pros and cons of social networking. For student-athletes, especially, social media sites can either make you or break you when moving forward.

Everything You Say and Do Can Be Seen

Nowadays on social networking sites, there are tons of privacy settings you can play with. You can choose to show every little detail on your profile to anyone that stumbles across it, or you can choose to hide everything so only friends can see. But just because you hide everything doesn’t mean that people still can’t see what you are saying and doing. Information you share with friends, like pictures and comments, can be seen on your friends’ pages if they do not have everything hidden. Also, there are many companies, as well as professional and college teams, that admit to making fake profiles and befriending potential prospects so they can get a feel of what you are like off the field. This is why you should always be cautious with what you are putting on the internet, because you never know who may see it.

Learn From Others’ Mistakes

Unfortunately, there have been many times a student-athlete has gotten in trouble for things they posted on social networking sites. One example is former University of Texas center, Buck Burnette. After Barack Obama was elected president, Burnette wrote a status that included racist vocabulary. The next day, Coach Mack Brown released him from the team. Even things you say that may not sound offensive at all can potentially get you in trouble. Ask former San Diego Chargers cornerback, Antonio Cromartie, who made a comment on Twitter about the training camp food, and was then fined for it. These are examples of why you need to be careful about the things you put on your social networking sites. One wrong statement or picture could affect your whole entire career.

Use These Sites For What the Name Comes From: Networking

With the popularity of social networking sites, college recruits are now using them to get in contact with and get a better idea of what a prospect is all about. Social networking profiles are great tools for coaches to find athletes they are interested in and get to know them. It’s also a great way to talk to current athletes that play at schools you are interested in and get their input on the program.

Social networking sites need to be used with caution by student-athletes. Use it for the purposes it was made for: to connect with friends and network. Remember, the internet is available to the public, so let your social networking sites be a positive representation of you.

With Luis Gonzalez again part of the Arizona Diamondbacks organization and his number 20 being retired on August 7, now seemed like a good time to reflect on some of the most memorable moments during Gonzo’s tenure as a player with the team.

World Series Winner
This one is a no-brainer as the game-winning opposite-field bloop single in the bottom of the ninth in Game 7 of the 2001 World Series is the defining moment in Gonzo’s career and D-backs franchise history. The hit came against New York Yankees closer Mariano Rivera and capped off a historic season for Gonzo and the D-backs.

Power Surge
Gonzalez showed uncharacteristic power during the magical 2001 season by belting a career-high 57 home runs and becoming just the 19th player to top 50 in a season. The output was 26 more than his previous high and he never hit more than 28 in a season after that. Whispers continue that Gonzo may have had some chemical help in the achievement. Even D-backs owner Ken Kendrick recognized the whispers but nothing has been proven to date.

Amazing April
Gonzo’s 57-home run season in 2001 was sparked by a remarkable April, which saw him tie Ken Griffey for the Major League record for the most home runs in the month with 13. The outburst was contrary to Gonzo’s track record so a pull back from the hot start was expected but it never happened.

Derby Champ
Gonzalez used the 2001 MLB All-Star Home Run Derby, as his coming out party by defeating defending champ Sammy Sosa to claim the title. Gonzalez brought his own batting practice coach to pitch to him, crediting Jeff Motuzas with helping him win. Gonzo had 35 home runs at the break, trailing only Barry Bonds’ 39 and this performance on the national stage gave Gonzalez a share of the spotlight for the remainder of the season.

Good Guy Award
Gonzalez won the 2005 Branch Rickey Award for community service for devoting more than 1,000 hours and generating more than $1 million in contributions for Arizona charities. Among the charities that benefited from Gonzalez’s help include Kids Going Gonzo for School, Arizona Quest for Kids, Make-A-Wish Foundation, Phoenix Children’s Hospital and the Brain Injury Foundation.

The Hits Keep Coming
Diamondbacks fans didn’t know what they got when the team acquired Gonzo from Detroit for Karim Garcia but they quickly found out the deal was a steal. The new left fielder opened his first season with the team with a 30-game hitting streak. It was the longest streak in the National League in 10 years and ended on May 19, 1999 in an 8-3 loss to San Francisco.

On Cycle
On July 5, 2000, Gonzalez becomes the first Diamondback to hit for the cycle‚ hitting a double in the first inning‚ a single in the third‚ a triple in the eighth‚ and a home run in the ninth. Gonzalez is just the ninth player in MLB history to both hit for the cycle and have a 30+ game hitting streak.

Gum Sum
During the 2002 season, Gonzalez received unwanted publicity after a discarded piece of gum he chewed during a spring training game was sold for $10,000. The piece of gum that was bought was actually the second piece connected to Gonzo. The original wad of gum was posted for auction on eBay by a seller who claimed they got the game-chewed gum from a security guard who handed it him after Gonzo threw it to the side during a Cactus League game.

Automatic Hero
Gonzo was often a hero for the Diamondbacks on the field but he took that image a step further when he helped rescue some trapped motorists from a car following an accident outside Chase Field. Gonzo was on his way to the ballpark for a game when he saw the collision and immediately offered his help.

No Corny Honor
When it was announced Gonzalez would not be returning to the Diamondbacks, Mark Schnepf decided to honor him by carving Gonzo’s likeness into his cornfield at Schnepf Farms in Queen Creek. Gonzo was surprised when, while flying in by helicopter for what he thought was a public-service announcement, he spotted his face in the cornfield maze below.

Nash is making his directorial debut in the film Into the Wind, which details the life of famed Canadian marathoner Terry Fox. The film, which was originally titled Marathon of Hope, premiers on ESPN on Tues., Sept. 28, at 5 p.m. Arizona time and on ESPN2 at 8 p.m.

ESPN provided the following film description:

In 1980, Terry Fox continued his fight against bone cancer with the pursuit of a singular, motivating vision: to run across Canada. Three years after having his right leg amputated six inches above the knee after being diagnosed with osteosarcoma, Fox set out to cover more than a marathon’s distance each day until he reached the shores of Victoria, British Columbia. Anonymous at the start of his journey, Fox steadily captured the heart of a nation with his Marathon of Hope. However the 21-year old BC native’s goal was not fame, but to spread awareness and raise funds for cancer research. After 143 days and two-thirds of the way across Canada, with the eyes of a country watching, Fox’s journey came to an abrupt end when newly discovered tumors took over his body. Two-time NBA MVP, proud Canadian, and first-time filmmaker Steve Nash will share Fox’s incredible story of perseverance and hope.

“I remember being a six-year-old boy and waking up every morning and rushing to the TV to see where Terry was that day,” has said. “To see him running or hobbling across our country for the spirit of community and looking out for others was something that has stuck with me ever since. To see his face hiding the pain and to hear his words disguising the sacrifice was as motivating and as educational an experience as I’ve ever had. To be able to tell this story again, to Americans who love an underdog and a story of overcoming and struggle, is something any new filmmaker would love.”