Before we move on to 2024, let’s remember the best stories from Arizona sports in 2023. There were many.
paint the super bowl red
Pop icon Rihanna was at the Super Bowl at Glendale’s State Farm Stadium in a halftime performance that was nothing we’d expect, including a quirky shark, a wardrobe malfunction, and an elaborate costume change. Finished off the bowl.
She showed up in a red outfit and took the world by storm for 30 minutes.
The best part was her “special guest”.
Rihanna looked visibly pregnant during her performance.
There was also a football game.
A man named Patrick Mahomes led the Kansas City Chiefs to a come-from-behind victory over the Philadelphia Eagles with a 12-play, 66-yard drive in the final five minutes of the fourth quarter and a 27-yard winning field. Ta. goal.
Like Rihanna, Patrick Mahomes also wore red.
Arizona Diamondbacks advance to the World Series
What a run! This was pretty much what you’d expect from Ken Kendrick going on a drink spree. The Diamondbacks advanced to the World Series with two starting pitchers.
It’s not like we have a pair of aces or a few guys who can win games in the right situations. None of the players were hot enough to almost guarantee victory once they took the mound.
The D-backs had Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly.
And the clearance rack D-backs had to get past the designer Dodgers and money-spending Phillies!
The best moment for me was when Los Angeles starting pitcher Lance Lynn hit four home runs in one inning in a game the Dodgers had to play.
That’s what I’ll pass on to my grandchildren.
Related:Why anything but a championship is unacceptable for the Suns in 2024
Suns trade Kevin Durant
Kevin Durant is so amazing that it can’t be overstated.
He’s the same height as a center, but shoots like a guard. He always commands two defenders. This season, he’s shooting almost 50 percent from 3-point range!
He’s so good that his middle name should legally be changed to: Kevin: If he wins a title in Phoenix, he’ll be next to Kobe on the All-Time Greats list. Enter,” Durant said.
Who cares what the Suns had to sacrifice to acquire him? The Suns acquired KD!
Durant and Devin Booker took turns dominating the Nuggets in last year’s playoffs, with the two combining for nearly 90 points in some games.
Of course that wasn’t enough.
But it was certainly fun while it was going.
DT reaches 10,000
Diana Taurasi has done it all. She is a champion at every level. WNBA’s all-time leading scorer. And she joined the fight for world domination as White Mamba in Space Jam 2.
So what’s left in 2023?
She became the first WNBA player to surpass 10,000 career points.
This is one of the records we’re unlikely to see broken in our lifetimes: Wilt Chamberlain, Babe Ruth, and Cathy Whitworth.
What makes it even more special is that she scored all the remaining points while wearing a Mercury jersey.
The sun explodes (implodes?)
The Phoenix Suns fired coach Monty Williams, hired Frank Vogel, traded Deandre Ayton and Chris Paul, and brought in Bradley Beal, Grayson Allen, Eric Bledsoe and a slew of supporting players. The offseason overhaul required even franchise owner Matt Ishbia to do his part. We decided to renovate the newly reborn Footprint Center.
Phew.
It didn’t go as well as everyone expected.
Every renovation project comes with unexpected problems. Ask anyone who has tried to fix up their kitchen.
Beal has been plagued by injuries and the rest of the new players are dealing with the fact that they don’t know their roles.
The Suns will have a few months to figure that out before the playoffs. Otherwise, I would have had higher expectations than I do now, like buying a new bike for Christmas only to find out that the chain broke the first time I rode it.
sun devils fork bruins
You know, this has been a bad year, hasn’t it?
Toward the end of the season, it seemed like everyone attending football practice was either wearing a walking boot or on crutches. The coaches and reporters seemed to be in better shape than most of the players.
Heading into the UCLA game, ASU had a lot of injuries at quarterback and on the offensive line, so coach Kenny Dillingham had Cam Scatterbo snap the ball, block it, drop it back and pass it to himself. I thought he might instruct me to do so.
This is when Dillingham got creative.
He played tight end Jalin Conyers as his quarterback and ran an offense so weird that it barely looked legit…and it worked!
ASU defeated UCLA 17-7 in what was arguably the best win in a disgusting season.
It was one of those moments in ballgames that proved anything can happen if you just believe.
Corbin Carroll eyes his own path
The Diamondbacks’ rookie outfielder made history by becoming the first rookie to hit 25 home runs and steal 50 bases.
There are so many things that need to come together for this to happen that it’s mind-boggling.
First, the D-backs under general manager Mike Hazen needed to identify Carroll as a draftable talent.Carol was taken at 16th Drafted in the first round in 2019.
After that, baseball had to change some rules to make it more lively. Stolen bases had been on the decline for years, but thanks to a pitch clock, larger bases, and limits on the number of throws pitchers can make to first base, players are starting to run again.
Somewhere, Cool Papa Bell, Lou Brock, and Honus Wagner are playing cards and debating who does best at the modern game. (Dealer Satchel Page is making the claim for Bell.)
Carroll was named an All-Star starter in his hometown of Seattle. He was the National League Rookie of the Year. And he becomes Arizona’s newest young star, joining the likes of Devin Booker, Kyler Murray and Clayton Keller as players who could become the faces of their respective sports in the coming years.
Kyler’s return is for the birds.
In 2022, Kyler Murray’s knee exploded from a simple cut.
His career seemed over. Players always come back from ACL reconstructions, but Murray’s leg was just as important to the game as his arm.
There are a handful of players who can throw the ball like Murray, but few who can run it like he did during his first few years in the league.
Afterwards, there were rumors that even if he was healthy, he might not come back. Analysts and observers have suggested that the Cardinals may consider bringing in a new coach and general manager, trading Murray and drafting a new quarterback to lead the franchise.
But Murray took his rehab as seriously as Santa uses his GPS, returning in mid-2023 to play against Atlanta.
All he did was lead a drive to victory to end the losing streak at six.
Overall, it’s been a great year. Just because we got through it. And I’m grateful for everything that happened, both good and bad. I can’t wait to see what happens in 2024.
Contact Moore at gmoore@azcentral.com or 602-444-2236. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter). @mooooooooooooo.