Operating Arizona coach Rich Rodriguez's spread offense, quarterback Matt Scott has been money in the pocket

by Bob Young, columnist - Sept. 19, 2012 08:58 PM
azcentral sports

You know when you grab a pair of pants out of the closet, pull them on and find a $20 stuffed in the pocket?

That's sort of what happened to Rich Rodriguez when he replaced Mike Stoops as the University of Arizona's football coach.

Only for RichRod, having a quarterback seemingly born to run his zone-read spread offense already in pocket when he got to Tucson might feel now more like discovering a crisp C-note.

Matt Scott's value is increasing that quickly.

We would love to tell you that Rodriguez is cashing in because his predecessor smartly convinced Scott to redshirt in 2011 during what would have been his senior season.

However, Scott said redshirting as a senior was "mostly" his idea. "I felt like I had a lot more to prove, and I hadn't had a chance to start for a whole season yet," he said. "I needed to show what I could do."

In an age when athletes often transfer at the first sign that they're not going to get the playing time they expected, Scott's decision to stick it out at Arizona after he lost his starting job to Nick Foles in 2009 and push for a redshirt year last season not only is refreshing, it now looks pretty darned smart.

After three games under Rodriguez, Scott has completed 71.5 percent of his passes and ranks fourth nationally in total offense at 395 yards per game. The 3-0 Wildcats are averaging more than 600 yards and 46.3 points per game.

And if ever Scott is going to prove himself, it's this week when the 22nd-ranked Wildcats visit third-ranked Oregon in a game that could make punters obsolete.

"Matt, I think, is perfect for what Rich is doing offensively," Oregon coach Chip Kelly said this week. "He's one of the top guys in the country in total offense. And that's what he can really scare you with, because he throws it really well, but he has the speed and the athletic ability to hurt you in the run game."

Kelly, of course, ought to know. Oregon has perfected virtually the same zone-read spread offense run at precisely the same pants-on-fire pace.

But Scott admits he considered bolting out of town that fast when he was benched during the third game of his sophomore season after winning the job in a competition with Foles during spring and fall camps.

"I'm not going to lie," he said. "I didn't think it was really fair at all. But life isn't fair and you have to learn that the hard way sometimes. Things happen like that, and you have to make the best of the situation."

Foles made his first start for the Wildcats the next week at Oregon State and threw three touchdown passes. Scott was shoved into a pocket and mostly forgotten.

Foles, of course, went on to start for most of three seasons, went in the third round of the NFL draft to Philadelphia and will be the Eagles' backup quarterback when they visit the Cardinals on Sunday.

Still, there were hints of Scott's hidden value. He started two conference games in 2010 when Foles was injured and posted eye-popping results. He led Arizona to victories over Washington and UCLA while accounting for 688 yards in total offense.

When Foles returned, it was back to the closet for Scott despite a 4-1 record as a starter.

"I'm so happy for that guy after what he's been through," Arizona's senior guard Trace Biskin said. "It is really all about his perseverance. He could have easily left after that Iowa game.

"He talked to me a little bit and some of the other guys and his really close friends, and we kind of all encouraged him to stay. The big thing is, he's been positive about it the whole way. When Nick was playing and (Scott) wasn't, he was still encouraging him and being and a good teammate."

Scott said he might have left if not for former Arizona quarterbacks coach Frank Scelfo.

"Honestly, the thought crossed my mind, but I didn't think about it too long," he said. "I knew I was competing with Nick, who is a great quarterback. But my thing is, when you compete with people you get better. That's what drives me.

"And I felt like I was getting better here under Coach Scelfo. I was progressing and learning a lot at the quarterback position. He was helping me, so I didn't want to leave."

Nobody knows where the Wildcats and Rodriguez would be if Scott had bailed, but it probably wouldn't be 3-0, in the national rankings and playing Oregon on ESPN.

"We knew in the spring we had a guy we thought was pretty special," Rodriguez said. "We just didn't know how quickly he would learn the system."

When Stoops and his staff were fired, Scott's decision could have backfired.

"I didn't know where we were going from there," he said. "I was kind of excited to see who would come in, and when I heard it was going to be RichRod, then I was even more excited because of his background and track record.

"I knew it was a perfect fit."

Sort of like those pants with a bonus in the pocket.

Reach Young at 602-444-8271 or bob.young@arizonarepublic.com. Follow him at Twitter.com/BobYoungTHI.

20 Sep, 2012

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Source: http://www.azcentral.com/sports/articles/2012/09/19/20120919operating-arizona-coach-rich-rodriguezs-spread-offense-quarterback-matt-scott-has-been-money-pocket.html
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Arizona Diamondbacks shut down rookie RHP Trevor Bauer for rest of season

by Nick Piecoro - Sept. 19, 2012 10:01 PM
azcentral sports

For weeks, the Diamondbacks had appeared to be leaning toward bringing up right-hander Trevor Bauer from the minor leagues once Triple-A Reno's season ended. Even manager Kirk Gibson said on Tuesday afternoon the organization "thought it would be beneficial to (bring him) back."

But after Bauer struggled in the Triple-A championship game on Tuesday night -- a game Reno won 10-3 over Pawtucket -- the Diamondbacks announced Wednesday that their highly regarded prospect would not be returning to the big leagues, after all.

Although Bauer walked 17 batters in 16 1/3 innings in three minor-league playoff starts, the Diamondbacks said his recent performance was not a factor in the decision to end his season. Instead, they pointed to his innings total and the fact that they didn't want to bump someone from the rotation, go with a six-man rotation or have Bauer pitch out of the bullpen.

Either way, it was clear from listening to General Manager Kevin Towers that the Diamondbacks would like to see Bauer make changes to both how he pitches and in the way he prepares for his starts.

Towers said Bauer still needs to improve his fastball command, which Towers believes is largely responsible for Bauer's high walk total. He also said Bauer tends to get "a little bit strikeout happy," the implication being that he needs to pitch more to contact.

"I think for him, learning how to be a professional and to be a little bit more open-minded," Towers said. "There are a lot of people that want him to be successful. Sometimes when you're a young kid, (learning) to be a big-leaguer and what it takes to be a big-leaguer, handling adverse situations is sometimes tough. I think mentally he's making a lot of progress."

But Towers intimated that he'd like to see Bauer tone down his aggressive throwing program. Bauer is known for being an advocate of long-tossing, something he does between starts and on the days he starts. He credits it for building arm strength and helping him "sync up" his body before pitching.

Towers wondered if all the work Bauer puts in between starts contributed to his fluctuating velocity this season. On Tuesday, Bauer, who gave up two runs and walked seven in 4 2/3 innings, was working with a fastball in the 88-92 mph range. Towers said he witnessed Bauer hitting 95-96 mph while pitching for Mobile early in the season.

Towers said he met with Bauer on Tuesday, congratulating him on his solid season and encouraging him to reflect on changes he might want to make.

"I think it's really going to have to come from him," Towers said. "He's the type of kid that I think he feels pretty strong about the way he goes about doing things. I think he realizes now that after a full minor-league season, pitching every fifth day, it's different than it was in college. You know, saving your bullets."

Bauer had an eventful year. He posted a combined 2.23 ERA with 116 strikeouts in 93 innings between Double-A Mobile and Reno before being called to the majors in late June. But he struggled in four starts, posting a 6.06 ERA with 13 walks in 16 1/3 innings.

He returned to Triple-A and was given a three-week "breather" between starts, something the organization historically has done in the minors for its young pitchers. It was also a chance for Bauer to rest his sore groin, which he said had bothered him for much of the year.

Notes

The Diamondbacks added first baseman Mike Jacobs and outfielder A.J. Pollock to the roster. Jacobs, who while in the Rockies organization last season was suspended for testing positive for HGH, was emotional when talking about his return to the big leagues, where he hadn't been since 2010.

Outfielder Cole Gillespie was designated for assignment to create room for Jacobs on the 40-man roster.

Gibson said tests showed center fielder Chris Young's right quadricep, which he aggravated on Tuesday night, had not worsened. He hoped Young would be available as a pinch-hitter.

20 Sep, 2012

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Source: http://www.azcentral.com/sports/articles/2012/09/19/20120919arizona-diamondbacks-shut-down-rookie-rhp-trevor-bauer-rest-season.html
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Arizona Diamondbacks rally to beat the San Diego Padres

by Paul Coro - Sept. 19, 2012 09:36 PM
azcentral sports

D-Backs 6, Padres 2

Recap: The Diamondbacks won their third consecutive game with continued strong pitching backed by four doubles and two triples in a victory against San Diego at Chase Field.

Starting pitcher Trevor Cahill (12-11) stayed undefeated in his past four starts and had the support of three relievers tossing three shutout innings.

The Diamondbacks' offensive struggles at home have shown some signs of breaking with Sunday's 10-run game and Wednesday's win. Arizona trailed 2-0 before Justin Upton and Miguel Montero led off the fourth inning with doubles. Adam Eaton's fifth-inning triple, a liner to left-center, tied the game and he scored on a balk for a 3-2 lead in the fifth inning.

Paul Goldschmidt's 40th double, tying him for second in the National League, made it a three-run fifth inning and another triple from Ryan Wheeler in the eighth inning completed the scoring. Wheeler's hit scored Montero, who had been hit by a pitch for the second time, and Wheeler scored on a throwing error to third base.

Steady rocking and firing: Cahill won his third consecutive start Wednesday night, allowing two earned runs and lasting at least six innings in each game.

Cahill, who has not allowed a home run since Aug. 10, is now 12-0 this season when receiving at least three runs of support.

Cahill was in real danger with runners in scoring position only twice but ran his pitch count to 96 over six innings. Two double plays and plenty of ground balls kept San Diego's bats at bay. It was only when he yielded consecutive walks in the fourth inning that San Diego scored. With two outs, Cahill surrendered consecutive RBI singles in the bottom of the order to Will Venable and John Baker.Cahill was ahead with a 0-2 count on Venable, who extended the at-bat 10 pitches before pulling a change-up.

Quittin' time for Quentin? It is was pretty clear that San Diego left fielder Carlos Quentin was in pain Wednesday from the way he moved in the outfield and his early exit in the bottom of the fifth inning. It sure was painful watching him.

Quentin had missed the past six games with irritation in his right knee, which underwent surgery in the spring and kept him out for the season's first 49 games.

On back-to-back doubles toward the left-field line in Wednesday night's fourth inning, Quentin labored to get there. On Montero's high-soaring sliced double, Quentin even shook his head as he tried to get under a fly with plenty of hang time .

Quentin, the 30-year-old former Diamondbacks player, signed a three-year, $27 million extension through 2015 prior to his knee issues. He is hitting .263 this season with 16 home runs in 280 at bats.

Extra, extra: Upton doubled in successive innings to left field Wednesday night for his second game of two extra-base hits this week. Prior to those games, Upton had not had a multi-extra-base hit game since Aug. 11.

Upton is hitting .308 over the past 13 games with a six-game hitting streak.

--Paul Coro

View from the press box: Before the game, General Manager Kevin Towers spoke glowingly about rookie outfielder Adam Eaton and what he has shown in his brief time in the majors. Towers also said Eaton has "a little more sock in the bat" than what he's shown. Not long after, Eaton proved Towers right, lining a triple into the gap in left-center field. Eaton has had more of a slap-hitting approach in his brief time in the majors. It will be interesting to see if he will look to drive the ball more often as he becomes more comfortable in the major leagues.

--Nick Piecoro

20 Sep, 2012

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Source: http://www.azcentral.com/sports/articles/2012/09/19/20120919arizona-diamondbacks-rally-beat-san-diego-padres.html
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Arizona Diamondbacks give Mike Jacobs a second chance

by Paul Coro - Sept. 19, 2012 08:54 PM
azcental sports

For the past year, Mike Jacobs was no longer known for his power-filled rookie call-up in 2005 with the Mets, his 32-home run season with the Marlins in 2008 or his four years as a regular major-league starter.

He was Mike Jacobs, the only athlete in North American professional sport leagues to test positive for human growth hormone.

Jacobs' price was a 50-game suspension, an immediate release from the Colorado Rockies organization and the worry of whether his admitted mistake would keep him from ever feeling the joy he had Wednesday when he returned to the majors with the Diamondbacks.

It was an emotional Tuesday night, when the 31-year-old celebrated a Triple-A championship with the Reno Aces in Raleigh, N.C., and blended his champagne soaked face with tears when Diamondbacks General Manager Kevin Towers told him and teammate A.J. Pollock that they would join the Diamondbacks on Wednesday.

Recounting the moment that he told his wife Vanessa, Jacobs bit his lip to stop his quivering chin and hold back more tears as he gathered himself for a few seconds in the Chase Field dugout Wednesday evening.

"She was proud of me," Jacob said with his voice cracking. "You know she's been there through everything. She's been there through all the ups and downs."

Jacobs was just trying to find his way back to the majors with the Colorado Sky Sox when he was suspended on Aug. 11, 2011, a year after minor-league baseball began blood testing. Jacobs issued a statement of admission at the time that said in part, " ... In an attempt to overcome knee and back problems, I made the terrible decisions to take HGH."

The three trades Jacobs had experienced would test any player's confidence but he was now shaken that the label of a positive drug test would keep him from another major-league chance. He already had not played in the majors since April 2010.

"It's been a long time fighting to be here," Jacobs said. "You always question it. It's obviously in the back of the mind. I think what makes a man is a guy that can face the things he's done wrong and own up to them and then try to move on. I think people are a lot more forgiving than what people get credit for. I'm grateful for the opportunity. Whether I got back to the big leagues with the Diamondbacks or not, I was just grateful for the opportunity to be able to play baseball again."

Jacobs said he has seen people run from their mistakes and have that response blow up in their face. He felt quickly owning up to his error was the right thing to do and would help him earn his way back.

The Diamondbacks gave him that chance by signing him in January and he hit .279 with 18 home runs for Reno while mentoring younger players like now-Diamondbacks Adam Eaton, Jake Elmore and Ryan Wheeler. With a need for left-handed power, the first baseman's chance with Arizona could extend to the spring.

"It's kind of a great story," Diamondbacks General Manager Kevin Towers said. "After having the 50-game suspension and having to start off in extended spring, he was a leader down there with those kids. Then Bugsy (Reno Manager Brett Butler) said he asked him to take on a leadership role and help guys like Pollock and Eaton in Triple-A. He did so and helped that club win a championship. It's pretty amazing. You see guys with five or six years and have hit 30 homers in the big leagues. To get the call that he's coming up to the big leagues and be as emotional as he was, it's great to see. We told A.J. Pollock and he was more happy for Jacobs than he was for himself."

Jacobs still admitted to being surprised when he got the word Tuesday night. The emotions never stopped as he and Pollock took connecting flights to arrive in the Diamondbacks clubhouse on Wednesday afternoon. He gets to join his pupils like Eaton, who he said calls him "Father."

He also had to own up to his mistake once again, "face forward" as he says, and talk about history but in a much better place -- Chase Field, a place he had once targeted to make home.

Major League Baseball added HGH testing in the newest collective bargaining agreement. And despite how it turned his life upside-down, Jacobs is an advocate.

"I think that is something that would've been bargained for either way, whether it would have happened or not," Jacobs said. "I think that is something that is actually really good for baseball. I think that it should even go further steps than where it's at."

20 Sep, 2012

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Source: http://www.azcentral.com/sports/articles/2012/09/19/20120919arizona-diamondbacks-give-mike-jacobs-second-chance.html
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Arizona Cardinals receiver Andre Roberts lives up to praise

by Sarah McLellan and Kent Somers - Sept. 19, 2012 07:55 PM
azcentral sports

The information may have come second-hand, but word of the compliment eventually reached Cardinals receiver Andre Roberts.

When the praise is that encouraging, it's bound to sneak around the locker room.

A week ago, coach Ken Whisenhunt assessed Roberts' skill set, namely his physicality, and mentioned how his blocking skills reminded him of former Steelers great Hines Ward.

"(Hines) sets the standard, and I see a lot of that in Andre," Whisenhunt said. "That's pretty high praise for a young guy like Andre, but I think it's pretty accurate."

Rather than slink under the comparison, Roberts has seemed to thrive.

His 2-yard touchdown reception on Sunday against the Patriots was his second in as many games and tied his career high for a single season. He's now hauled in four touchdown passes in his past six games, continuing to build on the momentum he gained at the end of last season.

"You definitely love hearing things like that," Roberts said. "But just as he says that, you want to work to be that. You want to work to be better than that."

The recent surge in production is what Roberts wants, but he recognizes he's second in the pecking order.

"I'm not a No. 1 guy," he said. "I know I'm not always going to have a 100-yard game. I'm not going to have a touchdown every game, but it's always good to be a part of the offense."

Quick kicks

Defensive end Calais Campbell was named the NFC Defensive Player of the Week for the first time in his five-year career.

Campbell is the first player in Cardinals history to win player of the week in two categories. He was the special teams player of the week in 2009. Campbell had two sacks, 10 tackles, two tackles for loss and three QB hits in the victory over New England last Sunday.

Starting tight end Todd Heap missed practice with a sprained knee on Wednesday, casting doubt on the chance he will play Sunday against the Eagles.

Whisenhunt said Heap, who suffered a sprained PCL, is improving. But Wednesday is a heavy day of practice, and missing it is not a good sign.

Heap, however, is in his 12th season, so he wouldn't need much mental preparation to be ready for the Eagles.

Heap was injured when he was hit late and out of bounds by Patriots safety Steve Gregory. Gregory could be facing a fine from the league for the hit.

If Heap can't play, Rob Housler will assume a larger role, especially in passing situations.

"It's not like I was preparing any differently in Week 1 or Week 2," Housler said.

"Now it's a matter of executing when they call your number. Obviously I might have my number called a little more now that 86 might be down, but it's all a matter of taking advantage of the opportunity."

Quarterback John Skelton (ankle) was the only other Cardinals player to miss practice.

Whisenhunt is not going to rule Skelton out, but it would seem difficult for him to play after missing an important day of practice.

20 Sep, 2012

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Source: http://www.azcentral.com/sports/articles/2012/09/19/20120919arizona-cardinals-receiver-andre-roberts-lives-up-praise.html
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Pac-12 examines policies of reporting football injuries

by Doug Haller - Sept. 19, 2012 07:02 PM
azcentral sports

Four weeks into the season, who would've guessed injuries would be such a popular discussion point in the Pac-12? (OK, Arizona's quick start and Stanford's upset of USC might be better topics.)

Still, the injury debate -- or rather the reporting of injuries -- has conference Commissioner Larry Scott thinking it's time that the Pac-12 looks into establishing a conference-wide injury report, similar to the one the NFL releases every week.

He told reporters last week that he plans to put the topic on the agenda of a Pac-12 athletic directors' meeting in October, just to see whether the Pac-12 should let schools dictate their own injury policies or if the conference should set standard guidelines.

Two incidents have put this on the front burner: Recently, USC banned a Los Angeles Daily News reporter for two weeks after he reported that a player had undergone surgery. USC has a policy that prohibits reporters from reporting injuries that are suffered during practice, but the Daily News reporter discovered the news through outside sources. (The ban later was lifted.)

Not much later, Washington coach Steve Sarkisian announced that coaches and players no longer would discuss injuries because he felt if others weren't doing so, why should the Huskies?

Todd Graham isn't a big fan of an injury report.

"This isn't professional football," the Arizona State coach told reporters Wednesday.

Two issues here: Federal privacy law often restricts schools from disclosing health issues of student-athletes. And not to be overlooked, many coaches feel that disclosing injuries could give opponents a competitive advantage. In fact, Oregon State coach Mike Riley disclosed on this week's Pac-12 teleconference that the Beavers have a graduate assistant monitor news reports for injury news.

Don't think Oregon State is alone.

Since his hire in December, Graham has been extremely open with media. Asking him about injuries, however, makes him hesitate. When senior running back Cameron Marshall didn't participate during preseason camp, he initially told reporters Marshall was simply fatigued. Later, Graham revealed that Marshall had a hamstring issue. (In fairness, Graham almost always has announced when a player is lost for the season due to injury.)

There's an element of gamesmanship to this. Before a trip to Sun Devil Stadium on Sept. 8, Illinois coach Tim Beckman listed quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase as a game-time decision because of an ankle injury. Was he deceiving the Sun Devils, forcing them to prepare for a player who wouldn't play? It's hard to say for sure, but Scheelhaase not only missed the ASU contest, he missed the Illini's contest against Charleston Southern the next week, too.

"I try to be as forthright as I can on those things," Graham said of discussing injuries. "The media coming to practice, you can see if a guy is dressed out or not dressed out. ... But being specific about a guy (who) has a beat-up shoulder and he's my quarterback? Oh, Coach, nobody would go after that shoulder would they?"

The rest of the Pac-12 is split on a possible injury report. Arizona coach Rich Rodriguez already issues a weekly report, something he did during his coaching days at Michigan.

"It just made it a lot easier," Rodriguez said.

"We didn't have to (answer) questions all week about it. The (Big Ten) has been doing it for a long time, and it seems like it's been a pretty effective way to do it, so we kind of adopted that policy."

Stanford's David Shaw is against an injury report.

"It's a need-to-know basis, and I don't believe people need to know every single bump and bruise that happens on a football team," he said.

Washington State coach Mike Leach's opinion? He simply thinks reporters need to worry about other issues.

"It's journalism at its most pitiful level," he said of injury reporting.

Reach The Heat Index at 602-444-4949 or at doug.haller@arizonarepublic.com.

20 Sep, 2012

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Source: http://www.azcentral.com/sports/articles/2012/09/05/20120905pac-examines-policies-reporting-football-injuries.html
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Arizona State wide receivers pushed to step up game

by Jeff Metcalfe - Sept. 19, 2012 08:05 PM
azcentral sports

Arizona State's wide receivers are catching more heat than passes in this still-young season.

The message that they must be more productive -- whether it's coming from coach Todd Graham, position coach DelVaughn Alexander or even from fans spoiled by ASU being in the top 15 nationally passing in the previous two seasons -- is being received loud and clear.

"I feel there's a lot of pressure on us right now," senior Jamal Miles said. "They're starting to say we're one of the lowest positions on the team. I don't take that lightly. I feel like we've got to go out and prove ourselves every time we go out on the field. I'm just going to try to make everything out of every opportunity I get."

Miles is the top returning receiver -- 30 catches for 361 yards and six touchdowns in 2011 -- at a position group that lost Gerell Robinson (77 catches, 1,397 yards, seven touchdowns), Aaron Pflugrad (44 catches, 665 yards, five touchdowns) and Mike Willie (36 catches, 566 yards, three touchdowns).

Mix in new quarterbacks replacing Brock Osweiler and a new coaching staff that is willing to play to ASU's rushing strength, and the steep learning curve for the passing game at this point is understandable.

H-back Chris Coyle has almost as many receiving yards (239) as the wide receivers total (277) through three games. Coyle and three running backs have a total of 473 receiving yards, 63 percent of the passing-offense production.

"The standards are high, the talent is high, but as far as our production goes, it's been average," Alexander said. "There's got to be a sense of buying in and urgency. There's got to be a consistency out of me as a coach letting those guys know I trust in the techniques I'm teaching. We've got to bridge that gap from the practice field to the game field real fast."

Miles, who sat out the season opener because of a suspension, entered the season with 24 career starts. No one else on the receiving depth chart had more than three. Quarterbacks Taylor Kelly and Michael Eubank are in their first playing season.

"It's going to take time because we've got a lot of inexperienced players," Miles said. "Eventually, we're going to come around and be a strong part of this team. It's just chemistry. We're got to make the quarterback feel comfortable out there and have him trust in us. Once we get all that together, it'll be a special deal."

Or maybe Graham needs more recruiting time to rebuild the receiver corps, and ASU simply will have to make do with what they have in his first season.

"I think they're going to make progress one way or another," Graham said. "Rick Smith is a young guy getting better every day. We feel Alonzo (Agwuenu) has had his best week. (Rashad) Ross and Miles are working hard. We've challenged Kevin Ozier to not just be a journeyman, step up and get better, don't just stay the same."

Ross, with track sprinting speed, is the outside receiver expected to stretch the field. But he had more drops (at least two) than catches (one for 16 yards) last week against Missouri, leading to some soul searching.

"I worried about it all weekend," Ross said. "When you drop your first pass and you drop your second pass, it's going to be pretty hard to catch your third pass because all you're thinking about is 'I've got to catch the ball, I've got to catch the ball.' It's like when you try too hard, it's not going to happen."

20 Sep, 2012

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Source: http://www.azcentral.com/sports/articles/2012/09/19/20120919arizona-state-wide-receivers-pushed-step-up-game.html
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Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kevin Kolb set to face former team in Philadelphia Eagles

by Kent Somers - Sept. 19, 2012 05:39 PM
azcentral sports

When it comes to serving an NFL apprenticeship, Philadelphia can be the worst, and best, of places. Four years there taught quarterback Kevin Kolb to accept pats on the back and kicks in the backside with the same facial expression.

Those four years served him well over his 14 months in Arizona, where very little has gone right for him.

He missed seven games last season because of injuries. The Cardinals had to bail out of the Peyton Manning pursuit last spring because they had a deadline for paying Kolb a $7 million signing bonus.

Then Kolb played poorly in the preseason and lost the starting job to John Skelton.

Kolb has handled the events of the past year as well as anyone could expect. He didn't lash out and he didn't sulk. He credits his even temperament to spending four years in a city where the words "even" and "tempered" rarely go together.

"The biggest thing I took is when it's high there, when things are going good, you can't buy into it because there is a lot of hype," he said. "Everybody is patting you on the back. And when it's low, good gosh, is the sun going to come up tomorrow?

"Although it's not quite like that here, it is the NFL and that's the way it is nowadays. As a quarterback especially, you have to be able to ride those waves and stay level-headed with every experience."

Kolb is not riding atop the wave now, but at least he's not crashing, either. He led the Cardinals to the go-ahead touchdown when Skelton went down in the season opener. And he played efficiently last week in an upset over the Patriots.

With Skelton still hobbling, Kolb is expected to start Sunday against his old team.

"I think Kevin is a heck of a quarterback," Eagles coach Andy Reid said. "I had him here and I know what he's capable of doing. You've seen here the last couple of games, how he's played and managed the game."

The Eagles were willing to trade Kolb because they had Michael Vick, who took over as starter after Kolb suffered a concussion in the opening game of the 2010 season.

He and Vick maintain a strong friendship.

"We just text one another about what's going on in our daily lives," Vick said. "We kind of kept football aside from everything that we had going on because at the end of the day, football is not everything. Kevin and I, we both appreciate our positions but we appreciate each other more."

Kolb still has a long way to go to prove the Cardinals made a wise decision in trading for him. They gave up cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and a second-round pick for Kolb and will have paid him $21 million by the end of the season.

Coaches wanted him to win the starting job this off-season, but in their view, Skelton outplayed Kolb

Kolb was disappointed in the decision, but he didn't mope, quarterbacks coach John McNulty said.

"During the week, I noticed he did a lot with the younger receivers, the linemen, talking to the backs," McNulty said. "He was working behind the scenes, so to speak, helping guys get ready for the game.

"Sometimes guys can be embarrassed, sulk or kind of hide. He really helped everybody during the week, and he obviously prepared himself well."

Coaches aren't asking Kolb or Skelton to be the next Kurt Warner, at least not now. What they want is for the quarterback to avoid negative plays and to make the obvious ones.

Kolb has done a good job of that the past two weeks, although he missed on two pass plays that could have resulted in big gains against the Patriots.

Still, there have been more bouquets than rocks tossed at Kolb this week. He learned in Philadelphia that it's important to know how to dodge both.

"I think, for the most part, people just try to criticize everybody in the world nowadays, so I don't even pay attention to it (criticism) and move on with my life."

20 Sep, 2012

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Source: http://www.azcentral.com/sports/articles/2012/09/19/20120919arizona-cardinals-quarterback-kevin-kolb-set-face-former-team-philadelphia-eagles.html
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NHL cancels September slate of preseason games

by Rachel Cohen - Sept. 19, 2012 04:00 PM
Associated Press

NEW YORK -- The NHL canceled its entire September preseason game schedule Wednesday, the first on-ice casualty of the four-day lockout.

The league is wiping out all games through Sept. 30, a move it deems "necessary because of the absence of a collective bargaining agreement" with the players' association.

The Coyotes had a home split-squad matchup against the defending Stanley Cup champion Kings and road games against the Kings (split-squad), Ducks and Sharks canceled. The team is new scheduled to start preseason play Oct. 1 at Vancouver.

The NHL also said the 2012 Kraft Hockeyville preseason game, scheduled for Oct. 3 in Belleville, Ontario, has been postponed until 2013, bringing the total to 60 games called off Wednesday.

The regular season is scheduled to begin on Oct. 11.

NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said the league has "no set policy on cancellations" of other games.

Also Wednesday, a person familiar with the plan says NHL employees at the league offices will switch to a four-day work week Oct. 1 because of the lockout.

The move will effectively cut salaries by 20 percent. The person spoke on condition of anonymity Wednesday because the NHL hadn't made the plan public.

The Florida Panthers and Ottawa Senators have let staff go because of the lockout, while several other teams have said they don't have any plans to do so as of now.

The league locked out its players at 12:01 a.m. Sunday, its fourth shutdown since 1992.

The preseason cancellations included a Washington Capitals game against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Sept. 26 in Baltimore.

Last year, in the inaugural Baltimore Hockey Classic, the Capitals hosted the Nashville Predators and drew a sold-out crowd.

20 Sep, 2012

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Source: http://www.azcentral.com/sports/articles/2012/09/19/20120919nhl-cancels-september-slate-preseason-games.html
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Arizona Cardinals DE Calais Campbell named NFC Defensive Player of the Week

by Kent Somers - Sept. 19, 2012 09:28 AM
azcentral sports

Cardinals defensive end Calais Campbell on Wednesday was named the NFC Defensive Player of the Week for the first time in his five-year career.

Campbell is the first player in Cardinals history to win Player of the Week in two categories. He was the Special Teams Player of the Week in 2009.

On Sunday, Campbell had two sacks, 10 tackles, two tackles for loss and three quarterback hits in the victory over New England.

The Cardinals held New England to 18 points, snapping the Patriots streak of 25 consecutive home games scoring at least 20 points.

20 Sep, 2012

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Source: http://www.azcentral.com/sports/articles/2012/09/19/20120919arizona-cardinals-calais-campbell-nfc-defensive-player-of-week.html
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