“Culling the thoughts that occur when you’re standing around waiting for something to happen”

How do you suppose former University of Arizona Wildcat Richard Jefferson and his teammates feel about the recent photo of Mexican drug cartel kingpin Sergio Villarreal Barragan being arrested on Sept. 10 proudly wearing a San Antonio Spurs T-shirt?

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The NHL preseason is underway and if you’re anything like me you…well, you also probably hadn’t noticed.

It seems like just yesterday the Chicago Blackhawks were hoisting the Stanley Cup, 10 days before the Los Angeles Lakers did an Irish jig on the Boston Celtics’ NBA Finals dreams.

Well, the boys of winter are back — despite the fact that Los Angeles hit  a record high 113 degrees today.

Off-seasons appear to be shrinking in the big-dollar game of sports. How much of a hiatus do we actually get to ease out of our post-title hangovers?

On average? About 100 days.

SEASON FINALE     .     TRAINING CAMP BEGAN     .     DAYS

NHL     June 9     Sept. 17     100

NBA     June 17     Sept. 27     102

MLB     Nov. 4     Feb. 15     103

NFL     Feb. 7     July 23     166*

*Mini camp after 75 days

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David Aardsma recently picked up his 30 save of the season for the Seattle Mariners.

I’ll never forget my first encounter with the closer when he pitched for the Chicago White Sox in 2007.

Aardsma was in the Sox’ spring training office in Tucson and using a copy machine.

All I could think was “what the heck does a baseball player need to make copies of?”

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“Culling the thoughts that occur when you’re standing around waiting for something to happen”

You think you’re an all-star every Thanksgiving when the family plays touch football on the front yard?

Try winning Turkey Day MVP honors in the Findley household.

Robbie Findley could use a big plate of comfort food after suffering what has to be one of the more devastating losses of his career on Saturday — much worse than losing out on the honor of licking the wooden, mash-potato-serving spoon.

The Shadow Mountain (Phoenix) High School grad was the starting forward for Team USA in Saturday’s World Cup, 2-1, loss to Ghana.

Ghana midfielder Anthony Annan (6) battles for the ball with USA forward Robbie Findley (20) during the round of sixteen in the 2010 World Cup at Royal Bafokeng Stadium. Christian Ort/GEPA via US PRESSWIRE

The former Oregon State Beaver returned to the lineup after sitting out the Algeria game (bummer) due to two yellow cards.

Findley is cousins with former University of Arizona star and current Atlanta Hawk Mike Bibby as well as with former Pittsburgh Steeler and Detroit Lion wide receiver Shaun McDonald.

He’s also related, through marriage, to New York Knicks’ guard Eddie House. 

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