Petti's Pod

By A Thread Podcast

Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Heat culture

Another year, another player, the Heat turned into an amazing piece that came out of seemingly nowhere. In the NBA, when you have a pick outside of the lottery, you’re not necessarily looking for a star. You’re looking for role players, guys with huge upsides who aren’t fully ready for an NBA-level grind yet. Sometimes you get lucky and find a Giannis Antetokounmpo but that’s an extreme outlier. However, time and time again the Heat continue to hit on these picks, and it speaks to a larger notion of the Heat organization over the past decade.

Is "Fetch" catching on? Wild West movie review of the 2024 "Mean Girls"

This is the Wild West Review, a collection of movie reviews from four AMC Theatres frequenters Spencer West, Zach Bradshaw, Gib Manrique and Larisa May.

Up Your Score Podcast

The Many Shades of Bruce Brown

Coming into the draft, Bruce Brown was about as unconventional a prospect as they come. A guard who averaged almost more than double the rebounds as assists, Brown was a unique tweener out of Miami. He lacked the raw offensive talent and ball handling to be a lead guard, but at 6'4 190 pounds, he didn’t have the size that you’d expect in a wing or forward. He did however stand out on the defensive end. His knack for attacking the glass and making hustle plays paired with a 6’9 wingspan did raise some scouts' eyebrows.

Hidden Gems January: Troy Franklin

The NFL offseason is fast approaching. Teams are getting ready for an exciting period of free agency and the draft. Focusing on the draft specifically, fans are looking at who their team will take with a first-round selection. All the top college players they can name, but the draft itself is seven rounds and many impact players can be found beyond the first 32 picks. You always have a Tariq Woolen or a Puka Nacua-type player come out of nowhere, finding a diamond in the rough that can be a game-changer to a franchise. So, leading up to the draft, let’s look up some of those that aren’t seen as “The best of the best.” 

ASU Hockey Moves up to No. 14 After Denver Series

Arizona State hockey improves to 7-2-1 on the season after splitting a two game series last weekend against the No. 2 ranked University of Denver. In Friday night’s contest at Mullett Arena, the Sun Devils displayed their resiliency coming back to win 6-5 in overtime. Senior graduate student Tyler Gratton sent Arizona State fans into a frenzy scoring the game-winning goal. Trailing at four different points throughout the game, ASU’s top line consisting of Ty Jackson, Dylan Jackson, and Lucas Sillinger scored all the goals in regulation. Dyan Jackson recorded a hat trick and tied the game at 5 goals a piece in the third period. Sillinger and Ty Jackson both had a goal and assist in the winning effort. Junior goalie TJ Semptimphelter was lights out yet again, stopping 35 out 40 shots coming from the Pioneers. Junior King Carter scored two short handed goals and freshman Mikko Matikka scored the last two goals for Denver. ASU’s upset victory promoted their ranking by two spots in the latest USCHO.com rankings from No.16 to No. 14. 

No. 12 ASU Hockey Reaches Highest Ranking in Program History Since 2019-20 Season

No. 9 ranked Providence College came to Tempe to take on No. 13 ranked Arizona State hockey at Mullett Arena this past weekend. The Sun Devils split the two-game series against the Friars winning 4-3 in overtime and a 2-1 loss. ASU improves to a 10-3-1 record on the season with ambitions of making the NCAA Championship tournament. The team’s effort this weekend has moved them up one spot in the latest USCHO.com rankings; the highest they’ve been ranked since the 2019-20 season. The Sun Devils went 22-11-3 in the 2019-20 season, being ranked as high as No. 9 in the USCHO rankings during the season. Playing division 1 hockey since the 2015-16 season, this is a significant accomplishment for the program not playing in division 1 level of play for that long. 

Joey Daccord Records First Shutout in NHL Winter Classic History

Seattle Kraken netminder Joey Daccord stopped all 35 shots against the Vegas Golden Knights this past Tuesday. The Kraken defeated the Golden Knights 3-0 at T-Mobile Park in the NHL Winter Classic. In the shutout win, Daccord became the first NHL goalie to record a shutout in a Winter Classic game. Daccord played college hockey at Arizona State University and his recent accomplish speaks to his performance as a Sun Devil. In his junior season (which was his last season at ASU) Daccord posted a 23-13-1 record, a 2.35 GAA, and a .926 save percentage in the 2018-19 season with the Sun Devils. That same season, Arizona State made an appearance in the NCAA Regional Tournament losing to Quinnipiac University, 2-1. The Massacusuetts native stopped 36 shots in the game. Daccord’s seven shutouts solidified his candidacy as a finalist for the Mike Richter Award that is given to the most outstanding goalie in NCAA Division 1. During the 2018-19 season, Daccord recorded a 45-save shutout taking down Princeton on the road, 4-0. 

Wild Card Saturday Recap

The NFL playoffs, the cream of the crop, the biggest sporting tournament at the time started on January 13th, 2024. While there were supposed to be three games today, the Bills and Steelers had to postpone. The Buffalo area had crazy snow weather. Over half a foot of snow in the field. The New York Governor Kathy Hochul from a statement put on the Buffalo Bills X account said it was in the interest of public safety. The primary concern for the fans was travel. Nearly 50-mile-per-hour winds and snowfall would make it a risk. So, the new date for the game is Monday at 2:30 p.m. Arizona time, according to CBS Sports.

Pullett's Picks: Wild Card Weekend

The Cleveland Browns face off against the Houston Texans in a rematch of a Week 16 matchup where Cleveland won 36-22. Amari Cooper had one of the best games of all time, putting up 265 receiving yards and two touchdowns in Week 16. While the Browns’ win was impressive, there are differences between that game and this Saturday’s matchup. Neither of their top draft selections, C.J. Stroud and Will Anderson Jr., played in Week 16. These changes in the lineup should help Houston, given both Stroud and Anderson are in consideration for Rookie of the Year awards. While the connection between Joe Flacco and Amari Cooper was unstoppable in the last game, the Texans’ pass defense has been one of the best in the league since Week 15. Houston and Kansas City are the only two playoff teams who have allowed less than 200 passing yards in three of their last four games. Cleveland’s rushing attack struggled in Week 16, as they ran for 1.8 yards per carry on 30 attempts. The Browns’ defense has been great this season, however, their defense has been considerably worse on the road than at home. Cleveland allows 15.7 more points per game on the road (29.6) than at home (13.9). These signs indicate a game that should lead to a different result than their last matchup. While Joe Flacco led the NFL in passing yards in December (1,616), he also led the league in interceptions (8). These signs lead to Houston winning this game.

Here’s what Joey Daccord said on the Spittin’ Chiclets Podcast

After earning the first shutout in NHL Winter Classic history on New Year’s Day during the Seattle Kraken’s 3-0 win over the Vegas Golden Knights, former Arizona State goaltender Joey Daccord joined the Barstool Sports Spittin’ Chiclets Podcast, sharing stories from his time at ASU and in the NHL. 

John Olerud: The College Shohei Ohtani

“The greatest two-way player in the history of college baseball might never be as acknowledged as he should,” Ryan McGee of ESPN wrote. “But back in Pullman, No. 18 will never be forgotten.”

The Texas Women’s Volleyball Dynasty

On Saturday December 17, 2022, the Texas Longhorns Women’s Volleyball team stood in the center of the CHI Health Center in Omaha, Nebraska, underneath a blast of burnt orange and white confetti, after capturing their fourth National Championship and first since 2012. Led by a team of upperclassmen, including AVCA Player of the Year Logan Eggleston, a senior, Big-12 Libero of the Year Zoe Fleck, a grad student, and first team All-American Asjia O’Neal, the Longhorns won the championship by sweeping Louisville. Both Eggleston and Fleck graduated, while O’Neal still had one year of eligibility remaining, and as was to be expected, the team faced much speculation over whether they could follow-up their massive 2022 performance with another strong season in 2023. After losing their first match of the season at Long Beach State, many fans in the volleyball world started to doubt the Longhorns’ potential. All season, despite playing strong and winning their seventh straight Big-12 Championship, they were ranked lower and not given as much credit as they deserved. Going into the playoffs, they were ranked as a 2-seed and not favored to win the National Championship. However, just over a year after their 2022 National Championship win, they put all the doubt to rest, easily dismantling a Nebraska Huskers team that had been on fire all season, only losing one match prior to the Championship. Once again, the Longhorns stood under the burnt orange and white confetti, this time at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida, holding up their NCAA trophy. 

Landin's Lane: The Crown Depicted Queen Elizabeth’s Defining Reign of a Bygone Era

The Crown’s Elizabeth Debicki crowning achievement at the Golden Globes, winning for her touching portrayal of Princess Diana marks the end of an era for Netflix as the streaming service says goodbye to the sweeping historical drama. From its inception in 2016 and its climatic finale in 2023, Peter Morgan encapsulated the nuances of  Queen Elizabeth ll and the Windsor family. It was an inside look at the most private family in the world, and simultaneously in full view of society. Great Britain’s longest-reigning monarch had her life phases played by Claire Foy (1947-1964), Olivia Colman (1964-1990), and Imelda Staunton (1991-2005). After six seasons, the series leaves us with a continuing message. Personal sacrifices come at a cost, but if it’s for the betterment of society and others, it’s worth it. 

Orpheum Theatre Phoenix celebrates 95th anniversary with vaudeville, burlesque dance shows

The Orpheum Theatre Phoenix celebrated its 95th anniversary with a burlesque nod – and perhaps a shimmy or two – to local history.

Sho Francisco: A Giant Need For a Star in the Bay

It’s not often that a reigning MVP hits free agency just days after accepting the hardware. What’s even more rare is that it’s Shohei Ohtani. But after six wasted years in Anaheim, the Japanese mega-star is the great white shark of the 2023 free agency class. Naturally, everyone wants to reel in the big fish. Most teams face the unfortunate reality of casting out the hook and knowing they won’t even get a nibble. Others just put the worm on and call it an honest effort, while the most fortunate get the full-on mackerel with the deep sea rod. The Dodgers, Rangers, and Cubs of the seas have made their ambitions well-known on Ohtani, and while adding the two-way phenom would likely put any of them over the top, the most desperate need for a big-time catch comes from a franchise that has missed out on one the most.

Drug overdose Good Samaritan law that protects those with drug paraphernalia renewed until 2028

Earlier this year, Arizona state legislators extended an emergency measure Good Samaritan law for drug-related overdoses. The renewed law has been extended until June 30, 2028.

'A complete escape': For these Dungeons and Dragons players, games allow them to accomplish swashbuckling feats

The aroma of coffee grounds and baked goods looms in the air of Brick Road Coffee as music plays over the din of customers’ conversations. Against the walls are numerous pride flags and a towering bookshelf, next to which a new group had started to unpack their belongings: sheets of paper, bags of dice and a few statuettes of monsters.