TPSG Best of 2015

Person:  Bernie Sanders 
Movie:  "Ex-Machina" 
TV Show:  "Fargo" 
Entertainer:  Amy Schumer
Book:  "The Sellout" - Paul Beatty
Song:  "Can't Feel My Face" - The Weeknd
Band:  Foo Fighters
Sports Story:  American Pharoah
Sports Person of the Year:  Carli Lloyd
Sports Team:  U.S. Women's National Soccer Team
Fight (Boxing):  Vargas vs Miura
Fight (MMA):  Lawler vs McDonald 
Arizona Athlete:  Carson Palmer
Arizona News Story:  Freeway Shooter
Politician:  Bernie Sanders
Pariah:  Martin Shkreli 
Invention:  Janicke Omniprocessor
Hottest Woman:  Izabel Goulart
Porn Star:  Foxy Di

In Memoriam 2015

Candice Swanepoel

POTpourri

• The GOP clown car keeps rolling along. 
• Alabama RB Derrick Henry wins the 2016 Heisman Trophy. 
• Conservatives should blame capitalism for the supposed war on Christmas. 
• I think I may just be done with you Chipotle. 
• Right wing media is killing the Republican Party. 
• Serena Williams named SI 2015 Sportsperson of the Year. 
• The less educated are big supporters of Donald Trump. 
• Wisconsin basketball coach Bo Ryan announces his retirement. 
• I'm not a big fan of Debbie Wasserman Schultz. 
• RIP Glen Sonmor, Dave Henderson & Meadowlark Lemon. 
• 2016 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees announced. 
• Karma finally seems to have caught up to Martin Shkreli. 
• I don't give money to curbside beggars.  
• Donald Trump supporters really should consider Bernie Sanders. 
• Sarah Palin proves that she's still not the sharpest tool in the shed. 
• 2015 NFL Pro Bowl rosters announced.  
• Russian women really know how to do instagram. 
• Republicans don't want to hear the truth about guns. 
• A Trump Presidency would be a cash cow for the wealthy. 
• I suppose the warm Christmas was just a coincidence too. 
• Kirk Cousins is clearly one of the most improved players in the NFL. 

Best Song of 2015

My vote goes to The Weeknd's "Can't Feel My Face".

Quick Lane Bowl

Minnesota 21, Central Michigan 14

The Gophers knocked off Central Michigan 21-14 today in the 2015 Quick Lane Bowl in Detroit.  The Gophers end their seven game bowl losing streak with this win.  Minnesota thus closes it's 2015 season with a 6-7 record.  It was a strange season for them, from Jerry Kill resigning to all of the injuries, it was nice to see them go out with a win.  I'm optimistic for next year too.

Observations:

• Mitch Leidner's improvement this year was fun to watch. 
• The Gophers secondary did a great job of limiting Cooper Rush. 
• That may have been Peter Mortell's best game this season. 
• Central Michigan was stacking the box with 8 most of the night. 
• K.J. Maye had another great game, he will be hard to replace. 
• The Gophers were obviously not expecting that pooch punt by Cooper Rush.
• How did Drew Wolitarsky drop that sure touchdown pass?  
• Adam Weber just may have a future as a QB coach. 
• Time of Possession:  Minnesota 35:29, Central Michigan 24:31
• Total Yards:  Minnesota 381, Central Michigan 249
• Julian Huff has really got a knack for getting to the QB. 
• I didn't understand that Gopher onside kick attempt in the second half. 
• No need to get fancy on kickoffs when you have Ryan Santoso.  
• Minnesota should have punted on 4th and 3 in the second half. 
• The Gophers not only won the game, they rounded out their coaching staff. 
• Each of the 5-7 bowl teams won their bowl games. 
• It was nice to see Jerry Kill on the field for this game. 
• That was an impressive touchdown run from CMU's Romello Ross. 
• Central Michigan coach John Bonamego is an easy coach to pull for. 
• Up next?  Oregon State in Minneapolis September 1 to kick off the 2016 season. 

2015 Year in Review

Vikings 49, Giants 17

The Vikings knocked off the Giants 49-17 tonight in Minneapolis.  This win improves the Vikings to 10-5 on the season, it also clinches a playoff spot for the Vikings for the first time since 2012.  Next weeks Vikings/Packer game will now be for the NFC North title.  Now the question becomes would you rather play the Seahawks at home (if they beat the Packers next week) or play on the road against the Redskins/Packers (if they lose to the Packers next week)?  Quite the quandary.  They are rounding into form nicely as they had down into the playoffs though.

Observations:

• The Vikings are finally starting to get healthy. 
• Has Teddy Bridgewater really passed for over 3000 yards this season?
• A healthy Harrison Smith makes a world of difference. 
• The Giants looked like they didn't want to be playing tonight. 
• Adrian Peterson is well on his way to another rushing title. 
• The Vikings still need to get better in the Red Zone. 
• That Giants onside kick didn't work out too well for them did it? 
• Turnovers:  Giants 3, Vikings 0
• Danielle Hunter is going to be a beast when all is said and done. 
• Brian Robison is heating up at the right time for the Vikings. 
• I'm guessing Blair Walsh can't wait to be kicking indoors again. 
• Teddy Bridgewater's throwing motion is not textbook form.  
• Tom Johnson has been pretty solid along the DL for the Vikings. 
• Wherefore art thou Charles Johnson? 
• It looked very cold in Minneapolis tonight. 
• What the heck has happened to Brandon Fusco this season? 
• This could have been the Vikings last game at TCF Bank Stadium. 
• The Vikings had really struggled on Sunday Night Football before tonight.
• The Giants were rightfully without Odell Beckham Jr tonight. 
• Up next?  @ Green Bay Packers next Sunday night. 

Cardinals 38, Packers 8

The Cardinals put a pounding on the Packers 38-8 today in Glendale.  The Cardinals improve to 13-2 on the season.  This win, along with the Panthers loss today, keeps the Cardinals in the running for the number 1 seed in the NFC.  They did clinch at least the number 2 spot in the playoffs (and a first round bye).  The Cardinals defense was the story of this game, they completed dominated the Packers, they look really geared up for the playoffs (even without Tyrann Mathieu).

Observations:

• That's nine wins in a row for the Cardinals!  
• The Cardinals look like the most complete team in football right now. 
• Nine sacks by the Cardinals today, they were just relentless. 
• It's amazing that people thought that Carson Palmer was washed up. 
• The Cardinals broke the franchise touchdown record today. 
• That's 7 sacks in 10 games now for Dwight Freeney. 
• There is nothing quite like a fat guy touchdown. 
• You've to love the way David Johnson plays RB. 
• Turnovers:  Packers 4, Cardinals 2
• Cory Redding needs to work on his touchdown dance. 
• Justin Bethel is a great special teams player. 
• How was that not a safety on Scott Tolzien in the 4th quarter?
• Calais Campbell has upped his game as of late. 
• Was that Carson Palmer wearing a dress before the game? 
• Now we know why Eddie Lacey doesn't play defense. 
• The Cardinals secondary continues to shine. 
• C'mon Clay Matthews, you were both Trojans. 
• Why was James Jones wearing a hoodie for an indoor game?
• The stars are jumping on the Cardinals bandwagon now. 
• Up next?  Seattle Seahawks next Sunday in Glendale. 

2015 Pop Music Mashup

TPSG Top 10 Movies of 2015

Here you go, the TPSG Top 10 Movies of 2015.  Keep in mind, I'm not a movie critic, I also have not seen everything, far from it, you're also not going to see many art house films or documentaries in this list.  It's also subject to updating as I see more 2015 movies.

Top 10 Movies of 2015

1. Ex Machina - Domhnall Gleeson, Oscar Isaac
2. Southpaw - Jake Gyllenhaal, Forest Whitaker
3. Sicario - Emily Blunt, Josh Brolin, Benicio Del Toro
4. Mad Max: Fury Road - Tom Hardy, Charlize Theron
5. The Revenant - Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hardy
6. Ant-Man - Paul Rudd, Michael Douglas
7. The Martian - Matt Damon, Jeff Daniels
8. Joy - Jennifer Lawrence, Bradley Cooper
9. Straight Outta Compton - O'Shea Jackson Jr, Corey Hawkins
10. Creed - Sylvester Stallone, Michael B. Jordan

Worst Movie of 2015:  Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2

Haven't Yet Seen:  Bridge of Spies, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, The Hateful Eight

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas everyone!

Springsteen on SNL

How about a little Bruce Springsteen.

With a dose of McCartney.

2016 Presidential Field Update

Lindsey Graham has thrown in the towel on his 2016 Presidential candidacy.  That leaves us with 16 candidates still in the running, 13 Republicans and 3 Democrats.

Here's how the remaining rank in my opinion (as far as their chances):

Democrats: 

1. Hillary Clinton
2. Bernie Sanders
3. Martin O'Malley

Republicans: 

1. Donald Trump
2. Ted Cruz
3. Ben Carson
4. Marco Rubio
5. Chris Christie
6. Jeb Bush
7. Rand Paul
8. John Kasich
9. Carly Fiorina 
10. Mike Huckabee
11. Rick Santorum
12. George Pataki
13. Jim Gilmore

It was a bad year for Lindsey Graham to run for President, no establishment candidate has caught on with the GOP base to this point.  Outside of his neocon rhetoric, I really didn't dislike Graham as much as I thought that I would, he was one of the few Republican candidates with a firm grasp on reality.  

Christmas Spirit!

I'm finally feeling that Christmas spirit!

Grading College Football Hires

TPSG ranking of the NCAA college football coaching hires:

A's:

• Justin Fuente at Virginia Tech.  I'm a huge Fuente fan, he did a terrific job at Memphis. 
• Mark Richt at Miami.  Proven winner in the tough SEC, an alumnus to boot. 
• Matt Campbell at Iowa State. Much better hire than I had anticipated. 
• Dino Babers at Syracuse. He will bring an exciting brand of football to Syracuse. 
• Matt Viator at ULM.  Proven winner, has recruited the region, great fit. 

B's:

• Bronco Mendenhall at Virginia.  Solid football coach, not many Eastern ties though.
• Kirby Smart at Georgia.  He's paid his dues and is much deserving of an opportunity.
• Willie Fritz at Tulane.  Proven winner everywhere he's been. 

C's:

• Scott Frost at Central Florida.  They could have had Dino Babers, just saying.
• Tracy Claeys at Minnesota.  Not a flashy hire, but well deserving of the opportunity. 
• Barry Odom at Missouri.  Very good defensive coordinator, deserving of an opportunity. 
• D.J. Durkin at Maryland.  He's put in the time with Jim Harbaugh & Urban Meyer. 
• Mike Norvell at Memphis.  I wasn't impressed with his ASU offense this year.  
• Chris Ash at Rutgers. The Urban Meyer pipeline is pretty impressive. 
• Jason Candle at Toledo.  Not a big name, but a deserving hire.   
• Seth Littrell at North Texas.  Very good offensive mind, deserving of an opportunity. 

D's: 

• Clay Helton at USC.  Nothing against Helton, but USC needs a big name. 
• Scottie Montgomery at East Carolina.  He's no Ruffin McNeil.  
• Kalani Sitake at BYU.  His defense at OSU was very underwhelming. 
• Nick Rolovich at Hawaii.  His name doesn't move the needle.  

F's: 

• Bill Cubit at Illinois.  I like Cubit, the 2 year deal is a recipe for disaster though. 
• Will Muschamp at South Carolina.  Good assistant, not so good head coach. 

That does it for the coaching carousel, for now anyways.  Kevin Sumlin is on the hot seat though and you never know if the NFL will raid the college coaching ranks, so things could still be shaken up.

Seth Meyers on Climate Agreement

Good stuff from Seth Meyers!

Cardinals 40, Eagles 17

The Cardinals knocked off the Eagles 40-17 tonight in Philadelphia.  This win improves the Cardinals to 12-2 on the season.  They clinched the NFC West with this win.  They've still got an outside shot at the number 1 seed in the NFC too, a lot would need to break their way though (they are 2 games behind the Panthers with 2 games to go).  They do have a 2 game lead over the Packers for the number 2 seed though.  They just keep rolling along.

Observations:

• It appears that David Johnson wants to keep that starting RB spot. 
• I really hope that Tyrann Mathieu is okay, he's a vital cog on this team. 
• Michael Floyd put on quite a catching display tonight. 
• I admit, I was nervous when Carson Palmer hurt his finger. 
• What an amazing touchdown run by David Johnson.  
• It sure looked like Calais Cambell called time out on that Eagles touchdown.
• Usually reliable John Brown had a bad case of the drops tonight.  
• Nice YAC by Darren Fells on that first drive. 
• Deone Buccanon has been a revelation at LB for the Cardinals. 
• I wouldn't have been opposed to seeing Drew Stanton earlier in the 4th quarter. 
• Turnovers:  Eagles 4, Cardinals 0 
• Patrick Peterson has to be in the NFL Defensive Player of the Year conversation. 
• Larry Fitzgerald just may be the best blocking WR in football. 
• Markus Golden seems to make a big play in every game. 
• I always get nervous when the Cardinals are on the road playing in cold weather. 
• NBC seems to like having the Cardinals on Sunday Night Football. 
• Why wasn't DeMarco Murray in on fourth and short for the Eagles? 
• What the heck are the Eagle coaches doing on the sidelines? 
• Fletcher Cox is a pretty impressive defensive tackle.  
• It's hard to believe that the Cardinals franchise had never won 12 games in a season. 
• Up next?  Green Bay Packers @ Glendale next Sunday. 

Vikings 38, Bears 17

The Vikings knocked off the Bears 38-17 today in Minneapolis.  With this win the Vikings improve to 9-5 on the season. It also ends the Vikings 2 game losing streak and concludes the season sweep of the Bears.  More importantly, it almost assures the Vikings of making the playoffs for the first time since 2012.  With only 2 more games to go (NY Giants @ home, then @ Green Bay) they are well within reach of a division title too.  This may have been the Vikings best overall game of the season, that's a trend that you want to see heading into the post season.  Keep it up Vikings!

Observations:

• That may have been Teddy Bridgewater's best game as a Viking. 
• I love the amount of pressure the Vikings defense can generate. 
• Zach Line is developing into a pretty decent fullback. 
• That opening touchdown drive by the Vikings was a thing of beauty.  
• Perhaps the Vikings should try Justin Trattou as a tight end.  
• The Vikings injury depleted defense played quite well today. 
• That was definitely a cheap shot on Teddy Bridgewaters knees. 
• Brian Robison had perhaps his best game of the season today. 
• The Vikings have really under used Mike Wallace this season. 
• Tone down the touchdown celebrations fellas.  
• Stefon Diggs has really emerged as the Vikings number 1 WR. 
• The Vikings should have accepted that 4th quarter Bears holding penalty. 
• The Vikings rookie class continues to shine.  
• This may have been the Vikings OL's best game this season. 
• Props to the Bears for that successful onside kick to start the second half. 
• Jerrick McKinnon is a nice change of pace RB for the Vikings. 
• Anthony Harris has played well filling in for Harrison Smith. 
• Is it my imagination or does Bruce Gaston have two heads? 
• I'm glad to hear that Bill Parcells is mentoring Mike Zimmer. 
• Up next?  New York Giants in Minneapolis next Sunday night. 

AZ Tidbits

• Gun deaths exceed vehicle deaths in Arizona. 
• Legalized marijuana continues to edge closer to reality in Arizona. 
• Arizona State football hires Chip Lindsey as Offensive Coordinator. 
• School funding in Arizona still amongst the worst in the nation. 
• Would Dwight Howard be a good fit with the Phoenix Suns? 
• Four Peaks Brewery bought by Anheuser-Busch. 
• It's only a matter of time before Arizona turns blue. 
• Phoenix traffic congestion ranked best among major U.S. markets. 
• I'm okay with Cardinals fans selling their tickets to opposing fans. 
• 10 facts that you should know about Arizona marijuana laws. 
• RIP John "Hot Rod" Williams. 
• Former Arizona high school star Kyle Allen set to transfer from Texas A&M. 
• The 15 Most Absurd Arizona Stories of 2015 here. 
• Arizona State dismisses 2 players from their football team. 
• It's time for the Suns to rid themselves of Markieff Morris. 
• Susan Bitter Smith resigns from Arizona Corporate Commission. 
• Dan Majerle has Grand Canyon University basketball on the right track. 
• Could David Schweikert be planning a run against John McCain? 
• Could the Coyotes use Veterans Memorial Coliseum as a temporary home?
• Carson Palmer continues to play at an MVP pace. 

I Am #CandyGirl Collection

Just wow!

Top 10 Boxing Movies

I'm a sucker for a good boxing movie, I recently saw Southpaw and Creed and I loved them both.  It got me to thinking where they ranked with the best boxing movies of all time and I think they both belong in the Top 10.  Rocky clearly has to be number 1, I see it as the pinnacle of boxing movies.  Mark Wahlberg & Christian Bale were both terrific in The Fighter.  Do you really think that Robert De Niro would have won an Oscar for Raging Bull if it wasn't a great film?  Jake Gyllenhaal has become one of the great actors of our time, his transformation in Southpaw was remarkable.  Cinderella Man was a great story of an underdog.  Million Dollar Baby was one of Clint Eastwood's best films.  Rocky II left off right where Rocky ended.  The Hurricane tells a griping tale of the wrongfully convicted Rubin Carter.  Will Smith was great as Muhammed Ali.  Creed has probably re-invigorated the Rocky franchise.  Here's my list.

Top 10 Boxing Movies:

1. Rocky - Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire
2. The Fighter - Mark Wahlberg, Christian Bale
3. Raging Bull - Robert DeNiro, Cathy Moriarty
4. Southpaw - Jake Gyllenhaal, Rachel McAdams
5. Cinderella Man -Russell Crowe, Renee Zellweger
6. Million Dollar Baby - Clint Eastwood, Hilary Swank
7. Rocky II - Sylvester Stallone, Burt Young
8. The Hurricane - Denzel Washington, Vicellous Reon Shannon
9. Ali - Will Smith, Jamie Foxx
10. Creed - Michael B. Jordan, Sylvester Stallone

Special mention to Play it to the Bone too, it just missed the cut, but I highly recommend it, it's very underrated.     

Emily Ratajkowski

Gorgeous!

Creed

Creed - starring Michael B. Jordan and Sylvester Stallone.  Given that this is the 7th movie in the Rocky Balboa franchise, I went into this one with low expectations, I was pleasantly surprised though, I really enjoyed it.  Jordan stars as Adonis Johnson, the illegitimate son of boxing great Apollo Creed.  Boxing is in his blood, when he decides he needs a trainer who else would he turn to but his long lost fathers arch nemesis turned friend Rocky Balboa (again played by Sylvester Stallone).  Balboa is initially reluctant to train him, but eventually comes around and in no time young Creed is chasing chickens.  It doesn't take long before word leaks as to the real identity of Adonis and not long after that before an offer inexplicably appears for him to fight for the world championship.  Of course he takes the offer.  I won't spoil the ending but needless to say it ends in a typical Rocky-like high energy fight sequence.  The action is top notch, heartstrings get pulled along the way, it's all quite griping and powerful.  Jordan is very good in this one, he's building up quite the resume.  Stallone steals the show though, he's come full circle, from young boxer to aging trainer (ala Burgess Meredith in the original "Rocky") and he does it quite well, I could even see a Supporting Actor nomination in his future.  I wouldn't be at all be surprised if this film reinvigorates the series, heck, even I could write the next movie.  All in all, a very good movie, go see it.

I will give it 4 out of 5 stars (*****).

Will Ferrell as George W Bush

Hilarious!  I miss Will Ferrell on SNL.

Diamondbacks Going For It

What an offseason for the Arizona Diamondbacks.  First they sign free agent pitcher Zack Greinke, then they add starting pitcher Shelby Miller in a trade with the Braves.  Starting pitching has been their biggest weakness over the last several years and they just went out and acquired a legitimate number 1 and a legitimate number 2 starter, add in Patrick Corbin, Rubby De La Rosa and Robbie Ray (or perhaps Archie Bradley) and you've got a pretty imposing starting rotation to go along with one of the better offensive teams in MLB.  The playoffs are definitely within reach for the Diamondbacks in 2016.  They may not be done making moves either.

With this being said, the price for both wasn't cheap, there is certainly a chance that both moves backfire on them.  Greinke has been tremendous over the past couple of seasons but you have to get nervous when signing a thirty-two year old pitcher to a rich, long term deal.  Miller cost Ender Inciarte (whom I'm a big fan of) and 2 very good prospects, some have argued (perhaps rightfully so) that they gave up way too much for a pitcher without a strong track record of success.  I surely hope they haven't mortgaged their future.

As a Diamondback fan, I'm fine with them betting the farm on the Greinke/Miller tandem, I'm tired of watching mediocre baseball in Arizona.  I want to see Randy Johnson/Curt Schilling II.  I want to see the Diamondbacks pitching giving them a chance to win every game.  I want to see the Diamondbacks in a pennant/playoff race.  I want to see the Diamondbacks fans get excited about baseball again.  So, in short, I'm fine with these 2 acquisitions, I think it's going to be an exciting time to be a Diamondback fan.

Republican Vision For America

Cut regulations and double down on fossil fuels.



So that we can compete with China.

Cardinals 23, Vikings 20

The Cardinals knocked off the Vikings 23-20 last night on TNF from Glendale.  The win improves the Cardinals to 11-2 on the season and clinched a playoff spot for them.  The Vikings fall to 8-5 on the season and out of first place in the NFC North (at least until the Packers play on Sunday).  The Vikings have now lost 3 of their last 4, I think they are still in good position to earn a playoff spot though.  I hate moral victories, but with the way the Vikings looked last week, I think you can classify this as a moral victory for the Vikings, they played one of the best teams in the NFL down to the last minute with an injury depleted lineup and their quarterback showed some signs of life, it will no doubt help their confidence moving forward.

Observations:

• Should the Vikings have tried a field goal on their last play? 
• That Adrian Peterson touchdown run was pretty impressive. 
• Injuries continue to decimate the Vikings defense.  
• What a block by Larry Fitzgerald on that Michael Floyd touchdown catch. 
• Great fourth quarter touchdown drive by the Vikings. 
• The Vikings out smarted themselves on that reverse attempt. 
• Danielle Hunter is having a nice rookie season for the Vikings.  
• The Cardinals continue to struggle in short yardage situations. 
• Why do officials not seem to call holding on the Vikings opponents? 
• Drew Butler needs to work on his flopping. 
• Turnovers:  Vikings 3, Cardinals 0
• Dwight Freeney is proving to be an important addition. 
• Nice catch and run by Cardinals OG Mike Iupati!  
• Some horrible tackling angles by the Vikings on that John Brown touchdown. 
• Everson Griffen sack total is now up to 8.5 on the season. 
• That dropped interception by Xavier Rhodes would have been a pick six. 
• Teddy Bridgewater looked much better than last week.  Growth. 
• The Cardinals are having a hard time keeping their running backs healthy. 
• You have to have Carson Palmer in the running for MVP. 
• The officials blew it missing that face mask call on the Vikings.  
• As good as Adrian Peterson is, he still needs to do a better job of holding onto the ball. 
• The roof was open again at University of Phoenix Stadium.  
• Up next?  Bears @ Vikings and Cardinals @ Eagles, both next Sunday. 

POTpourri

• Recreational marijuana has been a boon to Colorado tourism. 
• The right wing media has set this country back years. 
• Time Magazine names Angela Merkel Person of the Year, 
• 2016 Golden Globe nominations announced. 
• Do Republicans realize that Ted Cruz is not electable? 
• I wasn't aware that Simon Cowell was joining "America's Got Talent". 
• The less educated really like Donald Trump.  
• 2016 Grammy Award nominations announced. 
• Portland Timbers win the 2016 MLS Cup title. 
• Tipping point?  Most Americans are no longer in the middle class. 
• Has ExxonMobil finally seen the light regarding climate change? 
• 2016 NCAA College football playoff teams announced.  
• Finland get's basic income right.  Even some Republicans get it. 
• Props to China for their coal cut backs, more is needed though.  
• Be leary of all of those e-cigarettes.  
• The American Oligarchy is alive and well. 
• Why are Republicans so fixated on the Labor Participation Rate? 
• Morning Joe is easily the worst thing about MSNBC.
• I should probably know more about Sarah May Curd. 
• Minnesota Twins Top 20 Prospects for 2016. 
• You really should check out Fedor Shmidt's tumblr page. 
• Denouncing extremism is nice, but a little action would be better. 
• The Big 12 Conference really should have a conference championship game. 

Zadroga Act

C'mon Republicans, you are embarrassing yourselves, get this done.

Get More: Comedy Central

More here.

AZ Tidbits

• Arizona Diamondbacks spend big on free agent pitcher Zack Greinke. 
• Arizona AG seeks ouster of Corporate Commission chair Susan Bitter Smith.  
• ASU Offensive Coordinator Mike Norvell named Memphis head football coach. 
• Could Phil Gordon take on Sheriff Joe Arpaio? 
• Arizona Diamondbacks unveil new uniforms once again. 
• New study says Arizona drivers are among the worst in the nation.  
• Arizona & Arizona State are both going bowling! 
• Arizona football coach Rich Rodriguez turns down South Carolina head coaching job. 
• Kai Restaurant named one of top three restaurants in America. 
• Arizona bowl game matchups announced.  
• Joe Arpaio is in a surprisingly vulnerable position entering his re-election campaign. 
• Arizona ranks third in nation in rooftop solar energy.  
• Arizona voters appear to be evenly split on recreational marijuana. 
• Policing for profit is not good for Arizona.  
• Arizona continues to turn purple, now they need to vote. 
• While bus drivers were striking, Valley Metro CEO was living lavishly. 
• The Diamondbacks are reportedly interested in Mike Leake. 
• Kelli Ward officially resigns state Senate seat to take on John McCain. 
• Arizona is now one step closer to a Phoenix-Las Vegas Interstate. 
• Would a top two primary work in Arizona?  
• California Governor Jerry Brown is not happy with Arizona's lax gun laws. 

Irina Shayk

Nothing says Christmas like Irina Shayk at the beach.