Hansen's Sunday Notebook: Friends, teammates rallying around ex-Cat Warner Smith
- Updated
Star sports columnist Greg Hansen offers his opinion on recent sports news.
- Greg Hansen Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
A few months ago,Β Warner SmithΒ submitted an application to hunt antelope in New Mexico. It tells you all you need to know about the spirit of Arizonaβs 1990 Gatorade football Player of the Year.
At the time of his application, about 15 months after he was diagnosed with ALS β Lou Gehrigβs disease β Smith was unable to walk. He has to use an electric cart, and a lift, just to get into his truck for the drive to work at a Tucson GPS engineering and software firm.
A few weeks later, Smith won the hunting lottery; he is eligible to participate in New Mexicoβs 2016 antelope season, granted a special handicapped permit that will allow him to hunt from his truck.
βWarnerβs got the best outlook anybody in his situation could have,β his friend,Β Steve Hopkins, said. βHe doesnβt want your pity.β
Hopkins, an electrician who graduated from Palo Verde High School in the mid-1970s, met Smith through the local chapter of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. Although Hopkins didnβt know Smith when the former San Manuel High School Miner became a first-team All-Pac-10 guard on Arizonaβs 1994 Desert Swarm team, they have become the best of teammates.
Hopkins has spent the last few months planning a Warner Smith Weekend. In attempt to raise at least $100,000 for Smithβs future healthcare costs, Hopkins arranged a benefit golf tournament June 24 at Starr Pass Golf Club. Already, 170 of Smithβs friends have registered. A day later, June 25, Hopkins will hold a fundraising dinner, auction, raffle and βWarner Smith Roastβ at the JW Marriott Starr Pass.
The goal is to have 400 attendees; by Friday, about 250 had registered.
Smithβs Desert Swarm coach,Β Dick Tomey, will be the emcee. His old San Manuel coach,Β Mike Brown, will speak. Support has been widespread. Former UA teammateΒ Chris LopezΒ is involved in financial planning. Ex-WildcatsΒ Heath Bray,Β Mani Ott,Β Doug Pfaff,Β Rich EllersonΒ andΒ LaMonte Hunley, among others, have helped.
βIf the day comes that Warner wonβt be able to work, I want him to be prepared,β said Hopkins. βOn Friday, we received a single donation of $5,000. The support is incredible. Warner has a lot of friends.β
Here’s how to register for the golf outing or the dinner: contact Hopkins via email callemin@comcast.net, or phone him at 312-1258. A “Go Fund Me” account has been established at gofundme.com/2m59mcgs
Tucsonβs big three of the week in sports:
1. Luis Gonzalez, outfielder: A sophomore from Catalina Foothills High School, Gonzalez was the Mountain West Conferenceβs co-MVP of the league tournament as New Mexico won the MWC championship. In Fridayβs NCAA Tournament opener, Gonzalez was even better: he was 4 for 4 with five RBIs (and three doubles) in a victory over Dallas Baptist. Gonzalez was hitting .379 through Friday.
2. Bill Kinneberg, coach. The Pac-12βs baseball coach of the year guided Utah to the Pac-12 title (the Utes swept Arizona) and an NCAA Tournament victory Friday at favored Ole Miss. Few in the game have a more intriguing background than the son of a mining engineer from Douglas. Kinneberg pitched for Morenciβs state championship team, was a reliever for Arizonaβs 1979 NCAA team, has been the head coach at Wyoming and UTEP, and the pitching coach at ASU and Arizona. He also was a pitching instructor in the White Sox system. Kinnebergβs closest friend is probably ex-WildcatΒ Terry Francona, manager of the Cleveland Indians.
3. Delaney Schnell, diving. The 17-year-old diver from Tucson High will spend 11 days at the U.S. Olympic Trials June 18-26Β in Indianapolis. Schnell has been so good β a two-time National Junior platform diving champion β that if she makes it to Rio as part of the USA synchronized diving team, few will be surprised. Her coach is the UAβsΒ Omar Ojeda, who is attempting to get Schnell and former UA All-AmericanΒ Samantha PickensΒ into the Olympics opposite UA standoutΒ Rafael Quintero,Β who has already qualified. Getting to the Trials isnβt uncomplicated. Schnell has had to raise about $2,500 to cover travel and living expenses, and, as one of the nationβs top prospects, has monitored her training and fundraising endeavors through the NCAAβs compliance system. Schnell has already competed at the Pan American Games and an impressive list of international competitions.
- Greg Hansen Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Arizona 7-foot freshmanΒ Lauri MarkkanenΒ ends his three-week UA summer school session Monday. Heβll return to Finland to join the Finnish U20 team for games in Serbia and Lithuania in the lead-up to the July 16-24 U20 European Championships. Markkanenβs summer competition, especially against coveted NBA prospects from Turkey and France, should significantlyΒ improve his game before he plays at Arizona.Β
- Greg Hansen Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Markkanenβs new UA teammates,Β Chance ComancheΒ andΒ Kadeem Allen, wonβt face anywhere near the competition in their so-called Pac-12 All-Star trip to Australia next month. There are only two games on that tour, against Aussie semi-pro teams, and a scrimmage. That trip, which will last about 11 days, to be coached byΒ Mike MontgomeryΒ and two of his former Stanford players, is part of the extravagant spending of Pac-12 commissionerΒ Larry Scott. At most, Comanche and Allen will probably play about 45 minutes of game action against middlinβ Aussie players. Wouldnβt the $300,000 (or so) it will cost for the βAll-Starβ tour be better spent if donated to the Banner-UA Cancer Center, or the Boys and Girls Clubs in Los Angeles?Β
- Greg Hansen Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
The most predictable whine of the week was when the Pac-12 announced the UA-ASU Territorial Cup football game will be played the night after Thanksgiving, 7:30 p.m. at Arizona Stadium. But four of the most notable Territorial Cup games in history β Arizonaβs 1982, 1984, 1985 and 1998 victories over the Sun Devils β were also after-dark kickoffs that made local legends out ofΒ Ricky Hunley,Β Max Zendejas,Β Byron EvansΒ andΒ Trung Canidate.Β
- Greg Hansen Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Baseball America ranks UA third baseman/pitcherΒ Bobby DalbecΒ as the No. 89 overall selection in Thursdayβs MLB draft. His return to hitting form the last two weeks mightβve made Dalbec another $200,000 to $400,000 in bonus dollars.Β
- Greg Hansen Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Jay Johnsonβs top incoming UA recruit, Las Vegas shortstopΒ Nick Quintana, is listed No. 112 overall by Baseball America, and Yavapai College leftyΒ Jojo Romero, who pitched for Johnson at Nevada in 2015, is No. 150. Neither is likely to play here in 2017.Β
- Greg Hansen Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Ron Theobald, a second-team All-America second baseman for UAβs 1963 College World Series runner-up, died in California last month. He was 72. Theobald hit .366 for the Cats, and started for the Brewers in 1971-72. After baseball, Theobald umpired high school and college baseball games and drove a bus for the Brea Olinda Unified School District, transporting disabled children.Β
- Greg Hansen Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Pulu Poumele, a starter on the offensive line at Arizona in 1993 and 1994, died Sunday in Oceanside, California, where he had been a high school football coach and math teacher for about 15 years. He was only 45, and had been at the Lowell-Stevens Football Facility during the UAβs spring practice sessions. Poumele, who chose Arizona over UCLA in 1989, was the first cousin of the lateΒ Junior Seau.Β
- Greg Hansen Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Arizonaβs menβs and womenβs track and field teams are both picked to finish 38th overall in this weekβs NCAA meet in the form chart by Track & Field News. Thatβs a serious plunge for the Wildcats, whose track and cross-country programs have faded notably in recent years. The only UA athletes predicted to place are decathleteΒ Pau Tonnesen, third, and 400-meter hurdles standoutΒ Sage Watson, also third.Β
- Greg Hansen Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Arizona does not have a player among the 75 listed on the 2016 ballot for the College Football Hall of Fame. After an impressive run, in which the Southern Arizona Chapter of the National Football Foundation stewarded the elections ofΒ Chuck Cecil,Β Rob WaldropΒ andΒ Tedy Bruschi, it might be a few years before an ex-Wildcat is seriously considered. Ultimately,Β Lance Briggs,Β Antoine CasonΒ andΒ Dennis NorthcuttΒ should get on the ballot.Β Rob Gronkowski? Unlikely. He was never a first-team All-American in his two UA playing seasons.Β
- Greg Hansen Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
In 2006, Houston prep guardΒ Nic Wise, who became Arizonaβs starting point guard, was ranked higher thanΒ Steph CurryΒ in national recruiting rankings. Wise was No. 89 and Curry No. 245. Who knew? Not many.Β
- Greg Hansen Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
My sports rant of the week: the NCAA allowed Oregon to play host to the NCAA menβs golf championship last week. The Ducks, who were only ranked No. 20, won it all. Local knowledge is so important in golf, and the Ducks, who might not have gotten into the final match-play group of eight on any other golf course, benefited greatly. Itβs like Duke getting to play the Final Four at Cameron Indoor Stadium.Β
- Greg Hansen Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
When the PGA Tour moved the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship from Dove Mountain β it is now in Austin, Texas β it was because Accenture stopped sponsoring golf tournaments. Initially, I thought it was because Tucson wasnβt βbig timeβ enough to stage one of the worldβs leading golf events. But when the PGA Tour last week moved the WGC-Cadillac Championship fromΒ Donald Trumpβs Florida course, Doral, it offered a similar reason. Cadillac left as a sponsor. The PGA Tour found a new sponsor in Mexico City, and now the Doral event, part of the PGA Tour since 1962, is without a tournament. In pro golf, follow the money, not the tradition.Β
- Greg Hansen Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
It was good to see the Phoenix Suns give former Amphi state championship guardΒ Lester MedfordΒ of Baylor a pre-draft workout last week. Medford, who completed his college career at Baylor, is likely to play overseas, joining his longtime prep rivalsΒ Terrell StoglinΒ of Santa Rita andΒ Shakir SmithΒ of Tucson High. Stoglin, who played two seasons at Maryland, completed his fourth EuroLeague season last month, averaging 28.2 points for Sagesse of Lebanon. Smith, who was an All-RMAC guard at Adams State last season after a standout stint at Pima College, has signed to play professionally in Germany.Β
- Greg Hansen Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Since Salpointe Catholic sophomore-to-beΒ Majok DengΒ completed his first season for the Lancers, averaging 9.5 points, he has played 32 games on the AAU circuit for the Arizona Powerhouse Hoops 15U team. Some recruiting analysts believe Deng, a 6-foot-5-inch wing player, will develop into one of the top 10 or 20 prospects in the entire Class of 2019. His AAU teamΒ is 31-1, and he is the chief attention-getter.
- Greg Hansen Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
When ESPN last week chose to broadcast the Sept. 3 UA-BYU football opener at 7:30 p.m., it meant those driving to University of Phoenix Stadium from Tucson would return home after 1 a.m.
The late start probably means the game wonβt be sold out, or even close.
There is no appeal when ESPN sets its programming schedule.
Most UA games at Arizona Stadium generate about $1.5 million in revenue. In a typical home season, thatβs close to $9 million. By comparison, the Pac-12 distributed about $25 million in TV money to Arizona for the 2014 season.
Thatβs why ESPN calls the shots and doesnβt fret about 5,000 or 10,000 Tucsonans staying home, watching in the comfort of their living rooms.
A few months ago,Β Warner SmithΒ submitted an application to hunt antelope in New Mexico. It tells you all you need to know about the spirit of Arizonaβs 1990 Gatorade football Player of the Year.
At the time of his application, about 15 months after he was diagnosed with ALS β Lou Gehrigβs disease β Smith was unable to walk. He has to use an electric cart, and a lift, just to get into his truck for the drive to work at a Tucson GPS engineering and software firm.
A few weeks later, Smith won the hunting lottery; he is eligible to participate in New Mexicoβs 2016 antelope season, granted a special handicapped permit that will allow him to hunt from his truck.
βWarnerβs got the best outlook anybody in his situation could have,β his friend,Β Steve Hopkins, said. βHe doesnβt want your pity.β
Hopkins, an electrician who graduated from Palo Verde High School in the mid-1970s, met Smith through the local chapter of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. Although Hopkins didnβt know Smith when the former San Manuel High School Miner became a first-team All-Pac-10 guard on Arizonaβs 1994 Desert Swarm team, they have become the best of teammates.
Hopkins has spent the last few months planning a Warner Smith Weekend. In attempt to raise at least $100,000 for Smithβs future healthcare costs, Hopkins arranged a benefit golf tournament June 24 at Starr Pass Golf Club. Already, 170 of Smithβs friends have registered. A day later, June 25, Hopkins will hold a fundraising dinner, auction, raffle and βWarner Smith Roastβ at the JW Marriott Starr Pass.
The goal is to have 400 attendees; by Friday, about 250 had registered.
Smithβs Desert Swarm coach,Β Dick Tomey, will be the emcee. His old San Manuel coach,Β Mike Brown, will speak. Support has been widespread. Former UA teammateΒ Chris LopezΒ is involved in financial planning. Ex-WildcatsΒ Heath Bray,Β Mani Ott,Β Doug Pfaff,Β Rich EllersonΒ andΒ LaMonte Hunley, among others, have helped.
βIf the day comes that Warner wonβt be able to work, I want him to be prepared,β said Hopkins. βOn Friday, we received a single donation of $5,000. The support is incredible. Warner has a lot of friends.β
Here’s how to register for the golf outing or the dinner: contact Hopkins via email callemin@comcast.net, or phone him at 312-1258. A “Go Fund Me” account has been established at gofundme.com/2m59mcgs
Tucsonβs big three of the week in sports:
1. Luis Gonzalez, outfielder: A sophomore from Catalina Foothills High School, Gonzalez was the Mountain West Conferenceβs co-MVP of the league tournament as New Mexico won the MWC championship. In Fridayβs NCAA Tournament opener, Gonzalez was even better: he was 4 for 4 with five RBIs (and three doubles) in a victory over Dallas Baptist. Gonzalez was hitting .379 through Friday.
2. Bill Kinneberg, coach. The Pac-12βs baseball coach of the year guided Utah to the Pac-12 title (the Utes swept Arizona) and an NCAA Tournament victory Friday at favored Ole Miss. Few in the game have a more intriguing background than the son of a mining engineer from Douglas. Kinneberg pitched for Morenciβs state championship team, was a reliever for Arizonaβs 1979 NCAA team, has been the head coach at Wyoming and UTEP, and the pitching coach at ASU and Arizona. He also was a pitching instructor in the White Sox system. Kinnebergβs closest friend is probably ex-WildcatΒ Terry Francona, manager of the Cleveland Indians.
3. Delaney Schnell, diving. The 17-year-old diver from Tucson High will spend 11 days at the U.S. Olympic Trials June 18-26Β in Indianapolis. Schnell has been so good β a two-time National Junior platform diving champion β that if she makes it to Rio as part of the USA synchronized diving team, few will be surprised. Her coach is the UAβsΒ Omar Ojeda, who is attempting to get Schnell and former UA All-AmericanΒ Samantha PickensΒ into the Olympics opposite UA standoutΒ Rafael Quintero,Β who has already qualified. Getting to the Trials isnβt uncomplicated. Schnell has had to raise about $2,500 to cover travel and living expenses, and, as one of the nationβs top prospects, has monitored her training and fundraising endeavors through the NCAAβs compliance system. Schnell has already competed at the Pan American Games and an impressive list of international competitions.
Arizona 7-foot freshmanΒ Lauri MarkkanenΒ ends his three-week UA summer school session Monday. Heβll return to Finland to join the Finnish U20 team for games in Serbia and Lithuania in the lead-up to the July 16-24 U20 European Championships. Markkanenβs summer competition, especially against coveted NBA prospects from Turkey and France, should significantlyΒ improve his game before he plays at Arizona.Β
Markkanenβs new UA teammates,Β Chance ComancheΒ andΒ Kadeem Allen, wonβt face anywhere near the competition in their so-called Pac-12 All-Star trip to Australia next month. There are only two games on that tour, against Aussie semi-pro teams, and a scrimmage. That trip, which will last about 11 days, to be coached byΒ Mike MontgomeryΒ and two of his former Stanford players, is part of the extravagant spending of Pac-12 commissionerΒ Larry Scott. At most, Comanche and Allen will probably play about 45 minutes of game action against middlinβ Aussie players. Wouldnβt the $300,000 (or so) it will cost for the βAll-Starβ tour be better spent if donated to the Banner-UA Cancer Center, or the Boys and Girls Clubs in Los Angeles?Β
The most predictable whine of the week was when the Pac-12 announced the UA-ASU Territorial Cup football game will be played the night after Thanksgiving, 7:30 p.m. at Arizona Stadium. But four of the most notable Territorial Cup games in history β Arizonaβs 1982, 1984, 1985 and 1998 victories over the Sun Devils β were also after-dark kickoffs that made local legends out ofΒ Ricky Hunley,Β Max Zendejas,Β Byron EvansΒ andΒ Trung Canidate.Β
Baseball America ranks UA third baseman/pitcherΒ Bobby DalbecΒ as the No. 89 overall selection in Thursdayβs MLB draft. His return to hitting form the last two weeks mightβve made Dalbec another $200,000 to $400,000 in bonus dollars.Β
Jay Johnsonβs top incoming UA recruit, Las Vegas shortstopΒ Nick Quintana, is listed No. 112 overall by Baseball America, and Yavapai College leftyΒ Jojo Romero, who pitched for Johnson at Nevada in 2015, is No. 150. Neither is likely to play here in 2017.Β
Ron Theobald, a second-team All-America second baseman for UAβs 1963 College World Series runner-up, died in California last month. He was 72. Theobald hit .366 for the Cats, and started for the Brewers in 1971-72. After baseball, Theobald umpired high school and college baseball games and drove a bus for the Brea Olinda Unified School District, transporting disabled children.Β
Pulu Poumele, a starter on the offensive line at Arizona in 1993 and 1994, died Sunday in Oceanside, California, where he had been a high school football coach and math teacher for about 15 years. He was only 45, and had been at the Lowell-Stevens Football Facility during the UAβs spring practice sessions. Poumele, who chose Arizona over UCLA in 1989, was the first cousin of the lateΒ Junior Seau.Β
Arizonaβs menβs and womenβs track and field teams are both picked to finish 38th overall in this weekβs NCAA meet in the form chart by Track & Field News. Thatβs a serious plunge for the Wildcats, whose track and cross-country programs have faded notably in recent years. The only UA athletes predicted to place are decathleteΒ Pau Tonnesen, third, and 400-meter hurdles standoutΒ Sage Watson, also third.Β
Arizona does not have a player among the 75 listed on the 2016 ballot for the College Football Hall of Fame. After an impressive run, in which the Southern Arizona Chapter of the National Football Foundation stewarded the elections ofΒ Chuck Cecil,Β Rob WaldropΒ andΒ Tedy Bruschi, it might be a few years before an ex-Wildcat is seriously considered. Ultimately,Β Lance Briggs,Β Antoine CasonΒ andΒ Dennis NorthcuttΒ should get on the ballot.Β Rob Gronkowski? Unlikely. He was never a first-team All-American in his two UA playing seasons.Β
In 2006, Houston prep guardΒ Nic Wise, who became Arizonaβs starting point guard, was ranked higher thanΒ Steph CurryΒ in national recruiting rankings. Wise was No. 89 and Curry No. 245. Who knew? Not many.Β
My sports rant of the week: the NCAA allowed Oregon to play host to the NCAA menβs golf championship last week. The Ducks, who were only ranked No. 20, won it all. Local knowledge is so important in golf, and the Ducks, who might not have gotten into the final match-play group of eight on any other golf course, benefited greatly. Itβs like Duke getting to play the Final Four at Cameron Indoor Stadium.Β
When the PGA Tour moved the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship from Dove Mountain β it is now in Austin, Texas β it was because Accenture stopped sponsoring golf tournaments. Initially, I thought it was because Tucson wasnβt βbig timeβ enough to stage one of the worldβs leading golf events. But when the PGA Tour last week moved the WGC-Cadillac Championship fromΒ Donald Trumpβs Florida course, Doral, it offered a similar reason. Cadillac left as a sponsor. The PGA Tour found a new sponsor in Mexico City, and now the Doral event, part of the PGA Tour since 1962, is without a tournament. In pro golf, follow the money, not the tradition.Β
It was good to see the Phoenix Suns give former Amphi state championship guardΒ Lester MedfordΒ of Baylor a pre-draft workout last week. Medford, who completed his college career at Baylor, is likely to play overseas, joining his longtime prep rivalsΒ Terrell StoglinΒ of Santa Rita andΒ Shakir SmithΒ of Tucson High. Stoglin, who played two seasons at Maryland, completed his fourth EuroLeague season last month, averaging 28.2 points for Sagesse of Lebanon. Smith, who was an All-RMAC guard at Adams State last season after a standout stint at Pima College, has signed to play professionally in Germany.Β
Since Salpointe Catholic sophomore-to-beΒ Majok DengΒ completed his first season for the Lancers, averaging 9.5 points, he has played 32 games on the AAU circuit for the Arizona Powerhouse Hoops 15U team. Some recruiting analysts believe Deng, a 6-foot-5-inch wing player, will develop into one of the top 10 or 20 prospects in the entire Class of 2019. His AAU teamΒ is 31-1, and he is the chief attention-getter.
When ESPN last week chose to broadcast the Sept. 3 UA-BYU football opener at 7:30 p.m., it meant those driving to University of Phoenix Stadium from Tucson would return home after 1 a.m.
The late start probably means the game wonβt be sold out, or even close.
There is no appeal when ESPN sets its programming schedule.
Most UA games at Arizona Stadium generate about $1.5 million in revenue. In a typical home season, thatβs close to $9 million. By comparison, the Pac-12 distributed about $25 million in TV money to Arizona for the 2014 season.
Thatβs why ESPN calls the shots and doesnβt fret about 5,000 or 10,000 Tucsonans staying home, watching in the comfort of their living rooms.
View this profile on Instagram#ThisIsTucson π΅ (@this_is_tucson) β’ Instagram photos and videos
Most viewed stories
-
Over 40 free events happening in Tucson this December! β
-
More than 40 fun events in Tucson, December 12-14! βοΈβ¨
-
Save the date! Here's the ultimate list of Tucson holiday events π
-
20 gifts under $20 from Tucson shops! ππ
-
Cafe Maggie suddenly closes doors on Tucson's North Fourth Avenue
-
A giant guide to gifts made by Tucson makers and small businesses
-
17 festive holiday markets that support Tucson artisans
-
Satisfy your pozole craving at these 9 local places!
-
A large list of fun and festive events in December! πβοΈ
-
Get fresh bread and flaky, buttery croissants at the MSA Annex's new micro-bakery π₯