Valley Sports

There seems to be an unnerving game of “chicken” being played by Kurt Warner and the Cardinals.

Both sides need each other — badly. And both want to get a deal done. But the Cardinals are betting that Warner won’t get what he’s asking for ($14.5 million per year) on the open market. Warner, as much as he wants to remain in Arizona, is testing the Cardinals’ resolve in the matter. According to the Sacramento Bee and Santa Rosa Press Democrat, Warner is heading to San Francisco sometime next week — possibly Monday — to meet with the 49ers, who have a crying need for a quarterback.

Other teams have reportedly shown interest in Warner as well.

It’s probably a lot of posturing on the part of Warner and agent Mark Bartelstein, who are hoping other suitors will drive up his price (the Cards are offering $10 million per year). After all, Warner said after the Super Bowl he would either return to the Cardinals or retire.

But if you’re the Cardinals and are willing to see who blinks first, you have to also be willing to lose such a gamble. Can they really afford to do that?

Thursday’s late-night (9 p.m. tipoff…ouch) ASU-Washington tilt will go a long way in determining the conference crown, but we must first determine who’s winning this showdown of the top two Pac-10 schools, and why.

A win by ASU puts them a half game ahead of Washington in the standings with three games left (two of which are difficult: at Washington State on Saturday afternoon and home to Cal next weekend).

A Washington victory puts them in the driver’s seat at 1 1/2 games ahead since it hasone fewer Pac-10 game to play (home to Arizona and Washington State).

Backcourt: It’s what won the first meeting between the teams, an 84-71 Huskies victory behind freshman Isaiah Thomas and Justin Dentmon, who combined for 55 points and spent all day driving through the Sun Devils defense at Wells Fargo Arena last month.

Conversely, the ASU backcourt was 7 of 30 from the field, 6 of 23 from behind the arc and might have fared worse defensively (although Thomas, Dentmon and Quincy Pondexter are good, so it was probably a combo platter). The former is possible to be repeated, but the latter (ASU shooting) seems likely to.

Frontcourt: ASU forward Jeff Pendergraph talked of the somewhat shocking developments in these two teams’ first meeting. Expecting a bloodbath against Jon Brockman (and odds are there will be one tonight), it was fairly quiet up front while the UW backcourt went ballistic. Far and away the Pac-10 active leader in career double-doubles, Brockman had 10 points and nine rebounds but wasn’t needed to do much because of Thomas and Dentmon behind him.

Pendergraph leads the nation in shooting (66.8 percent) and has scored in double figures for six consecutive games and 16 of the past 18. He was terrific against Washington last month (21 points, 15 rebounds) and has size, but not the mass and bulk of Brockman. The best ASU should hope for is to hold Brockman to his season averages (14.6 points, 11.3 rebounds) and not let him go nuts on the glass. The Huskies lead the Pac-10 in rebounding margin (+9), so to leave Pendergraph alone to get all the rebounds would be a disaster.

Randomness: Seattle’s Bank of America Arena and its 10,000 capacity seats have been sold out all week, so don’t think Washington won’t have every reason to be as rowdy as Wells Fargo Arena was last Sunday night against Arizona. The Huskies underachieved last year, and ASU went to Seattle and beat Washington, 77-63, for the first time in 11 tries. Back then, the Sun Devils made up for 18 turnovers by shooting 52 percent, 47 percent from behind the arc. James Harden (25 points), Rihards Kuksiks, Ty Abbott and Derek Glasser all scored in double figures.

This isn’t the same Washington team as 2007-2008, and the Sun Devils already know it. Washington has one loss this season at home and that was against California in triple overtime.

Prediction: Washington 74, Arizona State 68

I normally don’t pay attention to such things with three weeks still left before Selection Sunday, but I found myself surfing for mock NCAA brackets after ASU’s victory over Arizona on Sunday.

Probably the most trusted “bracketologist” is ESPN’s Joe Lunardi, who picked all 34 at-large teams correctly last year (yes, he also omitted the Sun Devils last season). This year, Lunardi has ASU listed as a No. 5 seed in the East Regional. Aside from the fact that No. 5 seeds always get upset in the first round by No. 12 seeds, that’s not all bad for the Sun Devils.

Lunardi has four other Pac-10 teams in his bracket: Washington (also a No. 5 seed), UCLA (No. 7), Arizona (No. 7) and California (No. 8). Nobody else really deserves consideration (USC is currently 16-10 overall, 7-7 in the conference).

Of course, all of this means absolutely nothing with two weeks of regular-season games plus the Pac-10 tournament remaining. But it sure beats where ASU was last year — sitting squarely on the bubble waiting to get pushed off.

Rumor has it there’s a pretty big game coming up Sunday night at Wells Fargo Arena, one involving No. 14 Arizona State and, Arizona, the hottest team in the Pac-10.

OK, apparently it’s more than a pretty big game. ASU sold out the building, all 14,000 tickets are gone.

How often does that happen?

Here’s some bits of randomness to cogitate as this huge matchup helps conclude your weekend:

– Russ Pennell has a long history with Arizona State, both as a former assistant under Rob Evans, and as one of the best radio analysts in school history (even though it was one season). He also has a good relationship with Sun Devils coach Herb Sendek.

The two crossed paths in the Bay Area during the first weekend of the Pac-10 season. The two teams were at the same hotel, one heading to California, the other to Stanford. They talked for about 10 minutes, but both sides said this week that’s about all they’ve spoken to one another during the season.

Pennell retold the story this week of telling Sendek about the prospect of becoming a Lute Olson assistant last spring, and though the rivalry is bitter and Sendek was going to have an opening on his staff when Mark Phelps left for Drake, Sendek told him to take it.

Before that, however, Sendek won Pennell over when he arrived on campus in the spring of 2006, and never said a bad word about Rob Evans or the previous ASU coaches, as is often the case when one coach inherits another’s mess.

“We know that it’s a big game for him personally being from Phoenix and coached there,” Wildcats forward Chase Budinger said. “We know deep down it’s a very important game for him.”

As for facing a Sendek team Sunday, “It’s like throwing a tennis ball against a wall,” Pennell said. “You know it’s going to come back at you all the time.”

– James Harden is working on the “playoff beard,” and though it’s not exactly Bill Walton or ZZ Top, it’s noticeably thicker the past two weeks.

“Coach wants me to trim it down a little but I told him not right now,” Harden said. “Give me a couple more weeks. We’re doing good with the beard.  It’s been growing so fast I said forget it, let it grow out.”

Jerren Shipp, Derek Glasser and Ty Abbott have tried, but they can’t pull it off.  Jeff Pendergraph can, but he already had one and plans to avoid a thicket of facial hair.

– Pendergraph, on Arizona’s resurgence the past month (or, basically, since Budinger got walked on against Houston):  “Something happened and they started turning their game up. Something woke up in them and they were tired of this and how everyone is thinking about us. Like, ‘We’re tired of ASU and tired of being where we are.’ They were at the bottom and middle, and it’s not where they’re supposed to be. Everyone’s picked their game up. The whole team.”

As we reported a couple of weeks ago, former Diamondbacks second baseman Orlando Hudson is set to join the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Several media reports Friday indicated Hudson will sign a one-year deal worth between $3 million and $3.4 million, with incentives.

Naturally, Diamondbacks’ fans will wonder why Arizona gave Felipe Lopez a similar deal (1-year, $3.5 million) when they could have had Hudson. Well, Arizona approached Hudson’s agent in December, asking if Hudson would be amenable to a one-year contract.

Hudson said no, believing he could receive a multi-year contract in free agency. The Diamondbacks, not willing to wait to see who was available in late January, then signed Lopez, believing he was the best second baseman available.

Acquiring Hudson is a huge get for the Dodgers, who also will likely sign Manny Ramirez within the next couple of weeks. Hudson is an elite premier second baseman and a leader in the clubhouse.

Seeing him in Dodger blue for the first time will sting. But don’t blame the Diamondbacks. They wanted him back.

About an hour after Thursday’s NBA trading deadline had passed, I had a short conversation with Suns general manager Steve Kerr.

“Are you finally able to catch your breath?” I asked.

“Yeah, things have calmed down,” Kerr replied.

Well, that lasted all of one afternoon.

The news that Amare Stoudemire likely will miss the rest of the regular season with a detatched retina is a devastating blow for the Suns.  With the exception of Steve Nash, no Suns player benefited more from the return to an up-tempo style than Stoudemire. It highlighted his strengths while minimizing his weaknesses.

Plus, had the Suns known just a day earlier that Stoudemire would have required surgery, they probably would have gone ahead and traded Shaquille O’Neal to Cleveland, figuring their playoff hopes were dead.

Now, they don’t have Stoudemire, they don’t have Boris Diaw, and they’re still sitting in ninth place in the Western Conference.

Could the Suns go small - using Grant Hill at power forward - and try to run teams out of the building? Perhaps. But that would further marginalize Shaquille O’Neal, who is now the only legitimate big man on the roster. And Shaq can’t play in back-to-back games, much less 40 minutes every night.

Just 24 hours ago, it looked like Phoenix might be able to make a leap in the standings. Houston’s Tracy McGrady (knee) was out for the year, San Antonio’s Manu Ginobili (ankle) was out two to three weeks, and New Orleans was trying to say welcome back to Tyson Chander after its trade with Oklahoma City was voided.

Now, the Suns look like the odd team out in the Western Conference.  They might hang in there for a week or two but, ultimately, Stoudemire’s injury will cost them a chance to make the playoffs.

Too bad Stoudemire didn’t keep those goggles on.

It’s been a rough offseason for free agents Orlando Hudson and Juan Cruz. Spring training has already begun, but the former Diamondback players have drawn very little interest on the open market, mostly because of the major league rules that compensate teams when they lose “Type A” free agents.

Any team that signs Hudson or Cruz will lose either a first- or second-round draft pick (depending on where they pick) to the D-Backs. Arizona is also awarded a “sandwich pick” between the first and second rounds from Major League Baseball as additional compensation.

Cruz and Hudson both have a lot to offer. Cruz was 4-0 with a 2.61 ERA while striking out 71 batters in 51.2 innings last year. The slick-fielding Hudson batted .305 last year before having his season cut short by injury — again.

But Cruz is considered more of a middle reliever than a back-end closer. Do you give up a first-round pick for a middle reliever? Hudson seems injury-prone and may have to settle for a one-year contract (probably with the Dodgers) due to the tough economic market. But, again, do you give up a first-round pick to rent a guy for one year?

The Diamondbacks are looking at options with Major League Baseball in which they could sign Cruz, then trade him to another team for a prospect — which would still give the D-Backs compensation but allow the other team to keep their high draft pick. The same could work for Hudson.

It seems like a sneaky way to work around the rules. Rather than get into complicated sign-and-trade scenarios, why not just allow a team that signs Cruz to offer a mid-level prospect rather than the draft pick as compensation? That way, the D-Backs also get to keep the extra “sandwich pick.” It seems so easy even Major League Baseball could figure it out.

Regardless, don’t expect the rule to exist the next time the collective bargaining agreement is up for negotiation. Players will make sure of that.

I just picked up the new Arizona State baseball media guide. These things are always loaded with interesting tidbits, but this one might take the cake: One of Arizona State’s incoming freshmen is Johnny Ruettiger.

Why does that name sound familiar? Daniel Ruettiger is the Notre Dame walk-on whose story was turned into the 1993 movie “Rudy”. Johnny is his nephew, and a pretty good baseball player. Johnny graduated from Joliet (Ill.) Catholic Academy, the same high school as his famous uncle, and batted .450 as a senior and went 11-2 on the mound.

Oh, and he played some football, too. Joliet won an Illinois state title with Ruettiger at quarterback in 2007. No mention of how many ‘Rudy’ chants he’s gotten in his career.

Well, I know where I’ll be next Wednesday: Watching Tiger Woods make his comeback from knee surgery at the Accenture Match Play championships in Marana.

What a coup for Marana and neighboring Tucson. For one day, at least, southern Arizona will be the center of the sports world. The TV ratings will be huge and the media will be in full swarm mode. I’m guessing there will be more reporters on hand for Woods’ first competitive round since the U.S. Open than there were at the NBA All-Star game.

I’m really curious as to how Woods will perform. Fellow PGA Tour member John Cook, who played three practice rounds with Woods last week, said that from what he saw, Woods will again be the game’s most dominant player the moment he steps onto the first tee.

My guess: Woods will struggle with his game and not advance to the championship match on Sunday.

I know Woods is as mentally tough as any athlete who’s ever lived. He won the U.S. Open while playing on a broken leg, for goodness sakes. But it’s been eight months since he played a round of golf that mattered. And during that time, he revamped his golf swing to put less pressure on his surgically repaired left knee.

It’s just hard to imagine given the layoff and the swing changes that Woods can pick up right where he left off.

Still, it’s good to have Tiger back. The PGA Tour was incredibly boring without him.

Well, the 1p.m. trading deadline has come and gone, and Shaquille O’Neal is still a Sun.

Several media outlets had reported that that the Suns and Cavaliers were discussing a deal in which O’Neal would go to Cleveland for Ben Wallace and Sasha Pavlovic.

From a Cleveland perspective, the deal would have been a slam dunk. A healthy O’Neal with LeBron James and Mo Williams would make the Cavaliers the odds-on favorite to win the NBA title.

The Suns, however, supposedly balked because they don’t want to take on Wallace’s $14 million contract next season.

The Cleveland Plain Dealer  said the Cavaliers were trying to get a third team involved in the deal, but nothing got done before the deadline.

It will be interesting to see how O’Neal reacts to the trade rumor. He obviously would have preferred to go to Cleveland, given the Cavaliers are a serious contender for the NBA title, while the Suns just hope to get into the playoffs. Also, Shaq and James are good friends.

Then there’s the fact O’Neal doesn’t fit the Suns’ new/old run-and-gun style, no matter how well he played against the Clippers the last two nights.

The Suns are off Thursday. You can bet O’Neal will be surrounded by reporters after Friday morning’s shootaround.