👋 GOOD MORNING

Happy Monday, and happy Cinco de Mayo! I hope you had a nice weekend, and that your Monday is off to a good start — let’s make it a good week! Today’s edition looks at the ongoing political debates within Arizona sports, but first, I’m looking outside the state, becuase it was a weird weekend for our friends at DNVR Sports:

The Avalanche fell in Game 7 to the Dallas Stars, blowing a two-goal third period lead in the process, while the Nuggets prevailed in their Game 7 matchup, which was also on Saturday. I’ve never experienced anything like that in sports — that must have been one of the most conflicting nights any sports fan has experienced.

Our friends at DLLS, though, ​were all smiles​.

On to the show!

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Solving the Sports Venue Conundrum in The Valley

The story is getting pretty darn old, at least for Arizona Sports fans.

Who should bear the responsibility for sporting venues in Phoenix?

The Arizona sports scene already lost the Coyotes because of an arena dispute that ultimately escalated into a team without a home, and if they’re not careful, the Diamondbacks will be next. It’s hard to believe a stadium like Chase Field is nearing a state of disrepair, until you remember that, yes, 1998 was that long ago. Bill Clinton was President. A Big Mac Meal cost between 3-5 bucks (depending on where you lived). And ‘Gettin Jiggy Wit It’ led the Billboard Top 100.

So is it any surprise Chase Field is a little rough around the edges in 2025? The problem is, no one wants to pony up to fix it.

Enter Tom Galvin, Chairman of the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors, who ​recently published an oped​ on azcentral.com outlining his desire to think outside the box to help Arizona sports thrive, such as creating a “single taxing district that owns and operates all major professional sports facilities in Arizona.”

It’s about time we see a novel idea about sports management in the fifth-most populous city in the U.S.

Galvin Determined to Win Uphill Battle in Arizona sports

It’s not difficult to understand why sports are a tough sell to taxpayers given the optics, because the general consensus sees a billionaire owner looking for a handout while laughing all the way to the bank. The most popular “compromise” revolves around a funding model in which a sales tax percentage is used from on-site purchases only, limiting the financial taxpayer impact to those who choose to visit the facility.

Even that’s sketchy, though: The Coyotes’ plan for an entertainment district was soundly voted down in 2023, and a current bill to fund renovations at the D-backs’ stadium has also started to stray from that principle in an amended version.

So, Galvin wants to think bigger. He outlined a sustainable way to support all of the professional sports teams in the area, with these highlights:

• The taxing district would be governed independently, and managed professionally.
• Funding would come from a “smart blend of user-generated revenue and public-private partnerships.”
• Model the district after the Arizona Sports and Tourism Authority, which manages State Farm Stadium in Glendale.

My Take: I mean, obviously I’m all for this, and not just because I was personally part of the fallout as the Coyotes’ saga came to its sad, frustrating end. I’d guess you like the sound of this too, given the fact that you’re reading this. I’m approaching this whole idea with a healthy dose of skepticism considering this would require our local politicians to actually work together for a change, but if Galvin is going to succeed, he could use our help, as well.

I asked him point-blank on our PHNX Hockey podcast what we could do, and his answer was a simple as it was direct: Contact your local politician and let them know this is important to you. You can email Galvin directly at ​district2@maricopa.gov​, as well, in case you wanted more information or cared to get even more involved.

I hope you do — the future of yet another professional sports team in The Valley may depend on it.

Take a Deeper Dive: Galvin visited the PHNX Hockey Podcast a few weeks ago — hear ​what he had to say​ about bringing hockey back to the desert.

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Musings From Around (and Sometimes Beyond) The Valley

Salvage The Weekend: The Diamondbacks took the final game of their series in Philly yesterday, but even that wasn’t pretty after they blew a six-run lead en route to an 11-9, 10-inning win. The victory salvaged the weekend after Arizona fell to the Phillies both Friday and Saturday, and the D-backs now open a seven-game home stand against two of the best teams in baseball: three vs. the Mets and four vs. the Dodgers.

Acing It: ASU women’s golfer Grace Summerhays was named the 2025 Big 12 Women’s Golf Scholar Athlete of the Year, stamping her legacy as one of the best golfers in program history. Summerhays maintained a 3.99 GPA while earning her communications degree in just seven semesters, and is the eighth recipient of the honor in program history.

Angst Rising: Phoenix Rising FC scored early against defending champ Colorado Springs, but failed to capitalize on any other chances throughout the game ​en route to a 1-1 draw​. An injury to Jearl Margaritha — who scored Rising FC’s lone goal of the game — is concerning, though, as the club tries to hang in the running for the playoffs early in the season.

All In The Family: Offensive lineman Keona Peat is transferring to the Wildcats, crossing enemy lines to join his brother, Koa Peat, in Tucson. The former spent two seasons with the Sun Devils, while the latter is a five-star basketball recruit that committed to Tommy Lloyd’s program in April. Phew….those family get-togethers could have been awkward!

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🧢 Tip of the Hat by Branded Bills

Make sure to tune in to find out! They’ve promised me it won’t turn out like Se7en.

…what’s in the box?

Our friends at the @sodpoodles sent us a mystery package that we will be unboxing on Monday’s episode! pic.twitter.com/v4gY53rpNs

— PHNX Diamondbacks (@PHNX_Dbacks) May 5, 2025