- Slug: Sports-The Sweet Spot. Runtime 11:14
- Downloadable audio here. (Note: Some web browsers may not support media download)
[Music bed under]
TSS Host: This is The Sweet Spot where we take a closer look at the week’s biggest sports stories in Arizona. I’m Benjamin Yates and welcome to our very special Thanksgiving edition.
[Music fade in/under]
HOST: On today’s show we discuss a high school women’s basketball team’s connection to the WNBA, the growth of chess tournaments in the Valley, and finally how traditional Thanksgiving foods can be compared to your favorite NFL teams.
[Music fade in/under]
Xavier Prep makes statement as it looks to make another run this season
HOST: With high school basketball getting underway last week, the Xavier Prep Gators are picking up where they left off last year. They opened the season with a statement win over Central 93-9. Cronkite News reporter Brandon Tran about the team in Phoenix.
[ Nat sound: crowd cheering, basketball shoes ]
TRAN: After falling in the semifinals to the open division champ Desert Vista back in February. The Xavier Prep Gators will look to run it back as they returned their point guard and leading scorer Dominique Nesland.
<< Dominique Nesland: “I’m really super excited to have basketball season to be back. I mean playing my last year with Xavier it’s just gonna be a really really good year, really focus, playing hard and practicing hard.” >>
Leading Xavier Prep is the Hall of Fame head coach Jennifer Gillom who played in the WNBA for seven years and coached there for three years.
<< Jennifer Gillom: “I’m just so grateful for the senior on the court right now showing such a great leadership and showing such poise. You know they played very well together. I mean four years together and I really want to see them have a successful season.” >>
TRAN: Another key senior is returning guard, Maureen Ulrich, as she’ll look to take the next step after learning from the WNBA former player.
[ Nat Sound: Dribbling basketball and passing it for a basket ]
<< Maureen Ulrich: “Well, she really helps us in practice and games because she knows what to do and she personally helps me with my shot all four years I been here and just all of my game in general.” >>
TRAN: Coach Gillom learned a lot during her playing days she hopes to share that knowledge of the game with her players.
<< Gillom: “You know consistency pays off I wanted them to learn from their experience as they had great success in the past playing together and playing together as a team and you have a lot of success.” >>
TRAN: The Xavier Gators have a doubleheader on Friday at the Scorpion Shootout invitational. They’ll face two teams from southern Arizona: Pueblo and Tucson. For Cronkite Sports in Phoenix I’m Brandon Tran reporting.
[ Nat: Clapping and team huddle. ]
Chess gets on the board, as popularity grows in Valley
HOST: One sport that is flying under the radar in Phoenix currently is chess, and while some might not consider it a sport, it has become one of the fastest growing in the Valley not just among adults, but kids as well. Alex Chenevey went down to the Chess Emporium, who hosted their Best of Phoenix tournament this weekend, to check out the scholastic chess scene.
CHENEVEY: Chess has been around for hundreds of years, but is now riding a new wave of interest after the COVID-19 pandemic. One of the businesses looking to cash in on the newfound interest is The Chess Emporium. The Chess Emporium has been around for 30 years, teaching kids all across Phoenix the game of chess and how they can use the skills they learn in chess in real life. The biggest tournament of the year this past weekend, the Best of Phoenix, drew more than 150 kids. John Simmons, the tournament director and a coach at The Chess Emporium, says having kids wanting to be competitive and play in tournaments is great.
<< John Simmons: “Yeah, the tournaments are awesome, I mean you get to see the growth in kids every single day when you teach clubs and all of that, but it’s not the same as a competitive atmosphere, right? Same thing with soccer or karate, when you go to practice, you are going to want to compete in a competitive atmosphere. So these tournaments are perfect for that, you get to see the kids’ highs, lows, how they’ve grown, how they use these concepts, where they can apply them both on the board and in real life.” >>
CHENEVEY: The tournament lasted two days with seven rounds, crowning kids and winners in multiple different sections. While some people might think chess is hard to break into, that isn’t necessarily the case, as the sport has grown, so have the amount of people that have wanted to play the game and try to be the very best they can at it. Donald Weber is a coach at The Chess Emporium.
<< Donald Weber: “People have this connotation that chess is only for smart people and things like that, and that’s not the case, it’s for everyone. It can be a hard game to master, especially, but it can be enjoyable all the same. And that sort of exposure of the game as a whole has really exploded as a whole, and I see a lot more people, especially as I’m walking around outside of The Chess Emporium, just interested in chess, having played chess, really started to get back into it as a whole.” >>
CHENEVEY: While the future of chess is bright, tournaments like these help grow the game among kids as a whole, and The Chess Emporium is aiming to keep increasing interest in the sport among the youth. For Cronkite News, I’m Alex Chenevey.
Thanksgiving is food and football, but what if football was food?
HOST: Thanksgiving is here, the time of year for friends and families to gather together and enjoy a meal at one table. It’s also the time for NFL Football. I sat down with Austin Hepola and we discussed how NFL teams can be compared to Thanksgiving dinner classics.
[ Nat sound: Holiday music laid under discussion ]
HEPOLA: Thanksgiving is truly a special time of the year. It is a time to share gratitude with family and friends, eat some delicious food; and of course watch some football.
YATES: Yeah Austin, we actually have some very interesting NFL matchups for this Thanksgiving slate. Why don’t we talk about the favorites in these Thanksgiving day matchups? So start us off with the Detroit Lions.
HEPOLA: While it may not look pretty, the sweet potato casserole has a surprising flavor and smell to it that’s just irresistible. The Detroit Lions are your sweet potato casserole for this thanksgiving. A dark horse for sure, but a contender nonetheless. It’s sweet and flavorful packed with marshmallows and sugar make this ordinary and revolting looking dish into a seasonal delight.
YATES: The Lions haven’t won a playoff game since George H.W. Bush was president.
HEPOLA: The Lions haven’t been a true contender these past few seasons. But Dan Campbell has turned this rather ragtag group of ingredients into a real contender on the field this year. And the next game being showcased on Thanksgiving is the Washington Commanders vs. the Dallas Cowboys. A classic rivalry matchup right as most of America sets their table to feast.
YATES: Cowboys may claim to be America’s team, but they’re not everyone’s favorite. Many NFL fans could be considered haters. [Missing text here] Comparable to a Green Bean casserole, while not everyone’s favorite, it does have a certain appeal that could make one believe it might taste good. As the Cowboys and casserole both continually prove to be a disappointment compared to the rest of the field. Austin there is one more matchup that takes place on Thanksgiving evening, the Seattle Seahawks vs the San Francisco 49ers. Most of America will probably be on their third or fourth plate by this game, so what comparison do you have for this NFC West showdown?
HEPOLA: A classic dish on every table at Thanksgiving are the almighty mashed potatoes. Consistently seen as one of the first food items to dig into as a favorite, due to how easy they are to make and just how good it smells. The San Francisco 49ers are your mashed potatoes- they’re consistent, and are always one of the first teams you pick to be a contender. Right now the 49ers don’t have any gravy on them, but could Brock Purdy be the gravy come playoff time? And stay on top of this loaded roster that’s been aiming for Super Bowl contention over the last couple of seasons? That wraps up the three Thanksgiving Day games. You know Ben there’s another NFC West team that’s more local to us, the Arizona Cardinals. What do you think they compare to in the matters of Thanksgiving food?
YATES: This team did not cook, they’ve not even turned on the oven. Rather than do that, they went the easier route for dinner and decided on a cheese pizza. Probably put Little Caesars on the phone and called it quits. They may be enjoying the off time, but their fan base is not excited to see how they perform going into the final stretch of the season.
HEPOLA: Wow, that’s crazy, bringing the crazy bread into this discussion.
YATES: Well, what are we doing? We haven’t even talked about the main entree yet, Austin. The turkey is the pinnacle of the holiday. The headliner of the whole event! What team would you say compares to this?
HEPOLA: Turkey is always set to be the favorite, but with one wrong move, the turkey can be seen at the bottom of the field. And the best part of the turkey of course, is the legs. The New York Jets were considered Super Bowl favorites prior to the season, but unfortunately lost the legs of Aaron Rogers, and now they’re looking to rely on Zach Wilson, or Tim Boyle, to baste this team to perfection. Or maybe they’ll just flame out in the oven.
YATES: New York Jets compared to the main dish is insane, but I cannot deny, it makes sense. But now, I want to turn to a real favorite on the plate: stuffing! The stuffing is the most experimental Thanksgiving food. Everyone has their own unique recipe for this favorite. A real contender in the field with a chance to go all the way. And while a bit of gravy could do some good, they don’t always need it. The Miami Dolphins are making way to be a contender, and may be the most intriguing team in their experimental phase. Can they get back to a healthy roster before the playoffs? Or will they fall flat and require some serious gravy assistance to get through the main course?
HEPOLA: We have discussed some real big hitters regarding main entrees, but what about some of the appetizers? I for one can never turn down a buttered dinner roll. Almost nothing beats a hot roll with butter on Thanksgiving. It’s simple, elegant, and near impossible to mess up. After a Super Bowl appearance last year, the Eagles are still the same team, if not better than before. Maybe Jalen Hurts has found some grape jelly lying around to add to these buttery fluffy mounds of dough. The entire team has been near perfect for the whole season, as they will continue to roll through the field.
YATES: Well now with dinner almost complete, it’s time for dessert. And there’s truly nothing sweeter to end a Thanksgiving meal than with pumpkin pie. A champion just about every year, this classic dessert cannot go wrong. It’s a favorite amongst the rest of the field, and with a bit of whipped cream on top, it gets even better. Nothing exemplifies this golden treat better than the defending champions themselves, the Kansas City Chiefs. Looking primed to make another run, the Chiefs are here to stay. And with a perfect topping of whipped cream, the Chiefs may have some extra motivation to go their way. That whipped cream just so happens to be Taylor Swift and her attendance improving Travis Kelce’s performance, thus aiding them into true Super Bowl contenders.
HEPOLA: Ben, I gotta tell ya, all of this Thanksgiving talk has made me really excited for the holidays.
YATES: It’s making me hungry.
HEPOLA: We here at the Sweet Spot hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving, thank you all for listening these past few months, and be sure to tune in to next week’s show as it will be our final episode of the season.
<outro music>
<<HOST OUTRO>>
HOST: This show was produced by Austin Hepola. Special thanks to Alex and Brandon for their contributions to the show. I’m your host Benjamin Yates. Happy Thanksgiving, and we’ll see you all next time, here, on the Sweet Spot!