I know it may be hard for anyone to realistically believe there’s anything better, but in the world of sports, especially the NBA, July is a hot month.

Free Agency officially begins and teams with eager GMs, and the cap space to fill, hustle and bustle around the phones as soon the clock strikes midnight on July 1. It’s a time for teams to try and push themselves over the top and become contenders (see: Lakers, Magic) and some will spend wildly(stupidly) in hopes of finding any glimmer of success they may have once had (See: Mavs).

Lets be clear, though – I am a fan of action and activity. I’d much rather see my team make a move or two, even if those moves weren’t blockbusters or game changers. (Speaking of Blockbuster, how the hell are they able to survive when NetFlix is so much better, cheaper and easier?)

Take the Suns for example. Last year was a monumental disappointment. Hopes were high, as folks around the valley felt the pairing of Amare Stoudemire and Shaq O’Neal down low would finally give the Suns the rebounding and defensive presence they’ve lacked since Luc Longley was the teams starting center. (That was a joke, btw, because we all know Luc Longley was terrible.)

But when Amare went down after having his eye ball nearly poked out, the Suns never really rebounded (ha) from his absence and failed to make the playoffs. That team had some nice pieces, and was still fun to watch, but even had they made the playoffs, they wouldn’t have made it past the Lakers in the first round.

And so the Suns made moves this off-season. They unloaded Shaq’s monstrous contract onto the Cavs, and even though they should have received more in return (see: 1st round draft pick) it was still a good idea to get him out of here. I liked Shaq more than I thought I would. He has personality, and to me, that goes a long way. I’ve never read his Twitter (and for that matter, I’ve never read anyone’s Twitter) but I hear it’s funny. But he was still a bad fit for this team, and needed to go.

The Suns also added depth along the front line by signing local product Channing Frye to a two-year deal. He’ll be a fine role player/spot starter when Amare needs his eye ball drained again. Sigh…

They actually drafted a player in the first round this year and KEPT him. I know, right? I was as surprised as anyone. Earl Clark out of Louisville seems like he’ll be a good player. Maybe not superstar type, but a good player. And there’s nothing wrong with having good players on the roster, is there? I just hope he actually plays and doesn’t just keep his seat warm (see: Alando Tucker).

They also re-signed Grant Hill and Steve Nash. And here’s where it can be a bit tricky for a Suns fan.

Hill was a good idea. Really. He was the only Suns player to have played in every game last year and he’s become a dependable defender and team leader. He needed to be back.

As much as I do like action over in-action, I just find it hard to believe Nash has three years left in him. At least not at the level we’ve become accustomed to. And Nash is certainly one of the best people in the league today, and no doubt still one of the top 5-6 point guards still playing. But the championship window for the Suns is closing – rapidly.

Some might say it’s already closed, and has been for the past 2 seasons. I’m too much of an optimist (see:idiot) to ever say their window is fully shut, but it does seem they have quite an uphill battle ahead of them.

The Lakers only became stronger, the Mavs reloaded and the Spurs poached Richard Jefferson from the Bucks for nearly nothing. I’d say the Bucks were raped, but I don’t want to be the boy who cried wolf.

But giving Nash two more years is just delaying the inevitable – the day we realize the Suns aren’t going to be good anymore. At least not for a few years. They are scraping by, at this point, trying to regain and retain what they had just 5 years ago. They are Evander Holyfield at his… 12th comeback attempt. They are your drunk Aunt at the family reunion who wants to dance but doesn’t realize her dress is tucked into her underwear – you sit back and find some sort of amusement in it, but you eventually feel bad for her because you realize people are starting to laugh at her, and not with her.

Any chance the Suns have at a playoff run fully depends on Amare. If he’s healthy and good to go, then he should be motivated – and a motivated Amare is unstoppable.

He should be motivated by people who doubt him. People who say he is not worth a max contract extension. People who say he doesn’t play enough (see: any) defense.

He should also be motivated by his current contract situation (he can opt out after this upcoming season). If he really does want a max deal, then this season should be his time to showcase what he can do – at both ends of the floor.

The Suns situation is simple – there is no way they can be worse than they were last year. And since the Jazz and Rockets are both going to be worse (see: Boozer wants out, Yao broke his gigantic foot and T-Mac is healthy again), things on Planet Orange may not be all that bad.

The State Press Magazine, cousin to the State Press daily, is a weekly publication covering art, literature, sports, entertainment and even more serious issues such as STDs and human trafficking.

For some, it’s become the alternative to the daily paper, utilizing feature writing, humor and a diverse group of writers, editors, photographers and designers. It has really taken on a voice of its own over the past few years.

Sadly, due to budgetary concerns, the magazine has made it’s way to the web – exclusively. Over the past 2 semesters, SPM was already posting content on the web devil. That was a great way for the magazine to get it’s feet wet, and begin to fiddle with web content.

Now it’s all online.

The magazine is mourning the loss of a paper version, yet is still embracing the web with its world of multimedia opportunities. Slide shows, videos, podcasts, interactive polls, blogs and other aspects of web only content that are certainly exciting and worth the effort.

As mentioned earlier, the web devil currently holds fresh content from SPM. It also has older content from past issues. Stuff you should check out.

In the (hopefully) near future, SPM will have it’s very own website (statepressmagazine.com) which will feature the same aspects of the magazine that people came to know and love (well, like, but love just sounds better). There are currently some administration access and domain name issues that are holding back the site. Maybe within the next week or so it will be up. That’s a big maybe, though.

For now, though, if you care enough to read good featuring writing and some other funny pieces, head over to the web devil and click on the SPM tab at the top.

All of us at the magazine will appreciate your interest.

This blog is pretty easy. The good people at WordPress have made everything very user-friendly, and that’s great. I wish more things in life were this easy.

Especially trying to figure out women. Jeeze.

But I digress…

In class last Wednesday we were introduced to Dreamweaver – this amazing software that allows even the dullest of dullards to create and manage a website. Will it be an elite level site? Maybe. But for first timers, odds are that it will be average, at best, but totally useable.

This is especially important for me. As Assistant Editor of the State Press Magazine and a lad who is only a few months away from graduation, having a firm grasp of uploading and managing web content is not just good to know, it’s seeming more and more vital.

Furthermore, we at SPM are launching our very own website that will hold all of our content. We said a teary goodbye last week (18th of March) in our last printed issue of the magazine. It’s half because we need to (lack of funds) and half becuase it’s just a good idea to launch a site. Most, if not all, media is heading in that direction and it’ll be nice to have something similar to what professional work with. Similar. Not exact, but just close enough.

Granted, for the past two semesters all of our content (aside from Drink of the Week, and few reviews) was available at asuwebdevil.com. A simple click on the SPM tab would lead you to all of our content from that weeks issue, dating back to issues from weeks past.

It was a nice way to reach more eyeballs and thus more readers, but it wasn’t our own site. We just sort of tagged along to the State Press daily and their site.

Having our own site will allow us much more freedom to create interactive media that readers and can partake in.

It should be fun.

So, even though we only had about two hours of Dreamweaver interaction, it was a nice way to introduce us as a class to web developement, but especially for myself. I needed that knowledge base.

Once we have our site up for the magazine, I’ll be sure to link you. I look at this as a positive (at least I’m trying to). Embracing the web and ditching paper is hard to avoid these days.

Unless of course we make some serious money. Anyone interested in investing?

Ahhh... the good ol' days.

This is Thierry Henry. He used to play for Arsenal. They sold him a few years ago to Barcelona. Lucky dogs. He was, at one time, THE elite striker in soccer. He’s faded a bit now, but he can still be a dominant player. Aresenal Manager and fellow Frenchman Arsene Wenger said he was one of the smartest footballers he had ever coached.

This is me. I have a beer in hand. Plus an award for drinking. Ironic.

At the State Press Magazine, where I make my money and kick ass, we had an awards ceremony a few semesters back. We give out real awards, like “Best Cover Story,” and “Best Feature.” We also give out gag awards that are just for fun, and a little bit of a joke on the person.

I was given the award for Most Likely To Come To A Staff Meeting Drunk. I have NO clue why they gave the award to me, but I was glad to take it. I also had a beer in my hand when I went up to accept it. Damn we have some good times at SPM.

Apparently, there is a coffee shop in Maine that opened on Monday that features, well, topless servers. There are signs that read “no cameras, no touching, cash only.” Sounds more like a strip club, but hey, a cup of coffee may not have ever been so hot.

Who wants to take a road trip to Maine? I’ll drive!

I don’t know what I like more – Karl Rove in the number one spot, or President Obama coming in 4th. How can the President not be the most influential Twitterer in D.C.?

Moving on…

Foxnews.com’s feature story is about Obama wanting to slash the budget deficit. It features a picture of him and McCain with the headline, “Tough Sell: Can 130 people solve America’s problems in 3 hrs?” You can read the full story here. It’s actually not that bad. I really like the photos that accompany the story.

And finally…

Over at worldsoccer.com, two stories stick out in particular: The first is the lead story about the upcoming Man U. vs. Liverpool match up. It features a photo of Liverpool Manager Rafa Benitez. Nothing flashy, but a good read.

The second story that I found compelling enough to read was about David Beckham – I know, I know.. I’m such an America. Becks has pretty much stated he doesn’t want to go back to the Galaxy, and yet they seem reluctant to sell him to Milan, where he had been on loan since January. He claims to be in the dark – sad, really. Check it out here.

Realistically, Beckham is a pro. He knows the drill. Some guys are sold, and some aren’t. He’s made it clear he DOES NOT want to return to Los Angeles. He feels his best chance at making the England squad for the 2010 World Cup is by playing top cometition in Italy, vs playing against the relative nobodies in the MLS.

This should have been resolved weeks ago. It’s kind of sad, really.

This was a great article I found this morning over at ESPN. And I know this blog is really intended for school assignments, but I really feel like people should read this.

It’s a great story of sportsmanship, courage and class. Read the story here.

I’m not afraid to tell you I got a little choked up while reading. Maybe it’s because I just woke up. Maybe not. I’m not a psychologist. Just read the damn thing. Please?

Over at foxnews.com, they are a little less concerned about the Obamas and more focused on Illinois Sen. Roland Burris, and his relationship with Rob Blagojevich and his brother. Burris

Sounds interesting. Sort of. It’s funny, though. The picture and headline Foxnews.com is using for the Burris story makes him look and sound guilty of something. It reads: “The ‘no one asked’ defense.” They are already painting him as a crook. But, coming from Foxnews, I’m not at all surprised.

Moving on to less political coverage and more international coverage, over at worldsoccer.com, they have a sad story about Chelsea FC owner Roman Abramovich losing nearly 9 billion dollars over the last year. His total net worth is down to 13.9 billion. It was just a year ago he was at 23.5 Billion. He’s sunk A LOT of money into Chelsea with varied results. As an Arsenal fan, this couldn’t make me more happy. I don’t know the guy, nor do I care to. But he is what is wrong with club soccer these days. Too much wild spending on players and coaches. Read about it here

On a related note, I found this amazing commercial Nike just released. It features Arsenal V. Man U, and it’s pretty damn slick. Even if you have no clue what soccer is, or who Arsenal and Man U are, your life will be dramatically better if you watch the video

Mark Hinojosa, current Director of New Media at the Detroit News, spoke to the JMC 425 Online Media class today, at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at ASU’s Downtown Campus.

Hinojosa spoke of current trends in online media, the future of news papers as a whole and specific news papers which may fold within the next year. “The paper down in Tucson… that’s pretty much dead, unless someone comes to the rescue,” he said.

Not all the news was bad, though. He did have some positive things to say to the students in that 4p.m. class. “You’re entering into the world of journalism at a very exciting time,” he said. “You guys have a lot of new technology that was foreign a few years ago.”

Part of his job at the Detroit News is to manage all the online media, and make it much more user friendly. “We really want to create a more tech-savy readership,” he said. “We’ve gone as far as sitting down with people and teching them was a mouse and a monitor is.”

One of the more radical ideas the Detroit News has incorporated is the idea of cutting back on home delivery. He said they had to choose between cutting back staff members, or keeping them employed, and finding other, more creative ways of eliminating certain costs. He wanted to keep the staff intact, and instead, focus on the home delivery.

“We’re still getting 35 percent of street sales, which is pretty good,” he said. “We’re down to only 3 days a week home delivery, but those days are very specififc. They account for 85 percent of our advertising revenue.”

He’s still excited about the future of online media – regardless of the poor economy. “We’re doing some crazy things, but we really want to make you [the reader] smarter and make your life easier,” he said.

For more information about Mark Hinojosa, vistit his web site at Mark Hinojosa

Also, visit The Detroit News to experience Hinojosa’s work at The Detroit News