Editor’s Note: Cactus Soup is a new regular column putting the lifestyle of UA-related sports in the reader’s hands. Here are this week’s tidbits and tweets from Tucson and beyond:
• Just weeks into the college football season, former basketball forward Fendi Onobun’s Houston football team was ranked higher — No. 12 — than most of his UA hoops teams from 2006 to 2009. Only in Fendi’s world would his Conference USA football team get more respect than his “”prestigious”” hoops program.
• The 2009 Jim Harbaugh Award for best thing to happen to Pac-10 football: Washington coach Steve Sarkisian, who has turned around another lowly pigskin program in his first year.
• Remember that time ASU had a football team?
• Arizona quarterback Matt Scott had a relatively successful weekend: His passer rating did not drop.
• Former Wildcat softball pitcher Jennie Finch said her son, Ace, wants seven siblings. “”Jennie & Casey Plus Eight””? Reality television must pay a bit more than regular-season softball.
• From my Facebook inbox: “”Jordan Hill suggested you to become a fan of Jordan Hill.””
• One week later: “”Chase Budinger suggested you to become a fan of Chase Budinger.”” BDA Sports (Hill and Budinger’s marketing company) at its finest hour.
• Men’s basketball freshman Kyryl Natyazhko will wear No. 1. The last Arizona center to pull that stunt transferred before even suiting up (see, Jeff Withey in 2008).
• From my Twitter feed: Nic Wise will kick your ass in all video games.
• At first it looked like Wise and Nic Grigsby would battle for Big Man On Campus status. But don’t overlook softball frosh Kenzie Fowler for the almost-offensive-sounding title of Big Woman On Campus.
• Kicking Butts: Women’s basketball coach Niya Butts is still one of the best hires that has yet to yield results, and now she’s taking boxing lessons at a local Tucson gym — and even throwing punches against former softball pitcher Jennifer Martinez.
• ESPN’s Andy Katz gave up trying to hide his man-crush on Oregon State head basketball coach Craig Robinson: He picked the Beavers to finish third in the Pac-10 this season.
• While he’s out: Can we get Rob Gronkowski a television show like “”Gronk vs. Wild,”” or “”Gronk vs. Food””? Over/under 5.5 Chipotle burritos.
• Story you’ll be sick of hearing this week: Traveling. The UA football team, having traveled to Iowa City and Corvallis, Ore., head back on the road to Seattle. That’s 4,686 miles total.
• Story you’ll want to read more about: former Wildcat basketball walk-on David Bagga’s book comes out at the end of the month. Finally, we’ll get some locker room access.
• Cherish this month: The NFL, playoff baseball, college football, college basketball, hockey and NBA preseason.
• Final line: Washington 27, Arizona 17.
— Bryan Roy can be reached
at media@wildcat.arizona.edu
