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Paul Daugherty
Enquirer columnist files news and observations

Paul Daugherty
Paul Daugherty has been an Enquirer sports columnist since 1994 and has been chronicling Cincinnati sports since 1988. He has covered almost every major sporting event in America, as well as five Summer Olympics. Along the way, he has been named one of the country's top-5 sports columnists four times, and Ohio columnist of the year on seven different occasions. Last year, he was voted 2nd-best sports columnist in the country, by the Associated Press Sports Editors.

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Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Nowhere

OK, I'm sure Arizona is a wonderful state. In fact, I've been all over it, from Tucson to Sedona, Flagstaff to Bisbee, Superstition Mtns, Saguaro National Park etc. Also, spent many days around Phoenix. So I'm not entirely ignorant of the place. So I say this with confidence:

Downtown Phoenix makes downtown Cincinnati look like the Vegas Strip.

True Story: I spent at least half an hour walking around downtown this morning, looking for a place I could buy toothpaste and a disposable razor.The hotel had them, but I'm cheap and I felt like exploring.

Surely, there would be a CVS, Walgreen's, whatever they call UDF out here. Not one. Not one decent sports bar outside of Majerle's, not one place where you might hear some music, not one sign of life outside the hotels and office towers. For a place allgedly booming, the core is absolutely dead. Comparing vibrant DC last week with Phoenix is like comparing Caesar's Rome with Yogi Bear's Jellystone Park.

There's more: Lacking a car, I checked out the central bus terminal. I wanted to go to Scottsdale, which at least has a pulse, and Goodyear, the Reds future spring home, maybe, probably, we'll see. The ride to Scottsdale, about 20m by car, takes an hour by 2 buses. As for Goodyear, the lady behind the counter said there was no definite place to go there.

"Where you wanna go?''

"I dunno.City Hall would be good.''

She says she has no idea even if Goodyear has a city hall, and if does, she wouldnt know a bus that went close.

Welcome, Cincinnati Reds. Yikes.


17 Comments:

at 3:02 PM Anonymous Anonymous said...

There's hope that with all the construction going on downtown (convention center, several hotels, residential high-rises, light rail) that there will finally be a pulse in Downtown Phoenix (I currently live here, but born/raised in Cincinnati, hell, even Lebanon has more going on than Downtown Phoenix). As sad as it sounds, Downtown Phoenix is much better off than it was five years ago.

Regarding Goodyear, let me put it this way: Goodyear is to Phoenix as West Chester is to Cincinnati.

Check out Tempe if you want nightlife (albeit corporate bars), if you've never been there before. Mill Avenue is the closest thing we have to Calhoun Street in Cincinnati or High Street in Columbus.

Also, I don't know if you've been there or have heard about it, but check out Alice Cooper'stown on Jackson south of the U.S. Airways Center. Not a bad sports bar, probably a little cheaper than Marjeles, and some good rock-and-roll memorabilia hangs on the walls. The food's not bad, and Cooper himself sometimes makes surprise appearances.

As for the UDF equivalent in Phoenix, try Circle K. There's one on almost every streetcorner in Phoenix, and sometimes, there's even two across the street from each other.

 
at 4:02 PM Anonymous Anonymous said...

So true, Doc.

I was out there in early 2003 to watch the buckeyes win the title. That whole town was dead - and that's with a national title there.

I can't imagine a random day out there. And it's just so quiet.

You're right.

But, I'm fine with the Reds training there. No need to worry about players getting kicked out of bars and nightclubs.

 
at 4:36 PM Anonymous Anonymous said...

And to think, when I was in the state several years ago I loved it. So much so that it made me want my future home (sooner the better) to be the southwest somewhere. I am a warm weather guy, and it doesn't get much warmer and/or drier than AZ. Now, I didn't get to explore the area too much since I was there for a baseball tournament, but I still loved the atmosphere. Perhaps it was just the weather.

Doc, you've made me reconsider the area. I guess I just need to make another trip there and explore things a bit more in-depth.

I'll be sure not to forget my toothbrush and razor.

 
at 6:23 PM Anonymous Anonymous said...

Bob C didn't signup w/ Goodyear for the good-of-the-fans. Aside from the money, is the facility that much better than Sarasota?It's a shame for our fans who did spring-training.
This year, the Dodgers played their last at Dodgertown in Vero Beach (at a great facility), also a sad day.
When the wheelbarrow can't keep up the incoming money, I don't understand why these guys can't just "do the right thing".

 
at 9:22 PM Blogger Scott Evans said...

Paul,

Goodyear does not have a city hall, library, and who knows what else.

As far as Bob C not doing the right thing, lets put it this way. Your current job pays you 10 dollars an hour, no benefits, and you have to purchase all the tools to perform the job,and you have to pay to park, though you have been loyal to the company for years and the boss is a long time family friend. A new company offers you $20/hour, full benifits, company tools, and occasional use of a company car. Do you stay with your friend or do you take the better deal?

 
at 10:49 PM Anonymous Anonymous said...

Paul - You need to link to that firejoemorgan site where they wrote about your column. I am sure you are secure enough that even though they disagreed with you, you would welcome their commentary. You are big enough for that, aren't you? Live large and all.

 
at 10:51 PM Blogger Bearcat Ben said...

A cautionary note for folks wanting to spend their golden years in the western U.S. There are increasingly severe water shortages. I like warm weather and don't find Arizona as obejctionable as Doc, but it is something to keep in mind.

 
at 7:20 AM Anonymous Anonymous said...

Interesting fact. Xavier's record against teams in the Sweet 16: 0-1

 
at 8:51 AM Anonymous Anonymous said...

Sounds like the team will have to concentrate on baseball if they go to Goodyear.

I'm not so sure that's a good idea. If pro baseball players do a lot of anything, it does seem that they play a lot of baseball....minimum of about 8 months out of the year.

All work and no play makes....

 
at 8:51 AM Anonymous Anonymous said...

I don't know about downtown Phoenix, but from my limited experience (about 4 trips out there), the bars in Tempe and Scottsdale were a lot of fun. Mill Street was better than anything we have here, although maybe that was just the tequila bar that I liked so much.

 
at 9:34 AM Blogger Unknown said...

Paul,

Ref the XU/WV game:

Another good reason to support XU in this game is because their team is 50% local (Cincy, Dayton, Greenfield), 60% Ohio (Columbus, Toledo), and about 80% regional if you count the players from Indianapolis.

80% of this team grew up within 90 miles of Cincinnati.

This is "us" against America. These are our own local high school kids. Our area kids are in the Sweet 16. Wouldn't it be neat if they could win the national championship??!!

That's pretty exciting when you think about it.

I'd love to see Univ of Cincy football get to that point, full of area players: I think we have the best high school football in the nation.

 
at 10:47 AM Anonymous Anonymous said...

Suburbia baby!

Phoenix is a great city, just stay away from downtown. Its absolutely dead down there.

 
at 1:09 PM Anonymous Anonymous said...

Jeese Paul, spend a few busks and rent a car!!!! Phoenix/Scottsdale is about great golf and resorts!!! Forget downtown!!!!!!

 
at 4:23 PM Blogger Cheviot Sports Authority said...

Reds spring training belongs in Florida.

 
at 4:36 PM Blogger mentalmidget said...

Obviously, nothing has changed since I returned here (Cincy) from Tempe back in '94. Downtown Phoenix has ALWAYS been dead! Just about everywhere else, Tempe, Scottsdale, Glendale, Chandler has been the places to go. Mill Street in Tempe was a blast for me back then, but I was in my late 20's then. Downtown Scottsdale, "the Wests Most Western Town" is a great place to go when I go back to visit my family.

 
at 6:44 PM Anonymous Anonymous said...

So downtown Phoenix is just like downtown Cincinnati, only Phoenix is safer?

 
at 11:17 PM Anonymous Anonymous said...

Paul, love the comments on mass transit... we need you on the bandwagon for mass transit here in Cincy!

 
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