Halloween is just around the corner, and it feels appropriate because we’re entering the spooky season when it comes to the Valley’s sports landscape.
There’s no telling how the spine-tingling fates of some of our most popular teams will play out from here, but we probably ought to buckle up and get ready for a chillingly frightful ride full of mystery, madness and mayhem.
From the looks of things, the Arizona Cardinals seem to be scary unpredictable, and the Phoenix Suns could be either scary good or scary mediocre. The Arizona Diamondbacks, meanwhile, are heading into a scary offseason while Arizona State football appears stuck on a scary trajectory.
As for the ASU men’s and women’s basketball programs, expect some trick or treats, but more on
them later.
Let’s measure them all, one at a time, by using our trusty Haunt-O-Meter. Here’s how they stack up on a sense of urgency scale from 1 to 5, with 1 jack-o’-lantern being not nearly so frightful and 5 jack-o’-lanterns being positively terrifying:
Arizona Cardinals (3½ jack-o’-lanterns)
To quote the late Denny Green, the Cardinals “are who we thought they were.” Or are they? Last Sunday’s 18-16 upset win at the Los Angeles Rams gives us a little pause for some reconsideration – even at 2-4.
Yes, the fan uprising is real and presumably ongoing, but the defense showed massive signs of improvement, and it feels like there’s a decent chance for that to continue Week 7 against the visiting Denver Broncos and their stagnant offense.
A lot more has to go right, though, before anyone can start thinking that the entire season can be salvageable. There is a chance for the tide to turn in a more favorable direction with now seemingly “winnable” games ahead against the Broncos and Nov. 1 at the Dallas Cowboys. Imagine the reaction should the Cardinals claw their way back to 4-4.
But there is still a fear factor here. When will we finally see the benefits of drafting running back Jeremiyah Love third overall? He has yet to make a significant impact because of ankle issues. Will edge rusher Josh Sweat eventually round into form as a sack master Arizona can trust? How long should Arizona keep riding with quarterback Jacoby Brissett, who has been average but not great? What happens to the development of rookie QB Carson Beck?
There are other serious questions, to be sure, but at least we can relax when it comes to the spooky index about the Cardinals’ mascot and their home turf. According to a recent fan survey conducted by Casino Guru, Big Red was rated as the second-to-last scariest mascot in the NFL and State Farm Stadium ranked as the least-scary place to play.
Phoenix Suns (2½ jack-o’-lanterns)
We can afford to be semi-optimistic here considering the season has just started and the Suns have added a few intriguing pieces to the puzzle in Miles Bridges, Luke Kennard and rookie local product Koa Peat from Gilbert Perry High School and the University of Arizona.
It’s only fair to let things play out for a while before we start casting any real aspersions. But let’s be honest: Are this season’s Suns really a serious contender to make any hay in the frightful Western Conference, or should they just be content with qualifying for the playoffs, even as a play-in team?
The latter is the most realistic option and yet, if second-year coach Jordan Ott can dial up the right combinations and blend an ideal on-court chemistry, finding a way to match or even improve upon last season's 45-win campaign might be entirely possible.
Things could turn ghastly, though, if Phoenix doesn’t get enough quality production out of its big men with starting center Mark Williams sidelined indefinitely following shoulder surgery. Perhaps a full season out of Jalen Green could make a difference. Establishing some consistent 3-point shooting would also be a huge plus.
To me, everything still largely depends on the Suns’ all-time leading scorer, guard Devin Booker. Hopefully, changing jersey numbers isn’t the only new element he showcases in 2026-27. Booker needs to be more aggressive on offense and not only take more shots, but finally step into the leadership role he has truly yet to assume during his lengthy Valley tenure.
Arizona Diamondbacks (4 jack-o’-lanterns)
At least they made it interesting. We can say that a lot about the Diamondbacks, though, and yet they always seem to mostly leave us unfulfilled. Despite being eliminated from the wild card race at the very end of the regular season, they kept us engaged and elevated our blood pressure.
The team deserves credit for its 47 comeback wins, which led the majors, and you can’t say enough about the overall performance of the bullpen, which featured four relievers posting a sub-3.00 ERA for the first team in a season with a minimum of 50 games pitched.
But what’s this franchise going to look like next year, assuming there even is a baseball season considering the tenuous labor situation between owners and the players’ union? There could be a work stoppage or at least a delayed start to the schedule, which would be aggravating enough.
But there are other spooky-type concerns involving the Diamondbacks, who made the decision to bring back longtime manager Torey Lovullo on a two-year extension despite just two postseason appearances in 10 seasons. Whether most of the roster stays intact or not, there’s no way of knowing if Lovullo will be able to press all the right buttons to keep Arizona in the hunt.
Just as concerning, if not more so, is the future of veteran second baseman Ketel Marte, who undoubtedly will be the focus of mass trade speculation following the conclusion of the World Series between the Milwaukee Brewers and Tampa Bay Rays. Despite this talent, Marte doesn’t seem to be worth the headaches he also brings because of some immaturity issues.
And beyond Marte's situation, GM Mike Hazen still must address his starting rotation, find more power from the left side of the plate and figure out a solution at first base.
Arizona State football (5 jack-o’-lanterns)
Don’t look now, Sun Devils supporters, but it might be time to start wondering if Kenny Dillingham’s golden crest as the school’s so-called coaching savior is about to start turning green. I’ve watched ASU’s embarrassing 53-25 loss at Texas Tech twice already and it was more stomach-churningly bad to watch a second time than catching it live on television.
We’ll see how the starting quarterback situation unfolds over time, and although the freshman recruiting class could morph into something very tangible moving forward, don’t be shocked if more ghoulishly forgettable football awaits.
The defense has been morbid. ASU couldn’t tackle a ball carrier against Texas Tech, which piled up 404 yards of offense in the first half alone. It’s probably wishful thinking to assume the Sun Devils can figure out and fix all their problems in time to keep this season relevant or even mildly interesting.
Maybe Dillingham isn’t the long-term answer, and he just got lucky during ASU’s run to the College Football Playoff quarterfinals in 2024.
Arizona State men’s basketball (4½ jack-o’-lanterns)
Welcome to the Randy Bennett era in Tempe, although judging from the massive roster upheaval, it wouldn’t be shocking if ASU’s new coach doesn’t do any better than his predecessor, Bobby Hurley, who went 17-16 in his 11th and final season with the Sun Devils.
Just two players remain from last year’s team, and the program was picked 12th in the Big 12 preseason coaches’ poll. ASU plays an exhibition game at New Mexico on Sunday, Oct. 25. It could be a long, long season.
Arizona State women’s basketball (2 jack-o’-lanterns)
Second-year coach Molly Miller guided her team into the NCAA Tournament a year ago with a record of 24-11, the Sun Devils’ first postseason appearance since 2019. She’s known for her exceptional recruiting capabilities and appears to be well on her way to developing a consistent winning program.
ASU, which set a record attendance total last season (61,695) and started out 15-0, opens the regular season against Jackson State on Nov. 2 at Desert Financial Arena and should be devilishly entertaining to watch.
Reach McManaman at bob.mcmanaman@arizonarepublic .Follow him on X, formerly Twitter: @azbobbymac and listen to him live every Tuesday at 3:30 p.m. on Roc and Manuch with Jimmy B on ESPN 620 (KTAR-AM) and every Thursday on the Doug Franz Unplugged podcast via Apple or Spotify.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: From Ketel Marte to Cardinals' stunner, it's spooky season | Opinion
