There’s a new game in town and it is called the Alliance of American Football.

The AAF has chosen Phoenix as one of their first markets to introduce their new brand of professional football. They will play their games at the newly renovated Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona. Yes, professional football will be back in the City of Tempe for the first time since 2005! Personally, this is something that interests me a LOT. Partly because I’m still a little bitter that professional football left the east valley so many years ago. This should be a GREAT fit for the area and for what they are trying to do with Sun Devil Stadium. We have the beautiful new stadium, the infrastructure, freeway access, restaurants, hotels, shops and anything needed to support a “community focused” institution, just like what the AAF is talking about becoming.

The new AAF team will be coached by Rick Neuheisel. Rick played football at McClintock High School and maintains very deep connections to the community. Rick is also a CBS Sports analyst and has an XM radio show. I guess it is a good time to welcome another sports analyst to coach in Tempe!

Fans / Community Key to Alliance of American Football:

If you read a press release from the AAF or watch the video below, you are sure to get the message that each of the communities where the teams will play are going to be an integral part of the organization.

There has been mention of players being chosen by region. We will see players living in the communities where they work / play. We will have players who actively give their time in their own communities. One of the goals of the league sounds like it will be to have their football players embedded in their community. The AAF wants to provide a local community feel to each team.

The AAF is partnering with the fans and is looking to locate in cities where fan engagement is high. There will even be a fan engagement bonus where players and fans will both be rewarded for engaging and interacting with one another. It will be interesting to see how they pull this off. In the digital age in which we live, there’s some very real possibilities here.

AAF Bringing New Game – Familiar Faces

Since the official announcement of the new Alliance of American Football league is very new, we certainly don’t have all of the details. So far, we hear that there will be eight teams making up the first season for the Alliance of American Football. Here’s a list of the teams currently announced and their head coaches:

Phoenix – Rick Neueisel
Salt Lake City – Dennis Erickson
Orlando – Steve Spurrier
Atlanta – Brad Childress
Memphis – Mike Singletary

We will see household names from college football, professional football players and underdogs come together to play in the Alliance of American Football.

We are hearing that the AAF wants to be a new brand of football with a new brand of professional athlete. According to the “new breed of football executives” at the Alliance, they are looking to have a streamlined football experience with more football in less time. There will be no kickoffs and there will be a 30 second play clock among other changes. They are going to bring more pure football and fewer commercials than what we are currently used to.

The first Alliance of American Football game will be live on CBS February 9th, 2019 at 8PM. Mark your calendars!

Will having the AAF play their games in Tempe be a benefit to ASU football and ASU players? This could be an interesting dynamic, as well.

The Alliance executives say they are looking to revolutionize the way employers treat employees. We have already heard talk of the AAF helping the athletes with financial education along with world class training and nutritional education. The emphasis is said to also be on making better people on and off the field. Heck, I bet they will even help educate them on the benefits of owning their own home! Of course, we are happy to help! 🙂

Here’s the official launch announcement from the Alliance. It has a LOT of details about the new league. Take a look!

The talk has been loud this past week as Ray Anderson was “rumored” to have chosen Herm Edwards as the new head football coach at ASU. As of approximately 9pm on December 3rd, 2017, the “official” announcement was made to season ticket holders and members of the public via email, social media and news channels.

Already tonight, like all week long, the reaction has been mixed. Many fans of Herm Edwards have talked about how well he should do in this type of position with a program looking to make big things happen year in and year out. The fans have been almost as vocal as the critics, as the hundreds of armchair quarterbacks are clearly smarter than Ray Anderson and Herm Edwards.

The gist of the rhetoric from the haters goes like this…

“Anderson did no due diligence.”
“The AD is Edwards’ agent for years.”
“Should have kept Todd Graham.”
“Herm Edwards hasn’t coached in 10 years”
“I’m done with ASU until they hire a good coach.”
“They should’ve tried to get”- Enter any number of people here.

By now, you’ve seen a lot of talk about Giving Tuesday. People from all walks of life come together to participate in “an international day of giving at the beginning of the Christmas and holiday season.” In my opinion, the holiday season tends to get WAY too commercialized. #GivingTuesday is a great way to focus on helping others, helping the needy, helping to make the world a better place. Lord knows we can use more kindness and more compassion.

While many choices exist for people to participate in #GivingTuesday, I would ask you to join me in supporting my friends at the Tempe Community Action Agency.

Help TCAA on Giving Tuesday:

Here’s what the TCAA Giving Tuesday Facebook page has to say about this day:

“Today is the day to become a TCAA DoGooder! Donate any amount, post a picture of you along with #GivingTuesday and #TCAADoGooder written on anything! You can donate directly from our Facebook Page! Just click the Donate button near the top of the page. Help us reach our goal of $5000 in one day!
EXCITING NEWS!!!!! A charitable donation to TCAA on #GivingTuesday (Nov. 28, 2017) will go TWICE as far thanks to a matching grant from
the Steven & Lois Mihaylo Family Foundation. On #GivingTuesday, instead of $10 providing 40 meals, your $10 gift can provide 80 meals to Tempe children, families and seniors in need.” Donate to TCAA here:

Many Ways To Help on Giving Tuesday:

Even if you can’t donate money, you may be able to donate your time or your kindness.

Check out this great example of giving back to our community from a Warner Ranch resident. This was a message from our local NextDoor community and it made my day this past weekend.

“Hello Nick,
I’ve seen your posts re: TCAA. My family and I have volunteered at their toy drive when it was at IKEA.
My son Jordan, age 21, bought 3 Amazon Fire tablets for the drive. He remembered when he was a “personal shopper” at the drive that the older kids/teens toys were the most needed.
Since you live near us, can he drop them off at your home or would you rather pick them up at our home?”

How cool is that!?!?

So, have a great day. Do some good and help some people out. Afterall, that’s never something you will regret. Happy holidays, y’all!

Fall! That wonderful time where our outdoor spaces become much more enjoyable is coming! If your fall plans include gardening, there are no shortage of events and opportunities here in Phoenix to learn more about gardening or connect with good professionals like for example the ones from tree trimming & tree removal. they will also have some wonderful fruit trees for sale so you can take to your garden and they are superb as they look great and also give you fresh fruit so have a look at the fruit trees for sale that you can find online for some great options. To get the nation gardening smarter, https://whatforme.com/ has suggested some tips across watering, lawn maintenance and weeding to help you see greater rewards from your garden.

We know mowing the lawn is already uncomfortable in its own right, however, noise protection is important, but so is comfort, that is why you will require to use ear protection for lawn mowing, you need a choice that can brave the elements and survive the sun, the sweat, and occasional moisture.

Many ask themselves, What can they do to protect their vegetable garden from animals? Over the years, gardeners have used many different methods. Different things work for different animals and plants however, so determining the protection methods that work for your vegetable garden might mean a bit of trial and error. This process is easier when you get help from tree doctor to design your new garden on your property.

Mario Lazano, a wildlife control specialist in Naperville recently assisted in educating an apartment complex on the dangers of bats and safe practices when encountering a bat in the home after a rise in bats being found in units. See link for more information on wildlife control Naperville – dupageanimalremoval.com.

Share seeds and seed starts! 
Chandler’s Sunset Library is hosting a FREE seed swap!
Come share seeds and seed starts. Meet fellow local gardeners and share tips.

When: August 30th from 6pm – 7:30pm
Where: Chandler’s Sunset Library, 4930 W. Ray Road, Chandler AZ 85226
Cost: Free. All are welcome! You do not need to bring seeds to participate.

Learn about local seeds!
Great American Seed Up

This is a local seed saving festival. Farmers and gardeners from all over the Southwest will gather to learn about local seeds and the process of collecting, gathering and growing them in plant shelving stands.
When: Friday September 22 from 5-9pm
and
Saturday September 23 from 10-2pm
Where: Uptown Farmer’s Market and North Phoenix Baptist Church 5757 N Central Phoenix 85012
Cost: $ 7.50 Check here for more information and tickets.

Learn about Fall Planting in Phoenix!
The Garden Goddess AKA Doreen Pollack will be teaching Grow Your Own Fall Planting Time.
This class will cover timing, what plants are best for fall and winter, tree trimming, how to plant seeds and transplants.
When: September 10th 10am-11am
Where: McDowell Market – 1736 E. McDowell Rd, Phoenix, AZ 85006
Cost: $10 Suggested donation. Tickets available via eventbrite.

Learn MORE about Fall Planting in Phoenix!
Fall Vegetable Gardening by the Desert Institute of Gardening
You can grow fresh produce in your garden in Phoenix year round. The Fall Vegetable Gardening class taught by Master Gardener Pam Perry will demonstrate the advanced techniques of how to set up your plot, get the best soil and watering systems, and how to cultivate your own vegetables for the season. One of the most helpful techniques is using an adjustable cable or chain to hang your industrial LED grow light so you can easily adjust the height as a plant grows. Having a landscape drainage contractor Naperville install a French drain can also save your landscaped garden from erosion.

When: September 14th 6pm-8pm
Where:
Maricopa County Cooperative Extension
4341 E Broadway Rd
Phoenix, AZ 85040
Cost: $20 Registration is required for this event.

Learn to cook with locally grown vegetables! 
Fall Raw Gourmet Hands On Culinary Class at The Farm South Mountain.
Learn to create a deconstructed lasagna with local veggies, raw marinara, cashew cream, and herbal pesto. Create a gourmet raw salad with fresh greens, dehydrated pumpkin seeds, and cashew herbal dressing.

When: Friday September 15 from 5pm-7pm
Where:The Farm at South Mountain – 6106 South 32nd Street, Phoenix 85042
Cost: $45 Tickets required for this event.

Celebrate Fall Gardening! 
The annual Fall Festival & Plant Sale

Enjoy food, vendors with unique garden accessories like this solar balls, trained Master Gardeners providing demos, and an extensive plant sale at this annual celebration!
When: October 28th from 8:15am to 1pm
Where: Metro Tech High School, 1900 W. Thomas Rd. Phoenix, AZ 85015
Cost: Free. No advance registration required.

Don’t have enough room for a garden? Stay tuned for my next post on our beautiful local community gardens or let us help you find a new home with with a yard for your new garden. If you would like to find a great home for your garden, give me a call. Trish Gillam 480-363-9441 or email Tricia.Gillam@gmail.com