Time to put on your iPads, follow Wildcats

For decades, we covered the cardinal and navy in black and white, sharing news, quotes and box scores with an inky style only a news junkie could love.

Fortunately, those days are long behind us.

Today’s 52-page college football preview section is a testament to how far we’ve come. Look no further than the in-depth stories, engaging graphics and stunning photos in Section F for an example of all we can — and should — be.

We’re not stopping there.

Late Friday, we launched the Arizona Daily Star Sports Insider magazine for iPad. The bright, bold, interactive publication is free, and subscribing is easy. Just tap the newsstand icon on your iPad screen, use the “store” function and search for the Arizona Daily Star. With a tap of a finger, you’re subscribed: A new issue will be sent to your iPad automatically before every UA football game.

The Sports Insider is a fresh way to showcase our incredible reporters, photographers and designers. Inside, Daniel Berk previews the UA’s 2014 team while breaking down UNLV, its Week 1 opponent, and tracking down former UA quarterback Adam Austin for our “Where Are They Now?” feature.

Our magazine is about great stories, whether they’re in print or via video. Columnist Greg Hansen talks about Arizona State’s copper uniforms, the UA’s role in the uniform wars and his affinity for the sage-and-silver in his video notebook. Photographer Kelly Presnell trades stills for live-action to feature Arizona Stadium’s grounds crew — make that grounds man, one guy — in a short documentary. Follow Star reporters’ Twitter feeds and blog posts with our inside pages, all of which are constantly updated so long as you have an Internet connection.

The iPad magazine is interactive. Swipe on our feature of Rich Rodriguez to see where he stands in UA football history. Flip through a slideshow of last year’s home opener to relive the feel of Arizona Stadium on game day. Log on to the magazine on game day to watch a real-time live chat involving Star staffers.

The Sports Insider magazine is the perfect complement to our daily coverage, which remains the best in Southern Arizona and the most comprehensive in the West.

Of course, I’m a tad biased. Before becoming sports editor, I spent eight years covering UA football. I poured my life into the daily routines: the practices and depth charts, the rolled ankles and verbal commitments. My twin brother, Patrick, worked here. I consider our sports reporters family. The Star’s sports coverage, to use a RichRod-ism, matters to me.

I believe our coverage reflects that. The daily sports section continues to be the go-to source for UA news. Our revamped website, Tucson.com, allows readers from around the world to live and die with the Wildcats remotely. Our videos are dripping with insight and personality, even if the host — ahem, me — has a face for radio.

The new Sports Insider magazine is a perfect companion for all UA fans, whether you’re a T-Loc with a photographic memory or an out-of-town grad who checks in every Sunday for a score. It’s colorful, cutting edge, different — and free.

So grab your iPad, subscribe and start reading. The football season is just days away.