I want my …
San Jose State quarterback Matthew Faulkner threw for 3,149 yards as a senior and was named the Spartans' offensive MVP. Monday night, he started for the Stripes in the Casino del Sol College All-Star Game.
Impressive stuff, for sure. But Faulkner still isn't the most accomplished guy in his own family.
Faulkner's father, Tom, produced and performed the "I want my baby back baby back baby back" song for Chili's chain of restaurants. Tom Faulkner Productions, based in Flower Mound, Texas, is responsible for more than 500 commercial jingles. None are as um, iconic, as the ode to ribs. In 2004, Advertising Age magazine named the jingle - official name: "Chili's (Welcome to Chili's!)" - the song most likely to get stuck in your head.
In fact, we bet it's there now. Blame Faulkner's dad.
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Field of dreams
Call us dorks for getting excited about field conditions.
(OK, fine, we're dorks.)
But the Kino Stadium turf looked pretty good for its regional television debut. Pima County Stadium District crews spent all week realigning and re-lining the baseball diamond for football. The field ran west to east, from the third-base dugout to the right-field wall. The infield dirt was sodded over, though the warning track - which ran just behind the east side end zone - stayed.
The football game retained some of its baseball-inspired charm. The Tucson Padres' mascot, the Kino Bambino, walked the sidelines. And, foul-ball style, fans got to keep all footballs kicked into the stands.
Grigs!
Casino del Sol College All-Star Game officials introduced former Arizona Wildcats running back Nicolas Grigsby on the field before the game.
Strange, yes, but it made sense. Grigsby played in the game last year, when it was held in Tempe and known as the Eastham Energy All-Star Classic. He appeared in the game's advertising materials when it moved to Tucson and changed names. A shot of Grigsby running with the ball graced the cover of Monday night's game program.
Grigsby had an up-and-down rookie year in the NFL. He was signed, and then waived, by three teams: The Dolphins, Raiders and Buccaneers.
Gino!
Of the 90 players competing in Monday night's game, only Gino Crump came with a fan club. The crew hung a sign - GINO! - over the wall behind the east side end zone and cheered wildly whenever he caught a pass.
The Arizona Wildcats receiver is trying to open eyes following a breakthrough senior season. Crump, a West Virginia transfer who played junior-college ball in Phoenix, caught 65 passes for 610 yards and two touchdowns while emerging as the UA's No. 2 option behind star Juron Criner.
Crump clearly enjoyed himself at the all-star game: He played to the crowd after catching one of his two first-half passes and was part of a dust-up following a pass-interference penalty.
The big number
7,839
Attendance at Kino Stadium
T-Pads catch break
The weather has not been kind to Mike Feder.
The Tucson Padres president put on the first-ever Mexican Baseball Fiesta October, only to contend with all-time low temperatures. When he woke up on Monday, the day of the first-ever Casino del Sol College All-Star Game, it was raining.
It's enough to drive a man to drink.
"It's a good thing I don't," Feder said.
All things considered, Feder and the Padres staff had to be thrilled at Monday night's showing. About 75 percent of the green concourse-level seats were filled. The grass outfield berm was busy, if a bit more empty. Rambunctious kids spent most of the second half using the area for tag, keep-away and - yes - football games.
Ryan Finley
