ValleyoftheSuns.com is a Phoenix Suns basketball blog dedicated to reporting Suns news and providing fresh Suns analysis. It was founded in October 2008 and has since become the Phoenix Suns representative in ESPN’s TrueHoop Network.
We feel like ValleyoftheSuns represents the future of journalism. This proud industry is changing, and there’s room in it for more coverage than what the local paper provides with the Internet stretching far beyond the pages of a newspaper. ValleyoftheSuns aims to be part of that change by maintaining an old school journalistic approach in a new school blog environment. That means we cover every home game but we also provide postgame video interviews, advanced statistical investigations, interactive Vokle shows, podcasts, and video breakdowns, all the while incorporating social media such as Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Google Plus and developing this site into a community.
Here at ValleyoftheSuns our mission is to be part of the change as old school journalism morphs into an online format that can survive for years to come.
Author Bios:
Michael Schwartz
Michael Schwartz
Michael Schwartz (@ValleyoftheSuns) founded ValleyoftheSuns in October 2008 and is the owner/editor emeritus of the site. He previously covered the 2008 Dodgers and 2007 D-backs as an associate reporter for MLB.com, serving as a backup beat writer who produced daily notes, previews and recaps while reporting on all home games, including the playoffs. He left ValleyoftheSuns on a day-to-day basis in January 2013 to pursue graduate studies at San Diego State University, where he is working toward his MBA in sports business and editing the program’s sports MBA blog. He still writes the occasional column on franchise building issues and covers training camp in San Diego.
Schwartz, a 27-year-old Valley native, graduated from the University of Arizona in 2008 cum laude with honors with a bachelor’s degree in journalism. Schwartz worked at The Arizona Daily Wildcat for four years, spending two years covering men’s basketball and one semester as sports editor. During this time he was named one of UWIRE’s top 100 student journalists in the country, was a three-time recipient of the UA journalism department’s excellence in sports reporting award and earned a SPJ Region 11 first-place award for both sports writing (2005) and sports column writing (2007).
Top Stories
The secret behind the Phoenix Suns’ elite training staff
Your @PhoenixSuns: Breaking down barriers and embracing the digital world through social media
The Phoenix Suns’ secret weapon
‘I think we’re going to surprise everybody’
The Phoenix Suns’ bench mob drives Game 4 victory
Marcin Gortat ecstatic to face Dwight Howard after stepping out of his prodigious shadow
The collapse of a contender in 2,500 words or less
Connect with Michael on Google Plus.
Kevin Zimmerman
Kevin Zimmerman
Kevin Zimmerman (@OffensivelyFoul), the chief blogger for ValleyoftheSuns, is a recent graduate from the University of Arizona, where he received a bachelor’s degree in journalism with a minor in anthropology. Also a contributing writer and Summer 2011 intern at Dime Magazine, Zimmerman worked his way into the sports writing world as a beat writer for the Arizona Wildcats’ men’s basketball team for the Arizona Daily Wildcat. There, he was also the sports editor for two semesters and the editor-in-chief for the summer of 2010.
At the student newspaper, he won the Region 11 award for sports column writing in 2011 as voted upon by the Society of Professional Journalists. He was the recipient of the Abe Chanin Award for Excellence in Sports Journalism, given by the UA School of Journalism.
The Mesa, Ariz., native is also the blog manager for the Arizona Wildcats’ blog, Arizona Desert Swarm, and an admitted Twitter-addict. As a child he hoped his basketball game emulated Stephon Marbury’s, but it is probably closer to that of Sasha Vujacic.
Connect with Kevin on Google Plus.
Mike Schmitz
Mike Schmitz
Mike Schmitz (@Mike_Schmitz) is a 22-year-old Valley native who graduated from the University of Arizona with a marketing degree in 2012. He has been writing for ValleyoftheSuns since May 2009, focusing mainly on creating breakdown video. Schmitz also works as a video analyst for Draft Express while serving as the Assistant Video Coordinator for the D-League’s Bakersfield Jam.
During his time at Arizona, Schmitz wrote for The Arizona Daily Wildcat, covering Arizona football for two seasons and Arizona basketball for one. Schmitz was also an assistant sports editor for three semesters.
The Phoenix native spent the summer of 2012 in London, working various sporting events including the NBA’s new project, NBA House. Schmitz worked with Schwartz as an intern at Vertical Measures during the summer and winter of 2010. His video breakdowns can be found at his YouTube channel, TheMikeSchmitz. Please subscribe to his channel and like and comment on his videos.
Top Stories
What Luis Scola brings to the Phoenix Suns?
How does Michael Beasley fit with the Phoenix Suns?
How does Wesley Johnson fit with the Phoenix Suns?
Damian Lillard: from overlooked PG to lottery pick
Connect with Mike on Google Plus.
Ryan Weisert
Ryan Weisert
Ryan Weisert (@Spectavius) is an Arizona native living in exile in St. Louis. He joined ValleyoftheSuns during the height of the 2011 NBA lockout. He is the founder of the humorous blog Spectavius.com.
The 28-year old Tucson native played high school basketball for four years at St. Gregory College Prep. He graduated from the University of California, Santa Barbara in 2008.
During his time there, he was a student manager working for the men’s basketball team. He worked 1-on-1 with players, led drills in practice, and most importantly, dispensed water and towels with incredible speed and accuracy during games. He currently works as a medical researcher for Saint Louis University.
When he’s not writing about the Suns, Weisert spends his time counting the days until he and his wife can move back to the West Coast.
Connect with Ryan on Google Plus.
Dave Dulberg
Dave Dulberg
Dave Dulberg (@TheDoubleD) is a 23-year-old native Phoenician who joined ValleyoftheSuns back in August 2012.
Although Dulberg spent the majority of his childhood in Section 205 Row 10 Seat 5 of US Airways Center, over the last four years he was stuck in Laker Land, Southern California.
Dulberg is a recent graduate from the University of Southern California, with a degree in broadcast and digital journalism and a minor in sports media studies. While at USC, he spent three years writing for the Daily Trojan, serving as a men’s basketball beat writer, a feature writer and a weekly columnist. In addition to his time with USC’s daily newspaper, Dulberg spent a year writing and blogging for the USC athletic department’s digital media website.
During his four years, Dulberg also hosted a weekly two-hour talk show on the campus’ AM sports station, bringing on guests from over 250 publications (including ESPN.com, Sports Illustrated, The New York Times and Yahoo! Sports). He also served as a play-by-play broadcaster for USC football, basketball, baseball and volleyball.
When he is not writing for ValleyoftheSuns, Dulberg works as a web content writer/editor for Arizona Sports 620 KTAR, as well as a high school football reporter for the East Valley Tribune.
Connect with Dave on Google Plus.
Matt Petersen
Matt Petersen joins ValleyoftheSuns after covering Suns basketball for Fanster.com and BleacherReport.com. Matt has also covered the Arizona Cardinals, NAU Lumberjacks and GCC Gauchos during his time as a college student. He currently works as the Sports Web Editor for The Deseret News, both managing and reporting news on the Jazz, college and high school sports. Before that he was a sports reporter for three years at the Provo Daily Herald, covering BYU, UVU, University of Utah and high school sports. Highlights of his Utah career include reporting on Jimmermania and the ever-evolving scene of college football.
Matt enjoys one-on-one interviews that go beyond post-game clichés (even if it sometimes gets him into trouble). He has spent time getting to know sports figures such as Steve Nash, Grant Hill, and YouTube sensation and NBA commercial producer DJ Steve Porter. Matt was a recipient of the Salt Lake Tribune Journalism Scholarship while finishing his collegiate studies at Utah Valley University, where he served as the sports editor for the UVU Review.
James Constable
James Constable
James Constable (@James_Constable) is a 27-year-old England native who serves as ValleyoftheSuns’ webmaster and Director of Analytics and Design. James was the main impetus behind coding the new website design that was integrated during the much-ballyhooed Summer of 2010.
His efforts are focused on keeping ValleyoftheSuns’ website design up to date and working correctly and analyzing our website analytics so our readers can get the most out of the site. He also works in SEO and Internet marketing at iCrossing.
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