Happy New Year’s Eve! It’s that time again where I look back on all the incredible things that the past 12 months have brought my way.

It is a privilege to work with this Sports360AZ team, full of incredible storytellers with a contagious work effort who are even better people. 2023 allowed me to do things I never thought imaginable just last year. We made our second visit to the Daytona 500 while also visiting Charlotte Motor Speedway and Las Vegas Motor Speedway en route to NASCAR Championship Weekend at Phoenix Raceway. Plus a visit to Footprint Center, calling another AIA Football Championship at Mountain America Stadium, and hanging out with the Savannah Bananas at my home ballpark in Peoria!

When Claudia Collins started our Top 5 Rewind two years ago, I knew I wanted to take part and go through my own favorite stories. Below sit my Top-5 favorite stories that I had the privilege of helping tell in 2023 along with what I think are the Top-5 stories to come from our incredible team this year. So sit back, relax, and let’s take a look back at 2023!

 

Devon’s Top-5

5. NASCAR Champion Dale Jarrett Throws Out First Pitch at D’Backs’ NASCAR Night

It’s actually pretty crazy looking back at this night. The D’Backs didn’t control their destiny in the MLB Playoff hunt, it was a late invite to see Dale hit the batting cage, and I constantly made the joke, “The last time Dale Jarrett threw out the first pitch of a Dbacks’ game, they won the World Series!” The Dbacks would end up sweeping the Giants and Dale would go 2/2 in throwing out the first pitch in a season where the Diamondbacks would make the World Series. This night was a ton of fun to see Dale take BP and hang out on the field.

 

4. Racers Relish What Could be the Final Events at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park

Another wild piece to think about was my last trip to Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park in Chandler. At the time of this piece, the track was still supposed to be leveled and gone forever. I love the drag racing community and the people in it. It’s truly a giant family in just about every form of motorsports. Now as we reach the end of the year, the drag strip is set to return in 2024 with a fresh name with a familiar sound; Firebird Motorsports Park.

 

3. The Savannah Banana Experience Infiltrates Arizona

This had to have been my favorite event of the year to visit. The Savannah Bananas know how to party and know how to make an unforgettable fan experience! I went into the game knowing that everything I make with my camera has to match the energy, wildness, and fun of a Bananas game, and I really hope that shows in the story below! It was easily my favorite piece to put together from start to finish and I’ll certainly remember this night for a long time. If you weren’t able to visit the Bananas in 2023, they make Peoria Sports Complex home again in February!

 

2. The Magic Behind Phoenix Children’s VIP Phoenix Raceway Tours with Josh Williams

Somehow, every year I am fortunate enough to tell a story that changes me. I’ve been telling the story of NASCAR Xfinity Series driver, Josh Williams and his robot hospital tours with Phoenix Children’s since the fall of 2020. But this spring, I got to really dig into how this all comes together every year. If you happened to see all the robots with patients visiting the Super Bowl back in February, that was only possible because of Josh spearheading his hospital visits.

 

1. NASCAR Championship Weekend TV Special

My biggest undertaking of the year is directing, producing, and hosting our NASCAR Championship Weekend TV Special that aired on COX Yurview this year. This is the third year of our Championship Weekend Special and it is such a gratifying experience. The wild part of making this every year is how much time and energy I invest into the tv show, just to still have four 10-12 hour work days still to go! It’s by far my favorite weekend of the year and a privilege to be able to create a show like this.

 

Devon’s Top 5 Sports360AZ Picks

5. Charlie Johnson stays on target at age 102 through archery

Possibly my favorite story of the year came from Eliav Gabay, as he tracked down Charlie Johnson, a 102-year-old who is doing things at a higher level than I’ll ever be able to do. Not only do I wish I can live life like Charlie does at 102 years old, but I can’t even imagine traveling as a competitive archer at any age! This story hits all the feels and reminds you that life is worth living!

 

4. Family, Faith & Football

A documentary multiple years in the making, Claudia Collins did an impeccable job following the journey of Dane Christensen. As most young LDS men do, Dane was set to serve his church and embark on a mission. But he also had a chance to play football at the Division I level. And on top of all of that, his mission call took him across the world. Claudia was there on day one of this wild journey and it was a joy to watch this story come together.

 

3. Jordan Spurgeon’s Diamondbacks World Series Coverage

The Diamondbacks’ trip to the World Series was an unexpected one but our Sports360AZ crew was ready to jump on top of it and handle the deep playoff run. More impressive than anything this postseason might just be Jordan Spurgeon absolutely KILLING coverage of the Dbacks nearly winning it all. Spurge did an incredible job bringing the fans into the action and following this team make their improbable championship hunt.

 

2. Sizzle: How Arizona Shaped Terrell Suggs

The best documentary I watched all year sits below. Jordan Hamm went WILD telling the story of Arizona’s football legend, Terrell Suggs. The time, blood, sweat, and tears that Jordan put into this two-part documentary is obvious and he did a masterful job putting this all together. I loved the attention to detail in this monstrous documentary and Jordan once again showed off his storytelling talents as he documents the rise of Terrell Suggs in the world of football.

 

1. 2023 National Football Foundation Valley of the Sun Chapter Awards Show

Wrapping up our list is our most gratifying content to create, the annual NFF Awards Show! It’s one of the few times all year that we bring our small team at Sports360AZ together as one and create a phenomenal show to showcase the best of the best that Arizona has to offer. It’s an honor to recognize these athletes, a privilege to help such a prestigious organization in doing so, and an absolute blast to do it with such incredible individuals on our team and at Arizona Varsity.

 

 

Another incredible year filled with incredible people and insane opportunities comes to close. I can’t wait to see how this Sports360AZ team grows and what we are able to accomplish in 2024. Happy New Years to you and yours! Can’t wait for all 2024 has in store!