Arizona

Arizona museum exhibit marks end to de Kooning painting saga

Published

2 years ago

September 29, 2022

Arizona museum exhibit marks end to de Kooning painting saga

PHOENIX — After a Willem de Kooning portray price thousands and thousands was openly stolen in 1985 from an Arizona museum, the employees clung to the hope that it might flip up in the future. However no person might have predicted “Lady-Ochre” would discover its means again by means of the kindness of strangers in a neighboring state.

“I might sort of think about what would that seem like,” mentioned Olivia Miller, interim director and exhibitions curator on the College of Arizona Museum of Artwork in Tucson. “Wouldn’t it simply present up as a mysterious package deal within the mail or one thing like that? … I definitely by no means thought I’d make pals from it.”

The 1955 oil portray by the Dutch-American summary expressionist is lastly again residence and able to be proven. It will likely be the centerpiece of a complete exhibition opening Oct. 8 till Might on the College of Arizona Museum of Artwork. The entire ordeal of the theft and its return in 2017 by way of New Mexico shall be chronicled within the present. It has spent the previous two years on the Getty Museum in Los Angeles for restoration work and show. The portray shall be in the identical spot it was stolen from — however below a case.

“That’s one in every of many safety layers that it’s going to have,” Miller mentioned.

Nearly like one thing out of a heist film, the theft unfolded the morning after Thanksgiving. A person and a lady confirmed up on the museum the place solely a safety guard and college students working the entrance desk have been current, in keeping with the curator on the time.

The lady distracted the guard with small-talk whereas the person went to an upstairs gallery. He reduce the portray proper out of the body, police mentioned. The perimeters of the canvas have been nonetheless connected. The whole heist lasted quarter-hour. He left with the portray rolled up.

There was no safety digital camera system and no leads.

On the theft’s thirtieth anniversary in 2015, the museum displayed the empty body at a information convention in hopes of producing ideas.

A break within the case got here in August 2017 when David Van Auker, his accomplice Buck Burns and their pal, Rick Johnson, purchased the portray together with different objects at an property sale in Cliff, New Mexico. The trio personal Manzanita Ridge, a furnishings and vintage retailer 40 miles (64 kilometers) away in Silver Metropolis. After they introduced it again to the shop, three completely different prospects remarked the way it appeared like an actual de Kooning.

His curiosity piqued, Van Auker did a Google search. That led him to a 2015 article concerning the theft. They instantly tried to contact Miller, College of Arizona and even the FBI, he mentioned. However no person bought again to them straight away.

Van Auker grew to become terrified about safeguarding what may very well be the precise portray reportedly price $100 million.

“I sat up all night time with three weapons and the portray behind a settee,” he recalled. “I assumed any person would find yourself coming and killing us for this portray.”

He even left a voicemail for Miller making it clear that he was not curious about any reward or benefiting from the scenario. Miller discovered the voicemail endearing and desires to incorporate it within the exhibition.

“My favourite half was he says one thing alongside the strains of ‘Put this on document. I need you to have the portray again. If it’s yours, the college’s — simply come and get the portray,’” she mentioned, chuckling.

Miller and a conservator with the college made the the three-hour drive from Tucson to Silver Metropolis the following day. They discovered there have been sufficient indications to take the portray again for additional verification. A conservator deemed it an actual de Kooning.

Its return triggered an FBI probe. However the case is now thought-about closed “following an intensive investigation,” Brooke Brennan, a spokeswoman for the FBI Phoenix workplace, mentioned.

The property the portray got here from belonged to Jerry and Rita Alter. The artwork work had been hanging behind a bed room door. Family additionally found a photograph that confirmed the couple had been in Tucson on Thanksgiving Day in 1985. Jerry Alter died in 2012 and his spouse in 2017. Authorities by no means publicly known as them suspects.

Miller earlier this 12 months met with the couple’s nephew. When the story first got here out, he did not consider they might have dedicated such against the law.

“Now that the shock has worn down for him, he now can see that they might have been those who stole the portray,” Miller mentioned.

Van Auker generally imagines if the portray had fallen into completely different arms in New Mexico. The joys of taking part in a job in its return by no means fades.

He positively wouldn’t commerce the experiences of the final 5 years for any cash. His retailer’s enterprise has doubled or tripled at instances as a result of folks have been touched by their actions. He, Burns and Johnson have been hailed as heroes at occasions in Tucson and the Getty Museum. They’ve stayed pals with Miller and the remainder of the museum employees, even internet hosting them at their visitor home again in Silver Metropolis.

Not a shock contemplating what Van Auker mentioned to Miller when she left with the portray again in 2017.

“I mentioned to Olivia ‘we’re sure for all times now.’ She turned to me and mentioned ‘Yup I do know that.’”

————

Observe Terry Tang on Twitter at @ttangAP.

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Arizona

By the Numbers: Seahawks vs. Cardinals

Published

3 mins ago

November 22, 2024

Press Room

The Seahawks and Cardinals are set to do battle at Lumen Field in Seattle on Sunday. This will be the first of two meetings over a three-week span between the NFC West rivals.

What numbers and themes are relevant in this game between frequent divisional opponents?

The Seahawks have won five straight games against the Arizona Cardinals. They last lost to Arizona on November 21, 2021, in Seattle. The Seahawks held the Cardinals to just 30 total points in the teams’ two matchups last year.

That is Kyler Murray’s record as a starter against the Seahawks. He hasn’t beaten Seattle since October 2020. That includes being sacked 12 times over the last three games. The Seahawks will need to continue to pressure Murray to keep him contained. Otherwise, he can hurt them with his legs or downfield in the passing game.

That is how many points per game the Seahawks are allowing in their last two games as a defense. The defense has stepped it up after an abysmal showing against the Buffalo Bills. The Cardinals have the 13th-ranked scoring offense and 12th-ranked total offense in the NFL. If Seattle can ride this momentum on defense, they should be able to beat the Cardinals a sixth straight time.

Yards per rushing attempt by the Cardinals. That is the second-best in all the NFL. The running back tandem of James Conner and Trey Benson, alongside the lethal legs of quarterback Kyler Murray, make the Cardinals one of the most dynamic running teams in all of football. The Seahawks need to be disciplined in their run defense. If they are caught in the wrong gaps or miss tackles, the Cardinals could control the game on the ground.

Arizona’s pass rush win rate is next to last in the NFL. One of their top pass rushers has been former Seahawks first-round pick L.J. Collier. Dante Stills leads the team with 3.5 sacks. They rank 23rd in sacks as a team. Seattle’s offensive line needs to take advantage of not facing a stellar pass rush and give Geno Smith ample time to take shots downfield.

Arizona Cardinals defensive lineman L.J. Collier (91) attempts to block a pass by Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) on Sept. 15, 2024, at State Farm Stadium in Glendale. / Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Yards receiving for running back James Conner against the Jets. He is a big play threat in the passing game as well as on the ground. The defense will need to be aware of Conner’s whereabouts at all times. They cannot afford to let Conner create big plays in the passing game, as he did against the Jets two weeks ago.

The Seahawks need to set a goal of getting at least 23 first downs. The Cardinals are 0-4 when they allow their opponents to get at least 23 first downs and 6-0 when they hold teams under 23. The Seahawks have only reached 23 first downs once. Incredibly, they got 38 first downs in their loss to the Lions. Racking up first downs is a positive result of having an offense in sync and sustaining drives. The longer Seattle can sustain drives, the less chances Kyler Murray and Arizona’s offense will have to make impact plays.

The Seahawks’ record over their six home games this season. This is a shocking development after the Seahawks enjoyed one of the best home-field advantages in all of the NFL for the better part of a decade. This includes having lost four straight. Their last win at home came on September 22 against the Dolphins. This game is a big opportunity to flip the script at home after a tough stretch.

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Arizona

Best College Football Prop Bets for BYU vs. Arizona State in Week 13

Published

8 hours ago

November 22, 2024

Press Room

Best College Football Prop Bets for BYU vs. Arizona State in Week 13

In one of the biggest games of the Big 12 season, BYU travels to Tempe to face Arizona State in Week 13.

Both teams have been incredibly surprising in league play but after its first loss of the season, can BYU respond and stop a budding offense around running back Cam Skattebo? The ASU running back is in line for a big day with a plus matchup and highlights our player props for this marquee matchup.

Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook

LJ Martin UNDER 63.5 Rushing Yards

Martin has been in and out of the lineup at times this season, but he has been on a tear in Big 12 play, clearing this number in the last four games with a pair of 100-yard rushing outputs.

However, this matchup will pit the Cougars against an elite rushing defense in Arizona State, who is 25th in EPA/Rush.

While Martin is a talented back, he has benefitted from facing several easy defenses and also does share reps with the likes of Hinckley Ropati.

Given the matchup, under is my preference on the BYU running back.

Cam Skattebo OVER 89.5 Rushing Yards

After missing the Sun Devils’ Week 11 game against UCF, Skattebo returned at Kansas State to pace the ASU backfield with 73 yards on 25 carries.

Despite a depressed output, Skattebo is in line for a big output against BYU’s defense that is 78th in EPA/Rush and 75th in yards per carry. The Cougars defense gets little push up front in run blocking, ranking 99th in tackles for loss, which should allow Skattebo to plow his way forward on a heavy workload.

He has rushed for over 100 yards in three of six conference games, and should flirt with triple digits yet again.

Jordyn Tyson UNDER 90.5 Receiving Yards

Tyson continues to emerge as one of the premiere threats in the Big 12, clearing 100 yards in two of the past four games and this prop in three of them.

However, I need to go under the sophomores receiving yards prop after a career best 12-catch, 176-yard outing against a shaky Kansas State secondary. This time around, he’ll face a top 25 defense in terms of EPA/Pass and is elite at limiting big plays, 25th in explosive pass defense.

There’s a sell point on every player, and I believe we have reached it with Tyson, who can have a great game while staying under this number.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

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Arizona

EA Sports College Football 25 Simulation Of BYU/Arizona State

Published

16 hours ago

November 22, 2024

Press Room

EA Sports College Football 25 Simulation Of BYU/Arizona State

TEMPE, Ariz. – What does the EA Sports College Football 25 video game believe will happen in the BYU/Arizona State game?

We simulated the matchup to find out.

No controller was used in the simulation. The computer handled it all.

Simulating BYU/Arizona State on EA Sports College Football 25

Before firing up the simulation, I edited the depth charts for both teams based on what we could see on Saturday afternoon inside Mountain America Stadium.

#BYU vs. Arizona State sim on #CFB25 #BYUFootball pic.twitter.com/B4rkWxq3QG
— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) November 21, 2024

Brayden Keim continues to be out at right tackle, with Isaiah Jatta stepping in for him. This week, I moved Keanu Hill down to the third string, with Mata’ava Ta’ase as the No. 1 and Ray Paulo as the primary backup.

I removed wide receiver Jake Smith from Arizona State because head coach Kenny Dillingham said earlier in the week that he was “questionable to doubtful.”

EA Sports College Football 25 Sim Scores for BYU football

BYU 42, Southern Illinois 39 | Actual: BYU 41, SIU 13
SMU 49, BYU 35 | Actual: BYU 18, SMU 15
BYU 28, Wyoming 17 | Actual: BYU 34, Wyoming 14
Kansas State 35, BYU 10 | Actual: BYU 38, No. 13 Kansas State 9
BYU 30, Baylor 18 | Actual: BYU 34, Baylor 28
BYU 25, Arizona 17 (2OT) | Actual: BYU 41, Arizona 19
BYU 29, Oklahoma State 12 | Actual: BYU 38, Oklahoma State 35
UCF 21, BYU 17 | Actual: BYU 37, UCF 24
BYU 28, Utah 7 (Played against Utah Insider) | Actual: BYU 22, Utah 21
Kansas 26, BYU 20 | Actual: Kansas 17, BYU 13

First Quarter

The game opened with four three-and-outs, two from each team. It was so ugly that I wondered if the sim had a glitch and needed a reset, but we pushed on watching this brutal game.

Things started to get interesting when BYU defensive tackle John Nelson forced a fumble on ASU QB Sam Leavitt. Nelson’s defensive tackle teammate, Blake Mangelson, was there to recover the fumble. That turnover set BYU’s offense up on the ASU 17-yard line.

#BYU defense comes up with a takeaway. pic.twitter.com/TMl86Ueuao
— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) November 21, 2024

It gave Jake Retzlaff a red-zone opportunity. He immediately pounced as he connected with Darius Lassiter for a 16-yard reception. One play later, Hinckley Ropati found the endzone for a score to give BYU an early lead.

Ropati was in the game because LJ Martin was injured on the second drive.

BYU takes advantage of the turnover and comes away with a touchdown in their first red zone visit. pic.twitter.com/bHbrp4A5iv
— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) November 21, 2024

BYU muffed the snap on the extra point attempt, and ASU sacked Will Ferrin in the backfield.

BYU 6, Arizona State 0

Second Quarter

Arizona State star running back Cam Skattebo got going with a 41-yard run to put the Sun Devils into BYU territory. But BYU’s defense got a stop behind sacks from Tanner Wall and Logan Lutui.

Cam Skattebo pops off his first big run pic.twitter.com/rSA0889M5h
— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) November 21, 2024

BYU was then on the move, highlighted by a 40-yard pitch and catch from Retzlaff to WR Chase Roberts. The Cougars got down to the ASU 1-yard line again. But unlike the previous possession, BYU’s woes in the red zone flared up.

LJ Martin fumbled the ball at the goal line, and the Arizona State defense recovered it. There was no review up in the booth or a coach’s challenge.

Red Zone fumble pic.twitter.com/mqDwAJxlN7
— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) November 21, 2024

Arizona State took over from the BYU 20. The Sun Devils were held to a three-and-out and forced to punt, but the drive continued after Tanner Wall was called for a roughing the kicker penalty. That extended the drive. The Sun Devils capitalized six plays later as Sam Leavitt connected with Melquan Stovall for a 16-yard touchdown pass to put ASU in front.

BYU then responded with another offensive series with a pass-heavy attack. Retzlaff moved the team down the field and picked three third downs before stalling at the six-yard line. BYU settled for a 23-yard Ferrin field goal to go into the half with a lead.

BYU 9, Arizona State 7

Third Quarter

Between the two teams, only one possession passed the 50-yard line in the third quarter. That was BYU’s first possession. They reached the 21-yard line before allowing two sacks that put them out of field goal territory.

BYU 9, Arizona State 7

Defensive battle opens up with a big grab by Chase Roberts from Jake Retzlaff. pic.twitter.com/G4auFPZcbk
— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) November 21, 2024

Fourth Quarter

Arizona State found some success on offense at the beginning of the fourth quarter. Leavitt connected with Jordyn Tyson for a 20-yard gain on third down. Then Skattebo broke free for a 31-yard gain to get ASU down to the BYU 32-yard line.

BYU’s defense once again answered the call and got a TFL from Tyler Batty on Skattebo for a loss of six yards. ASU attempted a 55-yard field goal, but it wasn’t close.

Retzlaff and BYU’s offense then went to work and put together a scoring drive that once again stalled in the red zone. BYU got to the 20-yard line but had two straight plays for no gain. Will Ferrin finished the drive with a 37-yard field goal.

#BYU settles for a field goal.
BYU 12, ASU 7 – 4th quarter pic.twitter.com/0RQogARFHx
— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) November 21, 2024

Arizona State’s offense punted with 5:21 remaining and down by five after Jonathan Kabeya nearly picked off Leavitt on third down. They didn’t get the ball again.

BYU closes it out on the ground. pic.twitter.com/nPBYyRrv1d
— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) November 21, 2024

BYU closed out the game on the ground with Hinckley Ropati and occasional carries from LJ Martin, who returned early in the fourth after leaving in the first half. Ropati got the final first down after the two-minute timeout and BYU escaped Tempe with a 12-7 victory.

Victory formation. BYU wins a defensive battle. pic.twitter.com/Oq3kBgmSGk
— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) November 21, 2024

EA Sports College Football 25 Simulation Score: BYU 12, Arizona State 7

No. 14 BYU vs. No. 21 Arizona State

Date: Saturday, November 23, 2024

Location: Mountain America Stadium

Kickoff: 1:30 p.m. (MST)

TV: ESPN

Radio: KSL NewsRadio (102.7 FM, 1160 AM — Extended pregame begins at 11 a.m.)

Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for KSLsports.com and hosts the Cougar Tracks Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and Cougar Sports Saturday (12–3 p.m.) on KSL Newsradio. Follow Mitch’s coverage of BYU in the Big 12 Conference on X: @Mitch_Harper.

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