mesaSteeler
01-22-2009, 10:01 PM
Not card-carrying Cardinals fan
By Dan Shaughnessy
Globe Columnist / January 18, 2009
http://www.boston.com/sports/football/articles/2009/01/18/not_card_carrying_cardinals_fan/
PHOENIX - I loathe the Arizona Cardinals.
OK, they are a feel-good story for the rest of America. They have 37-year-old quarterback Kurt Warner, who was bagging groceries before he won a Super Bowl with the Rams. They have local favorite Sean Morey (Marshfield, Brown) and humble all-world wideout Larry Fitzgerald, who is the son of a sportswriter (gotta love that). They wear great colors and went decades without a sniff of the playoffs. They play in the champion-starved desert, and haven't won an NFL title since they were the Chicago Cardinals in 1947. This is only their second winning season since 1984.
Still, I can't forgive them for what I saw in snowy Foxborough last month.
The Cardinals quit at Gillette Stadium Dec. 21 against the Patriots. They laid down like dogs. They didn't want to be there, had nothing to gain by winning, so they tanked. It was worse than Sonny Liston in Lewiston, Maine. Worse than Manny Ramírez in his final days with the Red Sox. And now, it's being rewarded.
Let me refresh your memory:
The Cardinals, who this afternoon host the NFC Championship game against the Philadelphia Eagles, lost to the Patriots, 47-7, four weeks ago today. The score doesn't come close to explaining how bad it was. If you were among those who ponied up a couple hundred for the privilege, you know.
It was 30 degrees and snowing at kickoff. With a division title assured, and no seeding at stake, the Cardinals decided to roll over. It would have been more honorable if they just stayed in the locker room and forfeited, but that isn't allowed by the NFL. So they lined up like 11 tomato cans and took their beating.
It was 21-0 with 11:29 left in the second quarter when the Cardinals finally got a first down. It was 31-0 at halftime. By the end of the third quarter, it was 44-0 and the Patriots had 470 net yards to Arizona's 45. New England scored on nine of its first 10 possessions. Try to remember, please, these are the same Cardinals who today will play for the right to go to the Super Bowl.
Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt, who seems like a fine fellow, treated the game against the Patriots like an exhibition. He lifted Warner (6 for 18, 30 yards) after two-plus quarters. He rested star wideout Anquan Boldin (shoulder) and running back/kickoff returner J.J. Arrington (knee). He also ran the ball on eight of the first nine plays, even though the pass-crazy Cardinals came into the game with the worst ground attack in the NFL. We can certainly understand keeping the ball on the ground in bad weather, but Whisenhunt said, "We would have [run the ball] regardless of the weather. We wanted to work on our run game."
It was a disgrace. The Cardinals should have been punished by Roger Goodell. The commish is always talking about the integrity of the sport. This game was not on the level. The Cardinals tanked and now are one win from the Super Bowl.
Not OK.
The Cardinals are frauds and their fans are frauds.
Super Bowl-bound? Please. This team is here only because it plays in the most ridiculous division in football (your Patriots went 4-0 against the hideous NFC West). Arizona went 9-7 in 2008, thanks to a 6-0 record in its division. The Cardinals lost three of their last five by an aggregate 130-41. That includes their Thanksgiving turkey (48-20) against these same Eagles. Arizona won exactly one regular-season game against a playoff team, beating Miami in September. The Dolphins were the sorriest NFL playoff entry - unless you count the Cardinals.
Two weeks ago, the Cardinals almost had a television blackout of their playoff opener against the Atlanta Falcons. It was the Cardinals' first postseason game in Arizona and they had to paper the house to get the sellout needed for free local TV. The Cardinals' defense stepped up against rookie quarterback Matt Ryan, and they advanced with a 30-24 win. Last week, Carolina's Jake Delhomme delivered Arizona to the NFC Championship game by fumbling once and throwing five interceptions.
Arizona has allowed only 135 rushing yards and 10 rushing first downs in two playoff games. And now the Cardinals are a heartbeat from the Super Bowl. They sold out today's game in six minutes.
University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale is where Patriot dreams came to die last February. It's hard on the eyes for Patriots fans. But it's not downright offensive, like the sight of Arizona's December quitters playing in the NFC Championship game.
Dan Shaughnessy is a Globe columnist. He can be reached at dshaughnessy@globe.com.
(I never thought I'd agree with someone from Boston. - mesa)
By Dan Shaughnessy
Globe Columnist / January 18, 2009
http://www.boston.com/sports/football/articles/2009/01/18/not_card_carrying_cardinals_fan/
PHOENIX - I loathe the Arizona Cardinals.
OK, they are a feel-good story for the rest of America. They have 37-year-old quarterback Kurt Warner, who was bagging groceries before he won a Super Bowl with the Rams. They have local favorite Sean Morey (Marshfield, Brown) and humble all-world wideout Larry Fitzgerald, who is the son of a sportswriter (gotta love that). They wear great colors and went decades without a sniff of the playoffs. They play in the champion-starved desert, and haven't won an NFL title since they were the Chicago Cardinals in 1947. This is only their second winning season since 1984.
Still, I can't forgive them for what I saw in snowy Foxborough last month.
The Cardinals quit at Gillette Stadium Dec. 21 against the Patriots. They laid down like dogs. They didn't want to be there, had nothing to gain by winning, so they tanked. It was worse than Sonny Liston in Lewiston, Maine. Worse than Manny Ramírez in his final days with the Red Sox. And now, it's being rewarded.
Let me refresh your memory:
The Cardinals, who this afternoon host the NFC Championship game against the Philadelphia Eagles, lost to the Patriots, 47-7, four weeks ago today. The score doesn't come close to explaining how bad it was. If you were among those who ponied up a couple hundred for the privilege, you know.
It was 30 degrees and snowing at kickoff. With a division title assured, and no seeding at stake, the Cardinals decided to roll over. It would have been more honorable if they just stayed in the locker room and forfeited, but that isn't allowed by the NFL. So they lined up like 11 tomato cans and took their beating.
It was 21-0 with 11:29 left in the second quarter when the Cardinals finally got a first down. It was 31-0 at halftime. By the end of the third quarter, it was 44-0 and the Patriots had 470 net yards to Arizona's 45. New England scored on nine of its first 10 possessions. Try to remember, please, these are the same Cardinals who today will play for the right to go to the Super Bowl.
Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt, who seems like a fine fellow, treated the game against the Patriots like an exhibition. He lifted Warner (6 for 18, 30 yards) after two-plus quarters. He rested star wideout Anquan Boldin (shoulder) and running back/kickoff returner J.J. Arrington (knee). He also ran the ball on eight of the first nine plays, even though the pass-crazy Cardinals came into the game with the worst ground attack in the NFL. We can certainly understand keeping the ball on the ground in bad weather, but Whisenhunt said, "We would have [run the ball] regardless of the weather. We wanted to work on our run game."
It was a disgrace. The Cardinals should have been punished by Roger Goodell. The commish is always talking about the integrity of the sport. This game was not on the level. The Cardinals tanked and now are one win from the Super Bowl.
Not OK.
The Cardinals are frauds and their fans are frauds.
Super Bowl-bound? Please. This team is here only because it plays in the most ridiculous division in football (your Patriots went 4-0 against the hideous NFC West). Arizona went 9-7 in 2008, thanks to a 6-0 record in its division. The Cardinals lost three of their last five by an aggregate 130-41. That includes their Thanksgiving turkey (48-20) against these same Eagles. Arizona won exactly one regular-season game against a playoff team, beating Miami in September. The Dolphins were the sorriest NFL playoff entry - unless you count the Cardinals.
Two weeks ago, the Cardinals almost had a television blackout of their playoff opener against the Atlanta Falcons. It was the Cardinals' first postseason game in Arizona and they had to paper the house to get the sellout needed for free local TV. The Cardinals' defense stepped up against rookie quarterback Matt Ryan, and they advanced with a 30-24 win. Last week, Carolina's Jake Delhomme delivered Arizona to the NFC Championship game by fumbling once and throwing five interceptions.
Arizona has allowed only 135 rushing yards and 10 rushing first downs in two playoff games. And now the Cardinals are a heartbeat from the Super Bowl. They sold out today's game in six minutes.
University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale is where Patriot dreams came to die last February. It's hard on the eyes for Patriots fans. But it's not downright offensive, like the sight of Arizona's December quitters playing in the NFC Championship game.
Dan Shaughnessy is a Globe columnist. He can be reached at dshaughnessy@globe.com.
(I never thought I'd agree with someone from Boston. - mesa)