Hop on, I'm driving the bandwagon!
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by user Manny Stiles
Hop on, I'm driving the bandwagon!
and there's PLENTY of room!!!
Well, I finally did it...
I became an Arizona Cardinals fan!
Bought a $5 hat and all!!
You did WHAT? you ask... Yes I am now an Arizona Cardinals fan. (But I'll wait to add a Cards fanbox until they get a few W's under the belt)
NO other sports franchise has suffered more. One playoff victory since 1947 (and a victory in the now-defunct '3rd place game' in 1964.
One 9-7 season, one 8-8 season in 18 seasons in Arizona (3 winning seasons in 30 years!!!).
If the Cardinals had any fans, they could even tell Cubs fans, Indians fans, Knicks fans, ANY teams fans to quit their bitchin'. But it all changes with a shift of the logo (why don't they just change the colors to black and red?) a new stadium and an actually significant free agent signing! Now we Arizonans know they won't become the Los Angeles Cardinals (they DO keep moving west)
Sure it ruins one of my favorite Simpsons references see #12.
Sure they're the Cardinals, and still owned by the Bidwells...But look at all of the positives...
New crazy good stadium
The new stadium is the anti-Camden yards. It's a space ship, not a throwback; a nod to the future with innovations that haven't been seen in American stadiums before. This stadium will rush in a new wave of stadia and usher out the throwback era (or it will be a freekish monstrosity that will make the people of 2030 wonder what drugs we were on in 2006)
No more crazy college stadium with bench seating in the desert sun for the NFLs oldest franchise! New legitimacy in the NFL. They freekin sold out every home game!!! Now I get to watch more than the 8 road games on TV! (I did get to see that Mexico City game on TV last year, which was technically a Cards home game)
Weak division
Weak schedule, easier to make the playoffs! Recent history says that the Seahawks won't make the playoffs (Super Bowl loser), the Rams completely lack O!F and the 49ers wouldn't make the playoffs in NFL Europe. With enough blows to the head and hardcore drugs, an argument can be made that the Cards stand a chance to WIN the division!!!
QB is looking up...
Kurt Warner has won the the MVP every time he started all 16 games... when he's healthy, he is pinpoint accurate, even with his duckish spirals...pinpoint. When he's hurt or banged up...bleech! Leinart was a #1 pick a year and a half ago, remember? He's not exactly Timm Rosenbaugh. Seriously, what a nice pickup at #10. He'll be fine and even an All-Pro one day.
RB - EDGE!@!!
Who cares that the OL sucks and the Cards running game was by far the worst ever last year? Edge will make a difference. He already has. THE first SIGNIFICANT free agent signing will make the QB and the passing game even better than last year.
Kinda reminds me when the Rams picked up Marshall Faulk and all of a sudden they were a different team.
- Q. Remember who Faulk was traded for?
- A. The pick that became Edgerrin James. (key the Twilight Zone themesong)
Because of Edge, the Cards will wear black shoes (Huge +) to match that ferocious looking (berry eating Cardinal) logo. He bought a new plasma screen for the clubhouse and came in first day making his presence known blaring the boombox (Cards have been notoriously solemn in the locker room). Me think the Cards will get more than the 2 rushing TDs and 3.2 yards per carry they had last year. Uhh, Edge had over 350 more yards rushing than the entire Cards team last year.
I love that he still wears #5 in practice (Reggie Bush wasn't the first RB to petition to the NFL to wear #5... James did it when he came in the league)
WR - Is there a better tandem than Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald?
No. 'nuff said. (Stay healthy)
TE
I know very little about the TEs, but Leonard Pope is big (6'8" 260lbs) and talented but he is a rookie.
OL
One of the biggest lines just needs to become one of the healthiest and the Cards will have success. Seriously, how can this line be as bad as everyone says? They were great pass blockers last year, Edge will make them seem like great run blockers too...
Defense
The Cards defense has always been overlooked because the fact is, no matter how good they've been in the past they've had to overcome the offense's inability to stay on the field. Past scores do not reflect their efforts fairly.
Health. Again, the Cards were BANGED up last year... It is a good young talented squad with hitters like Karlos Dansby, Adrian Wilson and Antrel Rolle.
Bertrand Berry anchors the solid D-line.
Special Teams
Scott Player has had more punting practice over the years than most, so he's good. Neil Rackers won't get the opportunities he had last year, the team will DEFINITELY be better in the RED ZONE (wait until you see the RED ZONE signs in the new stadium; they couldn't come up with ANYTHING better?) but he's still money!
Coach
If you don't think Dennis Green has added an air of legitimacy to this franchise, try and name the last 5 Cardinals coaches... I thought so.
Prognostication
ok, I'll say it! PLAYOFFS!!!!!!
9-7, 10-6, 11-5... I DON'T CARE as long as it's better than 8-8!!! I hurt myself jumping on the bandwagon last year (which was a total debacle), but I think THIS is the year they turn the corner... if the Buccaneers, Seahawks and Bengals can rise from the NFL doldrums, why not the Cardinals???
- Last five coaches (all good Off or Def coaches, not good head coaches) - Dave McGinnis, Vince Tobin, Buddy Ryan, Joe Bugel, Gene Stallings - Where's the O!F?
- by the way... Even though the name doesn't seem like it fits, YES there are actually real, live cardinals here in the Sonoran desert. They're not abundant, but I've seen several of the little berry and seed eaters.
Date
Fri 08/18/06, 7:02 am EST
