Four Months Later

It sometimes takes a while to get over disappointments.

It isn't news that the Cards finished last year with a record of 8-8. Hidden in there is the fact that they lost twice to the hapless 49ers. Turn around those two games, and the Cardinals win the division. Bottom line: it was a disappointing year. Hmmm, I wonder how many times I can use the word disappoint here?

So the new year comes. The Super Bowl makes me happy, and then the bill for the next season arrives.

I've been a season ticket holder since the Cardinals moved to Arizona in 1988. That first season, they soaked fans thanks to a huge customer base willing to pay top dollar for NFL product. I was on the sunny side of the stadium on the south goal line paying $40 per game to attend.

Next I moved to the northeast corner of the stadium at the front of the upper deck. While more reasonably priced, the view was the pits. I was happy to have my father join in the fun in 1997, and we moved back to the lower deck around the 20 yard line on the north and shaded side. When we moved into these seats, tickets again moved above $40 per game.

After an incident with a Raiders fan (she couldn't figure out how to keep her knees out of my back), we moved to the 30 yard line with backs for our seats (but still bleachers). In our last season at Sun Devil Stadium, tickets cost $61.20 per game.

We have roughly the same seats at UofP Stadium. In year 1 (not even including the facility charge), tickets were $75 each. Last year, they went up to $82.50. This year, they hit $92.50. In three short years, I've experienced a price increase of more than 50%. Dad doesn't want to buy in again. It's just too expensive. I'm not sure what to do. For this year, I've committed to buying the seats whether he comes in or not.

I want my team to be successful, but they seem to be doing their best to find my breaking point. Sadly, I think it may come sooner rather than later.

Pointless? Yep, But Still Fun

I was out of town last weekend. My daughter and I paid a visit to the Happiest Place on Earth, and oh did it make us happy. I didn't accomplish any of the shopping I wanted to do, but oh well, it was better than watching the Cardinals fall to the Saints thereby ending their postseason chances.

So now, the Falcons make their way to Arizona. Boy, what a sad story Atlanta has been this year. If I weren't so partisan for the Cardinals, I'd have enough pity to hope that the Falcons could win a game, and I do hope for that, just not this week.

The team Arizona faces is only a shadow of the team that was already inept before Bobby ditched them. If this game is anything short of a blowout, then the Cardinals have not met expectations.

Merry Christmas, Atlanta. Keep your televisions turned off.

So What's on the Horizon for Next Year?

Well, the Cardinals are not yet eliminated, but they may as well be. For them to get that final wild card spot, they would have to be a full game better than Minnesota since the Vikings have the better conference record, and with only three games remaining, that means that the Cardinals would have to win out (very much possible) combined with the Vikings losing two of their remaining three. Let's see, who do they play? Their next two games are at home against Chicago and Washington followed by a road finale in Denver. Okay, it's possible, but it sure ain't likely.

As to yesterday's dismal performance by the Red Birds, well, that game got out of hand early and just stayed that way. We all certainly understood that the Seahawks would be hard to beat in Seattle, but I still held out hope.

You know, it occurs to me that I really don't want to even think about the game. Bring on the Saints.

There IS Joy in Mudville!

It's been quite the wet weekend in the Phoenix area, so mud is on my mind. Similarly, I'm now watching a Cardinal team that is way better than people realize.

Yesterday, the Cleveland Browns came into town with everyone believing that the Cardinals would get whipped. Why, people were shocked to see that Arizona was a one point favorite and thanking Vegas for offering free money.

We know different.

Think about it. Last week, if Neil Rackers makes a 32 yard field goal, this team is 7-5, not 6-6 now. In week 1, if Eric Green just knocks that ball out of the end zone as well, this team is 8-4. And in a bigger stretch, if Rackers hits that 51 yard field goal at the end of the Washington game, this team could be 9-3! But they keep finding ways of flying under the radar.

The Browns were purported to have an awesome offense. Four turnovers can really slow down an offense, but even when they weren't turning the ball over, Arizona's defense did a fine job of holding the line. Braylon Edwards had a big game (good thing, too, because I have him on my fantasy team), but Kellen Winslow, who had been averaging 5.6 catches and 79.5 yards per game was held to three catches for 35 yards.

But Rod Hood's two interceptions (one for a touchdown), were the crowning achievement. When the game starts out with a 14-0 lead, you know things are going well (don't talk to me about the Bears being who we thought they were).

Bonus Time: If the season ended today, the Cardinals would be in the playoffs!

Okay, I'm Ready to Talk Now

Last Sunday was painful. For the first time, well, in as long as I can remember, the Cardinals were double digit favorites to win, but they didn't.

You know, people will blame Rackers for missing the late field goal, and they would be right. People might blame Barr for a poor punt that resulted in a 49ers score, and they would be right. They might blame Warner for not getting rid of the ball when his receiver was not open, and they would be right. Or maybe they will blame Whisenhunt for not getting a run off with six seconds left in the game, and they would be right.

But people probably are not blaming the special teams coverage that allowed a long return or the secondary (Rolle) that tried to make a special play but ended up allowing a special play. The fact is that this was yet another game where a whole collection of things gone wrong each could have made the difference, but they just didn't happen.

So be it.

Now, Cleveland comes to town with a very powerful offense to test this injury riddled defense. Heck, Braylon Edwards and Kellen Winslow Jr are on my fantasy team, but I still expect a victory for the home team. Why? Because I do.

Let's face it. The Cardinals are saddled with deep injuries on defense, two of them to Pro Bowlers (as Cardinals, no less), so Cleveland should be scoring early and often. Meanwhile, Q is at reduced capacity as is Warner, so any betting man would be stupid to back the Cardinals.

Just look for the word STUPID stenciled on my forehead Sunday.

I Think We Won Yesterday

I remember watching the game. It was heaven! Even when Cincinnati got on the board first with that beautiful pass, I didn't panic. Hey, the Cardinals haven't broken out to early leads as a rule.

Then, everything fell into place. I especially enjoyed the announcers pointing out that Cincinnati was preventing plays of 20 or more yards right before Warner throws a 44 yard touchdown pass to Boldin.

Just as surprising was the presence of Eric Green. I was under the impression that he would be missing in action, but his presence helped make the difference on a day when a good secondary was vital.

But the kicker was Rolle. He was everywhere, and Palmer just didn't seem to be able to keep track of him.

That said, I watched SportsCenter this morning, and by the end of the broadcast, I learned nothing about the game. Zilch. Zip. At the end Kenny Mayne made a quip about the Seahawks winning and division winners not being pictured, but apparently the Cardinal game didn't even rate that much of a mention. Nope, it was too important to devote around 20 minutes to a 56-10 blowout in the night game. It was more important to show all of the excitement in the Oakland/Minnesota game. And the Giants/Lions game may not have been able to boast an NFL record setting performance, but they did score 26 total points in the game.

Still biding my time. Maybe ESPN will deign to cover the game in Seattle next month.

Some Fear. Not too much, but some.

The Cardinals have been very good this year at home. In four contests, the team is 3-1 having beaten Seattle, Pittsburgh and Detroit, all teams with winning records. The one loss is an anomoly only in that Leinart had been put on IR earlier in the week, and Warner was injured on the second drive requiring Tim Rattay, who had been with the team less than a week, to lead the offense. In other words, it really doesn't count.

But on the road, the team is 1-4 with that only win coming against a hampered Rams team. True, slight changes in single plays against San Francisco and Washington would turn that around to 3-2 (and a bad call on an Adrian Wilson hit would have sent the Baltimore game into overtime), but the bottom line is that the team performs less impressively on the road.

Into this, we have a trip to play Cincinnati. The Bengals are having a rough year. Their offense is as potent as ever, but the defense has been suspect. This plays to an occasional strength for the Cardinals in that Arizona's offense has also been playing generally well. Unfortunately, the real difference maker for the team has been their defense, and the team is hampered right now. A cornerback (Green) down, a safety (Wilson) down, a lineman (Berry) down...if (when?) this defense steps up Sunday, you'll have a real tale of performance.

It's time for the Cards to thoroughly demoralize a team. Go Cards!

"If we're not playing, Lloyd'll call you right back..."

Just over two years ago, I happened to be browsing the Arizona Cardinals web site and came across a press release. Alltel was publicizing a store in Chandler by having Kurt Warner visit, sign autographs and record voice mail greetings for customers. Being an Alltel customer myself, I immediately dropped what I was doing to make the 80 minute drive to the store.

Ever since, I've had to warn friends and acquaintances that if they hear Kurt Warner answering on my voice mail, they should still leave a message. It makes for a great conversation as well.

I now have a pool table with a Cardinals logo on the surface, a neon light of the logo, a vanity plate on my car and other knick knacks too numerous to list, but the one people notice the most is when they get my voice mail and often remark that the voice sounds just like the real Kurt Warner.

Well, Alltel is doing it again, and has promised to provide Anquan Boldin (a previous appearance had to be cancelled) for the very same purpose. A reschedule of Q's appearance has not been announced, but in the mean time, they've announced that Darren Woodson would be at their store at Superstition Gateway East (1959 S Signal Butte Rd in Mesa) this Saturday (11/17) from Noon to 2PM. Yes, he played for the Cowboys, but he's a local guy who also helped out ASU in his college days. He's a class act, and if you're as much of a football nerd as I am, this could be fun.

Well, That Was Fun

Over the years at Sun Devil Stadium, season ticket sales for the Cardinals were pathetic. Typically, fewer than 20,000 were sold, and the stadium was mostly empty for the majority of games. With the move to the new stadium, all of the long time fans were the first to choose seats, but there just weren't that many of us. As a result, scalpers (as well as fans who buy more tickets than they need) are a significant portion of the season ticket holder pool.

In other words, entirely too many of the fans around me yesterday were fans of the Detroit Lions.

I'm typically quite polite to fans of opposing teams. I wish them well but, of course, hope they go home unhappy. Yesterday, the Lions fans were dishing big time. It's curious, of course, since Detroit boasts a history every bit as inept as the Arizona Cardinals have provided. You would think that they would be more reserved.

I heard everything. They criticized fans for wearing Vanden Bosch jerseys (okay, they were right about that one). They laughed about the fans cheering rushes of six yards (I'll take six yard runs any time), and they kept pointing out that the Lions are 6-2 while the Cards are 3-5. Hey Detroit fans, your team is 6-3 now, and here's a prediction for you: your team won't break .500 this year. Dallas will beat you, Green Bay will beat you twice, San Diego will beat you, the Giants will beat you. Detroit will be lucky to finish 8-8. Enjoy our dust.

And a big shout out to the defense. Sure there were plenty of turnovers, but every time the offense gave up a big one (save that first one), the defense answered to deflate the opposing fans.

This was a wonderful game, and the crowd was an important compenent of that. Arizona now has a significant home field advantage. When the team keeps the lid shut on the house, the noice reverberates enough to rattle opposing teams. That was nice.

And finally about the rushing. The trash talk from the seat next to me continued laughing at the Cardinals until late in the game pointing out that Edge was not breaking long runs. Hey, buddy, gaining three is six yards better than losing three. On average, the Cardinals gained only 2.6 yards per rushing play. But that's 4.8 yards per carry better than the Lions' average of -2.2.

Warner did not appear to be fantastic on the day, but check that box score at the end of the day: his passer rating was 108.4. Wow!

This is a game to savor. With tonight's matchup, the Cards will either remain a game behind division leading Seattle and be more separated from 3rd place San Francisco, or they'll be tied for the division lead in a bunched up battle. I like the outcome no matter what.

Nice playing guys. I'll be living on this for several days.

Finally Coming Home

The Arizona Cardinals have won two of three at home, and the one they lost can largely be keyed to the need to use a quarterback who had been on the roster less than a week and had not been expected to play at all. This team is ready.

So in come the newly confident 6-2 Detroit Lions. They have enjoyed victories over Oakland, Minnesota, Chicago (twice), Tampa Bay and Denver while losing to Philadelphia and Washington. I'm happy for them, and I know that all NFL competition is good. But the teams they have beaten have 19 combined wins, barely more than three a piece.

I'm not saying the Cardinals are any better. Their three victories came over teams that have 10 combined wins (though I would say that Pittsburgh is tougher competition than Detroit has faced this season).

Both of these teams are blessed with relatively light schedules. Hey, that's what the system is supposed to do. The thing is, Detroit has the advantage of having the easier part of their schedule behind them while the Cardinals have the easy portion ahead. For the rest of the season, Detroits eight opponents average better than five wins each. Arizona's opponents average just over three wins each (Detroit has 6, Cleveland has 5 and no one else has a winning record).

This really has little to do with Sunday's game, but people are always looking at trends. This will be a matchup between two teams with very different trends ahead of them. I'm just glad the game is in Arizona where my Cardinals have been very formidable.

Bandwagon In Repair Shop

PHOENIX, AZ -- The Arizona Cardinals have suffered a breakdown of sorts. Their bandwagon has been damaged and is in for repairs.

Said a source within the organization, "This thing has really taken a beating over the years, what with all the jump-ons in '98 simultaneously jumping off in '99, but this year has been unbelievably brutal." The source asked that he remain anonymous unless the team starts winning more.

This has been a remarkable season so far for locals who lack other means of transportation. The source continued, "For most years, when the local bandwagon gets deserted, the fans run to the Chicago, Denver or San Francisco rides, but they've been stalled for most of the season." Currently, the favorites among bandwagon riders appear to be the Packers and Cowboys.

Arizona's problem this year has been an unending series of starts and stops. With a new coaching staff, many had joined the bandwagon before the season started, but an opening night loss in San Francisco emptied the vehicle rapidly. When the team returned home and beat division rival Seattle the vehicle regained some of its original load.

The week three loss in Baltimore did not seriously impact the team since hope in the form of Kurt Warner in the hurry up offense seemed to make fans uncertain of the future, but a week 4 win at home over Pittsburgh brought fans on board in droves.

"I knew the bandwagon was having suspension problems, and I thought that Steelers game was going to be the straw that broke the camel's back, but she surprised me and kept tugging along."

Survival was sweet if short lived. Midway through the first quarter of the week 6 meeting against Carolina saw Warner go down to injury to join starter Matt Leinart on the bench while watching five day member of the team, Tim Rattay valiently attempt to command an offense he had just begun to study.

"It's the first time I know of where so many people jumped off all at once, and in the middle of a game at that!" With the vehicle moving at the time of the mass departure, the bandwagon spun out of control hitting a tree.

The team source indicates that a return to duty could happen as soon as this weekend but cautions that the normally calm streets of Detroit could be more treacherous than in previous years. The team is cautioning fans who wish to return to the bandwagon this week that they should wear seat belts at all times.

It's Just One Game

Yes, that's what I'll tell myself...yet again...it's just one more game.

And fortunately for me, the team looked bad while losing. The defense gave up entirely too many yards, the offensive line couldn't open holes for anyone, Fitz inexplicably stepped out of bounds without being touched, and turnovers happened left and right.

Nevermind the blown call by the official who ruled that late pass an interception: 1) he was wrong but just barely...it should have been intercepted and 2) the Bucs were not playing well enough to require the Cards the display late heroics in order to win. This game was just plain ugly.

I am a complete supporter of Kurt Warner. Still, I found myself wondering if perhaps Rattay should be managing the game while Warner's arm heals. No matter. Sunday will change things. Yes, that's the ticket. Detroit is always a pushover. What's that? They're 6-2? Boy, I feel like Sideshow Bob after stepping on a rake.

Going Down the Back Stretch!

I like how the second half of the season looks. Yes, I know, there is still one game left before the second half officially begins, but I choose to use the bye week as the divider.

I'm sure anyone who reads this knows that I'm as devoted a fan as there can be to this team. Heck, as I write this, I'm wearing an Anquan Boldin jersey (Emmitt Smith is in the wash, Leinart and my other other Boldin jersey go into the next load).

That said, I firmly believe that the Cardinals will win at least eight of their next nine games.

Okay, okay, when you've picked yourself off the ground, I'll continue.

It all starts this week with one of three remaining games against stiff opposition. Tampa Bay (and a road game at that) is not a pushover. That said, they just lost to a Jacksonville team that was minus all of their decent quarterbacks, either through cuts or injuries. The Bucs are without their best rushers, and while they have an outstanding quarterback, last week he revealed his humanity by being picked off for the first and second times this season. I see victory in the cards (pun entirely intentional...and now you can stop groaning).

Bump up that record to 4-4, and the remaining eight are: vs Detroit, at Cincinnati, vs San Francisco, vs Cleveland, at Seattle (the likely loss), at New Orleans, vs Atlanta and vs St Louis.

I'm counting 11 chickens in those eggs that I know will hatch.

I'm Okay with This...Really...I Am

So I went into the weekend expecting trouble. Certainly, I always hope for a win, but I expected Rattay to start, and I expected him to play well for what he can given his limited exposure to the offense.

And while Warner was able to play the whole game, he was clearly degraded from normal Kurt. Sure, I wish either of those interceptions could come back and make the difference. And I wish that penalty had not hit so hard to allow the Redskins to keep driving to a score. And I wish Q had just thrown the ball a little higher. And I wish the field goal attempt had been just a bit to the right.

But I have a good feeling about the rest of this year. First, there's the week to heal followed by the Bucs who are having an off year. Detroit is doing well, but the game is in Glendale. I like our chances. Cincinnati, San Francisco, Cleveland: the toughest test would be Cleveland, but again, we get that one at home. Seattle on the road is a tough spot, but finishing with New Orleans, Atlanta and St. Louis is certainly advantageous.

An 11-5 finish is very realistic. I'm sleeping well for the next two weeks.

Okay, I Can Take This

Sure, the Redskins look better on paper.

They have a quarterback who's been with the team more than 10 days, they have a team with a winning record, they're playing at home.

Okay, this week has me worried.

I'm a very positive person. If you check my picks on ESPN.com's Pigskin Pickem', you'll see that I've picked Arizona to win this week, and I don't even get the nine point spread to help me. Sadly, that confidence does not mean I'm willing to put actual money down on them.

But I'm okay with this because the schedule is workable from here on out, and next week brings a bye to get some of the team healed a bit more. Bromo please!

Still In First Place

It was just last week when I joked to a friend that Oakland was in first place in their division with a .500 record.

Hey! The Cardinals are in first place.

It was also just last week that I complained about gamblers having no respect for this team, and I stand by that comment. Kurt Warner going down on the second drive Sunday made a huge difference in the outcome of that game. Still, it was a bitter pill to take, and this Sunday's game against Washington won't make life any easier.

So here we are, going against a team that stayed right with a strong performing Green Bay team on the road, we're on the road where we often play below expectations, this all has me worrying about a disaster.

Warner keeps saying he intends to play, but I'd rather he take another week off than rush himself back before he's ready. Frankly, if it wasn't for Kurt rushing himself back too soon while with the Rams, I suspect he never would have left that team. Anquan Boldin is making like he'll be returning to the lineup this week as well, but I'm pessimistic about that too.

No, this is a week when the defense needs to step up and play as well as they did against Pittsburgh and Baltimore. Will it happen? I sure hope so. I'm hoping to avoid talking about a losing record for some time to come.

And The Respect Just Keeps On Coming...

...or does it?

First a note about last week's game. I committed a "Cardinal" sin by not watching the game as it happened. Instead of being at a television or stadium to watch the football game, I went off to Talladega for a NASCAR race. Okay, I'm not even a NASCAR fan, but my brother is, and I just wanted to see what all the hubbub is about. I can safely tell you that now, I can say I've done it, and I just don't need to do it again. I plan to write more about my trip, but that will be on my personal page over at http://lloydians-space.spaces.live.com/. No, I haven't written it yet, but it's a great story. Stay tuned.

But one part of the story involves going to the race and seeing a big yawner of an event punctuated by regular checks of the mobile web on my phone to see who was winning the Arizona/St. Louis game. Yes, while everyone around me was enthralled with a 30 car conga line, I was keeping up with the drive from the Fox Sports web site. I watched when I returned home, but knowing many of the details, the game lost a little in translation.

So, getting to the current situation, my two pennies on the Leinart situation: well, we always wanted Matt to have a season of observing and learning, and now that's not a choice: it's a requirement. Leinart is the future, Warner is the present, and I see good things for this team. Go Cards!

And that leads, of course, to the game with Carolina, a team that has been blessed with major problems at quarterback, the likes of which I would not wish on any team. When Leinart went down, the media reported that Tim Rattay and Vinnie Testaverde were being invited for a look. The local media (and fans like me) were nearly unanimous in saying we don't want to go older (Vinnie's a great quarterback, but he's older than I am, and that's not easy for an NFL player to say). As it turns out, Vinnie never even flew into town. Instead he signed with this week's opponent, and bizarre as it may be, he may even start on Sunday. I don't care how good he is, there is no way he can master a new offense in five days.

So the Cardinals are at home, their opponent has major questions at the quarterback position, and Arizona has been playing quite well lately. So why does the latest line say 4.5 points? Go ahead, football pundits, dismiss this team. Tell us how bad we are in January.

Oh, What a Traitor I Am

There is no sport I love more than football. There is no sport I love as much as football. I think if I were to rank the spectator sports, it would be football, baseball a distant second, basketball in third, hockey in fourth.

You'll notice that nowhere in that list was NASCAR. I have only watched a NASCAR race from start to finish once. Sure, I listen when they get mentioned on SportsCenter, but otherwise, I just don't care. It is in that environment that I now reveal that I'm getting on a plane Friday morning for a flight to Atlanta, and I'll be attending the two races this weekend at Talladega Superspeedway. I'm expanding my horizons.

But back to the important sport. The Cardinals travel to St. Louis to face the Rams on Sunday. You know, this is the third year that Kurt Warner has been with the team, and the Cards have been making this trip even longer, but never have I seen so much activity on the Rams bulletin boards suggesting that Arizona might actually be able to count the date as a home game. The city seems to love Warner, and amazingly, there still seem to be some Cardinals fans nearly 20 years after they last played there. Couple that with a Rams team that is beat up (I'm attributing the Frerotte start to Bulger's injury, and there's the missing Jackson), not stopping anyone, and no longer selling out their stadium.

I'm nervous, though, about Vegas finally jumping on the bandwagon. Arizona is a 3.5 point favorite on the road. I'm not saying I won't bet on them, but it was so fun when the team flew under the radar. There are still plenty of people who think beating Pittsburgh was a fluke and that the two quarterback system is a joke (I'm looking at you, Deion), but this is a team that's finally winning when they should. The only hurdle to overcome is overwhelming an opponent.

Here's hoping for an overwhelming win.

By the way, if you're a NASCAR fan, look for the huge person wearing the Boldin jersey in Alabama.

Go Cards! Oh, and go Diamondbacks!

Oh Happy Day

What a day to be a Cardinals fan!

Sure, there was some early fear when Pittsburgh jumped out to a 7-0 lead, but that was such a brief period, it hardly rates mentioning.

I've been a fan of this team ever since they moved to Arizona. Never, during that period, have I spent virtually an entire game on my feet. The crowd was charged from start to finish, and they were personally responsible for three false starts by the Steelers.

This is a Steelers team that was favored by 6 points over the Cardinals (heck, the Cards have not yet been favored this year: will a visit to St. Louis fix that?). The only people who expected this result are the Arizona fans who have seen just how good this team is.

And quarterback controversy? What quarterback controversy? Yes, the team appeared to be more productive under Warner, but the plays called for him were designed to stretch the field more. Both of them looked good.

This team has been 2-2 before, but they didn't look this good getting there. Bring on the Rams!

Bring 'Em On

I like the phrase, even though our president used it a bit irresponsibly a few years back (happy to see that he acknowledged this error, but as they say in "The Family Guy", I digest).

Over at ESPN, Chris Mortensen is picking the Cardinals. No one else is. In their Pigskin Pickem game, only two teams are picked less than Arizona (Denver, who plays in Indianapolis and Kansas City, who plays in San Diego). And in their Eliminator Challenge, Pittsburgh is the sixth most popular choice (Arizona is 4th least popular). Few are expecting a Cardinals victory.

I'm expecting one.

But then again, I'm delusional.

Still, this is a team with some of the most potent offensive weapons in the NFL. It's a team that passed at will (while Warner was in there) against Baltimore...not a defensive pushover. This is a team that is well balanced on both offense and defense (just need to lock down those special teams), and I like our chances.

Meanwhile, of course, Pittsburgh has been doing better in every category: scoring, offense, defense, wins.

Yes, we'll win.

Maybe I'll just place my bets on another game.