Bickley sucks: Same old story

[az1965]

Bickley sucks: Same old story...

Warner, Smith: Same old story
Dan Bickley
The Arizona Republic
Mar. 9, 2005 12:00 AM

For a professional football team, the Cardinals run a wonderful retirement home.

Say hello to Kurt Warner, who is toting his Super Bowl ring, his MVP trophies, his million-dollar smile and an enormous chip on his shoulder.

He will find plenty of room for all of it in Emmitt Smith's old locker. advertisement




"Of course he can (be an impact player)," owner Bill Bidwill said. "He was."

At one time, Michael Jordan could still dunk.

Look, there are many reasons Warner was simply irresistible to the Cardinals. For head coach Dennis Green, Warner represents his next great reclamation project, another kicked-to-the-curb quarterback in the mold of Randall Cunningham and Jeff George.

To the elder Bidwill, it is a priceless opportunity to tweak the Rams, offering safe haven to a shunned quarterback still immensely popular in St. Louis. For the owner, that is enough of a coup to order two scoops with dinner.

"This is a football decision," Bidwill said coyly. "And we'll leave it at that. If there's anything extra, then so be it. That's part of the game."

So is taking off the blinders once in a while.

While all of this recycled stardust and regenerated optimism are nice diversions in March, they can't cover up the cold statistics. In recent years, Warner has become a trigger-shy quarterback highly vulnerable to fumbles. He has been sacked more often than the groceries he once stocked. In the past two years, he has been dumped in favor of Marc Bulger and Eli Manning, by two organizations thinking about the future.

With a new building set to open in 2006, the Cardinals should be thinking in the same broad terms. While it's rude to interrupt the party, what is the plan if Warner has truly lost his powers quicker than Samson at Supercuts?

"I'm believing this is going to be a long-term deal," Warner said. "(The Cardinals) are ascending right now. And that's exactly what I want to do."

It is with disarming confidence, as with Emmitt, that Warner rebuffs his critics, insisting that he has been robbed of opportunity, not talent. He is so convincing, maybe a rebirth could occur in Arizona, where an athletic, young quarterback (Josh McCown) has been put on the back burner, if not discarded entirely.

After all, the Cardinals will have the wide receivers. They may field a turbo-charged defense, the kind that can make any quarterback look good.

Then there's the effect of Green, who is much better at riding written-off ponies than developing young stallions.

"It doesn't take you long to figure it out," Green said, "I operate off of opportunity, and everything Kurt has been able to do appeals to me."

In the right light, Warner is certainly appealing. He is merely one of the greatest stories in the history of sports, a humble man who never lost touch with his roots. He's so personable and nice that even McCown couldn't think of a bad thing to say about the man.

"I mean, he's such a great guy," McCown said.

For clarity, he is a great guy who was once a great player. Around here, we know the difference.

So enjoy your stay, Kurt, especially when you find out who's playing right guard. You are living proof that anything can happen with the power of belief, and it would be truly wonderful to see you holding the trophy again.

Just the same, we've seen this story before. The ending isn't so pretty.

 

[CardinalLaw]

 

[BACH]

Jesus...

What is it with this guy??

Is he afraid everybody is going to find out that he hasn't got any skills as a reporter when he can't score easy points by ripping the Cardinals.

What is he going to write when we go to the play-off this season?
- Cardinals playoff berth long overdue?
- Cardinals lucky to win the division?

 

[Osbern61]

Jesus...

What is it with this guy??

Is he afraid everybody is going to find out that he hasn't got any skills as a reporter when he can't score easy points by ripping the Cardinals.

What is he going to write when we go to the play-off this season?
- Cardinals playoff berth long overdue?
- Cardinals lucky to win the division?

Bingo! The guy is a running joke.

 

[CardShark]

Like alot of the valley media, Bickley is in love with himself. He just sucks.

 

[ThunderCard]

Then there's the effect of Green, who is much better at riding written-off ponies than developing young stallions.

How many talented players has he developed .... I guess it is not even worth arguing, because Bickley is a idiot

 

[black]

Why do I waste part of my life that I'll never get back reading this Hack?

 

[BACH]

How many talented players has he developed .... I guess it is not even worth arguing, because Bickley is a idiot

The man has a point, though. I had written off Russell Davis, Darling & Emmitt before this season, but Green did wonders with them...

But I'll admit that I missed the part that it was written off ponies like Berry, Davis and Darling that were the reason for the production from untalented young players like Dockett and Dansby...

 

[arthurracoon]

At this point, national articles might be more positive than local.

*sigh*

 

[blindseyed]

I love this guiy, he's always good for a laugh. What a great comedy writer he is. Everytime I read his 3rd grade columns, I thank GOD I wasn't born talentless and bitter.

 

[Renz]

Bickley makes some great points. Why take a chance on a 33-year-old, former two-time NFL MVP when we've got McCown, King and Navarre on the roster? Not to mention the much better options we had of the immortal Jeff Garcia and Brad Johnson.

Yep, Dickley nails another one! Same old Cards.

 

[Metcalf Rules]

I'll bet he was the kid in gym class who got snapped with towels and then hung up on a locker by his jockstrap.

 

[azdad1978]

Bickley is a hack.

 

[chickenhead]

Someone just remember to send it back to him if Warner proves him wrong. I used to more impressed with Bickley when I felt he was writing genuine criticism that eneded to be voiced. Now, he's just a poo-poo-er. What's he going to do if they have a winning season? He won't be able to write anything that doesn't sound phony.

 

[chickenhead]

And another thing. Comparing the Smith signing to this one is ridiculous. The Smith signing was a transparent grab at Cowboys fans. Smith is a couple of years older than Warner and a running back. It was pretty much the Cardinals or retirement for Smith. On the contrary, Warner is a QB that Green really wants, and didn't inherit. The upside is much greater.

 

[slanidrac16]

I live in the chicago area and I can tell you this. The reporters you have out there in the valley flat out suck.

Don't get me wrong. The reporters over here will bury a team if they are screwing up, but when a positive move is made they spread the word. When the Bears signed Muhammad you would have thought he was Jerry Rice in his prime.

Again I'll say this. The Cards deserved everything thrown at them since their time in the valley. But if you have followed this team then you KNOW this is NOT the same old Cardinals. You KNOW that they are making strides and very logical moves.

Logical moves don't always work out, i.e. Andre Wadsworth. It just seems that no matter what the Cardinals do nowadays it's just not good enough.

Is Warner the end all of the Cards shortcomings? Of coarse not. Is there a risk with signing him? Absolutely. Will he lead us to the playoffs? Not without a few more pieces like a premier running back. But we are not done yet.

I applaud the Cards. They are operating like a real NFL franchise. People around the country are starting to take note.

And it will all just be a matter of time before the bus is filled and guys like Bickley, Somers and all the other short sighted poor excuses of sportswriter out there will be writing stories of how great we are.........and how they told us so.

 

[Chainthroer]

This is Arizona Cardinals country. Reporters and announcers who are either negative or have no loyaly to the local teams and are off my list. After looking at the headline of Bickley's article, I did not read further. Same goes for listening to the guy (Kemp I think ?) in the late afternoon on 1060 - I switch dials. We're the customers. With out us they have no venue. I'd rather listen to people like Bill Lewis or Dalr Hellestrae.

 

[justAndy]

...

who else was any good at all at QB AND available?
Who says the Cards won't draft a QB?
Should the Cards have stood pat w/ McCown/King/Navarre?
There's too many questions for any pundit to have "the answer".

 

[Mulli]

who else was any good at all at QB AND available?
Who says the Cards won't draft a QB?
Should the Cards have stood pat w/ McCown/King/Navarre?
There's too many questions for any pundit to have "the answer".

Bickley wanted them to sign Drew Bledsoe.

 

[JeffGollin]

I read Bickley's column and immediately flamed him just before I logged on here.

I suggested that, when your readers know in advance what you're going to write, it's time to either hang 'em up or change newspapers.

I also observed that, although the question of whether Warner has enough left to lead us to the playoffs and possibly a Super Bowl is open to debate, bashing the Cardinal organization for signing Kurt was unfair.

Strategically, (a) Rod and Dennis realized they probably would not win next year standing on a pat hand, (b) didn't want to open the regular season wondering whether their young QB was ready, (c) realized that King couldn't do the job and that we needed someone with experience who was better and (d) didn't feel that Rodgers or A Smith measured up to the QBOF of other years (i.e. Manning, Rivers, Roeth). The one option open to them was to sign a veteran. Available options were: Brad Johnson (anything left in the tank?), Jeff Garcia (likely to reunite with Mooch) and Warner (probably more - maybe a lot more - left in the tank than Johnson). So they made the best move available to them. Bashing their motives is patently out of line.

The comment about local media coverage being somewhat lame is not without some merit. The Q & A's at the press conference elicited nothing from Kurt that we didn't already know.

I'm no reporter (I only play one on PC) but I would have asked him: (a) What are your immediate plans for moving to the Valley and becoming acquainted with your teammates and the Cardinal offensive system? (b) tell us a little bit about your experience in SE Asia aiding Tsunami victims (Mike Eisen asked that later on NFL Access). (c) the recent book on you is that "you hang onto the ball too long. Would you care to speak to that?

 

[slanidrac16]

I read Bickley's column and immediately flamed him just before I logged on here.

I suggested that, when your readers know in advance what you're going to write, it's time to either hang 'em up or change newspapers.

I also observed that, although the question of whether Warner has enough left to lead us to the playoffs and possibly a Super Bowl is open to debate, bashing the Cardinal organization for signing Kurt was unfair.

Strategically, (a) Rod and Dennis realized they probably would not win next year standing on a pat hand, (b) didn't want to open the regular season wondering whether their young QB was ready, (c) realized that King couldn't do the job and that we needed someone with experience who was better and (d) didn't feel that Rodgers or A Smith measured up to the QBOF of other years (i.e. Manning, Rivers, Roeth). The one option open to them was to sign a veteran. Available options were: Brad Johnson (anything left in the tank?), Jeff Garcia (likely to reunite with Mooch) and Warner (probably more - maybe a lot more - left in the tank than Johnson). So they made the best move available to them. Bashing their motives is patently out of line.

The comment about local media coverage being somewhat lame is not without some merit. The Q & A's at the press conference elicited nothing from Kurt that we didn't already know.

I'm no reporter (I only play one on PC) but I would have asked him: (a) What are your immediate plans for moving to the Valley and becoming acquainted with your teammates and the Cardinal offensive system? (b) tell us a little bit about your experience in SE Asia aiding Tsunami victims (Mike Eisen asked that later on NFL Access). (c) the recent book on you is that "you hang onto the ball too long. Would you care to speak to that?

EXCELLENT! I thought the same thing when Warner starred out at the media and said, "Thats it?"
At least ask the guy when he might start looking at some film or if he had talked to any of his new receivers and when he might plan meeting them. SOMETHING!
Wish you or any of us were there, Jeff. We would have had that press conference going for 2 hours!!!

 

[chickenhead]

The Republic relies too much on news form the wires, and no one is pushing the columnists to update their knowledge base. As much as I cringe when reading the loudmouthed reporters for the Post etc. out here, at least they are usually talking about something that actually happened the day before, or commenting on what was said in other papers or radio stations that week. It's like Bickley exists in a vacuum.

Warner was justifiably benched for Bulger in St. Louis, but honestly, last year the attitude in Giant-land wasn't for benching Warner in favor of Eli, it was that the support was so bad that they might as well get Eli in for some reps. A little homework might have turned that up.

 

[Faithful]

I'll bet he was the kid in gym class who got snapped with towels and then hung up on a locker by his jockstrap.

 

[Kolo]

This is Arizona Cardinals country. Reporters and announcers who are either negative or have no loyaly to the local teams and are off my list. After looking at the headline of Bickley's article, I did not read further. Same goes for listening to the guy (Kemp I think ?) in the late afternoon on 1060 - I switch dials. We're the customers. With out us they have no venue. I'd rather listen to people like Bill Lewis or Dalr Hellestrae.

So you'd prefer that press conference transcriptions make their way into news columns (not that Bickley is a news reporter, but it seems some here think he is)? When you read a newspaper column, you're a customer of the paper, not of the subject of the article.

Like I said once before when everybody was bagging on Bickley, everybody here hates him becaused he's critical of the organization. That doesn't make him a bad writer (whoever called him talentless has no eye for talent in my opinion), it just means he doesn't share the opinion of most of the posters on this board.

It'll take more than them signing a once-MVP quarterback to gain credibility for me and most fans. Every offseason is the same--we get hopeful, and the Cardinals end up sucking. I do like the moves this offseason, and it seems the Cards are being more aggressive than before, and they obviously had a great draft last year. I'm hopeful, but I've been hopeful every year and been let down every year except one. And to vilify Bickley like everybody has just because he's urging caution on all the Kurt Warner hysteria (and because he's understandably skeptical after the past 17 or so atrocious Cardinals' seasons) seems nonsensical to me.

 

[TRW]

This is Bickley/Jurecki "We Hate Denny Club" as opposed to last season when Jurecki was on with Lewis (who was much more objective). Josh has obviously replaced Kendall/McKinnon as Jurecki's "source" in the lockeroom. His man love for Josh is almost disgusting.

Let's just look at last season:

Warner: Played in 10 games, started 9.

Completions: 177
Attempts: 277
Compl. %: 62.8%
YPA: 7.42
TD: 6
Int: 4
Long: 62
Total yds: 2054
QB Rating: 86.5
Fumbles: 12
Lost: 4

McCown: Played in 14 games, started 13.

Completions: 233
Attempts: 408
Compl. %: 57.1%
YPA: 6.15
TD: 11
Int: 10
Long: 48
Total yds: 2511
QB Rating: 74.1
Funbles: 12
Lost: 5

Jurecki made a big deal out of Warner not having a 300 yard game last year. Conveniently, they didn't mention that Josh had ONE....against the 49ers (which was a loss was it not?). Warner had 286 against Cleveland. When you stack up the stats, only an unobjective boob like Jurecki or a shill like Bickley would continue to question whether Warner is an upgrade over McCown.

Bickley wanted Bledsoe and Jurecki wanted Garcia over Warner. They totally leave out the fact that they signed Warner FOR ONLY ONE SEASON. It is a very calculated gamble but a safe bet in case he is, indeed, washed up. If he's back to his MVP form, it may mean they lose him after this season. If he sucks, then they are no worse off than if they hadn't signed him IMO. At worse case scenario he's a better back up than Shaun King.

I made the mistake of listening to Bickley and Jurecki the past few days, just to see what they might be saying about the signing. Now, I go back to Sirius and ignore them again. They are simply pathetic.

I think Warner will do just fine IF the line can give him a little time. I think he has a LOT to prove and will do so. As someone pointed out, we need to REMEMBER all of this and let Bickley have it when he's shown to be wrong. Jurecki will try to squirm off the hook and say he wasn't against it but that Warner wasn't "my first choice".