azdad1978
Championship!!!!
Dan Bickley
The Arizona Republic
Oct. 1, 2005 12:00 AM
MEXICO CITY
Out of the airport, snaking through traffic, past walls covered with graffiti and shacks that scream of poverty . . .
There it is.
The first sign of a sporting event involving a team from Phoenix:
It's Steve Nash sharing a billboard with Vince Carter.
Sorry to say, there is no celebration of the Cardinals anywhere, and only the slightest sign of interest for the designated hosts of this groundbreaking event.
"Is your quarterback playing?" the hotel employee asked.
We are assuming he did not mean Josh McCown.
Come kickoff Sunday, there will certainly be a buzz inside this giant, chaotic city. Azteca Stadium will be full of Mexican fans proud to witness history in the making, eager to see the first regular-season NFL game played outside the United States.
"People want to see the show, the colorful uniforms, the helmets," said Enrique Palomo, Mexico City resident. "And there are lots of guys who will go just to see the cheerleaders. After that, then comes the game."
Now, for the bad news:
"San Francisco is a very popular team here," said Gabriel Aguilar, a Mexico City tour guide. "Most of the fans will be behind the 49ers."
The tour guide says that Arizonans should not take offense to this frighteningly familiar phenomenon. They began televising the NFL in Mexico City right about the time the Steelers and Raiders were kicking tail in the mid-1970s. Then came that bombastic Bears team in 1985. Then came the dueling dynasties in Dallas and San Francisco, with a splash of Green Bay for good measure.
Not coincidentally, those are the teams of choice in a country that boasts 20 million football fans.
Nevertheless, it must hurt for the Cardinals to come this far just to be ignored. After all, they are the ones who sacrificed everything so the NFL could accelerate its growth curve in foreign markets. They are the ones who made this possible because no other team in the league would dare give away something as important a home game.
And yet they have no one to blame but themselves.
Just like the 49ers, the Cardinals arrived at their posh hotel Friday night. They will be consumed with preparation and room service until it's time to play football. Other than bringing Rolando Cantu along for the ride, the players had no chance to endear themselves to the Mexican people.
If the NFL really wanted to make this a big deal, it would've treated it like a big deal. Both teams would've come early, and when not practicing, they would've been out kissing babies. The league could've staged an interactive exhibit for Mexican fans just like it does at the Super Bowl, and really made an impact.
And if the people here could've gotten to know guys like Kurt Warner, Larry Fitzgerald and Darnell Dockett, the Cardinals would've won their share of fans before kickoff.
"It could've been a free commercial for them," Palomo said. "I heard on the radio that their cheerleaders were making appearances, and I heard they were drawing great crowds. Just imagine if the people here had a chance to meet and see the real players."
For both franchises, this hit-and-run act could be a function of security. Along with earthquakes, volcanoes and sinking buildings, crime is a serious problem here. Kidnapping is almost a cottage industry. A brochure in the hotel strongly advises against hailing a cab on the street, and unlike M&M's, one should avoid the green ones at all costs.
So the Cardinals are here to play and go home. They are here, I suspect, because the ideal Mexico City matchup fell through. Anyone else notice how the Raiders are playing the Cowboys this week?
They are here because they are the NFL orphans, the only team that can't claim the creature comforts of home.
All of which should make them angry enough to win a football game on Sunday and turn around a disastrous season.
http://www.azcentral.com/sports/columns/articles/1001bickley1001.html
The Arizona Republic
Oct. 1, 2005 12:00 AM
MEXICO CITY
Out of the airport, snaking through traffic, past walls covered with graffiti and shacks that scream of poverty . . .
There it is.
The first sign of a sporting event involving a team from Phoenix:
It's Steve Nash sharing a billboard with Vince Carter.
Sorry to say, there is no celebration of the Cardinals anywhere, and only the slightest sign of interest for the designated hosts of this groundbreaking event.
"Is your quarterback playing?" the hotel employee asked.
We are assuming he did not mean Josh McCown.
Come kickoff Sunday, there will certainly be a buzz inside this giant, chaotic city. Azteca Stadium will be full of Mexican fans proud to witness history in the making, eager to see the first regular-season NFL game played outside the United States.
"People want to see the show, the colorful uniforms, the helmets," said Enrique Palomo, Mexico City resident. "And there are lots of guys who will go just to see the cheerleaders. After that, then comes the game."
Now, for the bad news:
"San Francisco is a very popular team here," said Gabriel Aguilar, a Mexico City tour guide. "Most of the fans will be behind the 49ers."
The tour guide says that Arizonans should not take offense to this frighteningly familiar phenomenon. They began televising the NFL in Mexico City right about the time the Steelers and Raiders were kicking tail in the mid-1970s. Then came that bombastic Bears team in 1985. Then came the dueling dynasties in Dallas and San Francisco, with a splash of Green Bay for good measure.
Not coincidentally, those are the teams of choice in a country that boasts 20 million football fans.
Nevertheless, it must hurt for the Cardinals to come this far just to be ignored. After all, they are the ones who sacrificed everything so the NFL could accelerate its growth curve in foreign markets. They are the ones who made this possible because no other team in the league would dare give away something as important a home game.
And yet they have no one to blame but themselves.
Just like the 49ers, the Cardinals arrived at their posh hotel Friday night. They will be consumed with preparation and room service until it's time to play football. Other than bringing Rolando Cantu along for the ride, the players had no chance to endear themselves to the Mexican people.
If the NFL really wanted to make this a big deal, it would've treated it like a big deal. Both teams would've come early, and when not practicing, they would've been out kissing babies. The league could've staged an interactive exhibit for Mexican fans just like it does at the Super Bowl, and really made an impact.
And if the people here could've gotten to know guys like Kurt Warner, Larry Fitzgerald and Darnell Dockett, the Cardinals would've won their share of fans before kickoff.
"It could've been a free commercial for them," Palomo said. "I heard on the radio that their cheerleaders were making appearances, and I heard they were drawing great crowds. Just imagine if the people here had a chance to meet and see the real players."
For both franchises, this hit-and-run act could be a function of security. Along with earthquakes, volcanoes and sinking buildings, crime is a serious problem here. Kidnapping is almost a cottage industry. A brochure in the hotel strongly advises against hailing a cab on the street, and unlike M&M's, one should avoid the green ones at all costs.
So the Cardinals are here to play and go home. They are here, I suspect, because the ideal Mexico City matchup fell through. Anyone else notice how the Raiders are playing the Cowboys this week?
They are here because they are the NFL orphans, the only team that can't claim the creature comforts of home.
All of which should make them angry enough to win a football game on Sunday and turn around a disastrous season.
http://www.azcentral.com/sports/columns/articles/1001bickley1001.html
