Hate Bidwill???

[Redheart]

Bidwills can give us holiday cheer by selling the Cardinals
John Gambadoro
azcentral.com
Dec. 15, 2003 11:20 AM

I have come to the conclusion that by owning an NFL team the Bidwill family is making a fortune. Money hand over fist. So much money that they are backing up the Brinks truck weekly. That they not only have money in a Swiss bank account, but that they actually own the bank.

How else can you explain why this family has not and likely will not sell the team? It's not like the fans in Arizona want the Bidwills around. To the contrary they despise the family and would do anything to get them out. And it's not like the players are happy playing for the family; the majority can't wait to get out and go to a real NFL team. So what's the point of running a team in which the players and fans have no respect for you and actually couldn't care less about you? It has to be the money. Because why would any Bidwill in his right mind want to keep this team unless he was printing money? And don't give me the "It's been in the family forever" line because there is a price for everything -just ask the O'Malleys.

Now I know the stadium is not full, Cardinals merchandise doesn't sell and the team plays in a college stadium. But thanks to revenue sharing, none of that really matters because the Bidwills reap the rewards of all the hard work that every other team in the league does to try to be successful.

I've tried to be optimistic. Tried to see the glass as half full, not completely empty. I've tried to figure out ways that this hapless franchise can turn around. I mean, there is such tremendous parity in the NFL that you have to believe eventually it has to make a stop here. But it never does. Parity skips over Arizona every year.

I have thought that if the Cardinals draft Eli Manning, get a big name coach like Dan Reeves, Denny Green, Jimmy Johnson or Tom Coughlin, things would get better. But they wouldn't. You know it and I know it. Things never change here, never will.

All good organizations are built from the top down. Look at the Colangelos here. A World Series title in Major League Baseball and three N.L. pennants already. And the Suns, even without a championship, are perennial winners. Why? Because the Colangelos are not afraid to make moves, to spend money, to fire coaches, to sign players. Heck they even get players to take less money to come to Phoenix because they run such class organizations.

All the Cardinals do is make bad decision after bad decision after bad decision - see Tom Knight, Thomas Jones, Wendell Bryant, Calvin Pace and Bryan Johnson. It is one vicious cycle that never ends, it just keeps repeating itself. Jake Plummer summed it up best a couple of weeks ago when he mocked the Cardinals by talking about the way an offense is supposed to look. Somehow Plummer is 8-2 as a starter and in the top 5 of many major quarterback categories. The same Plummer who I and many others wanted the last few years to put on the first train out of town. The same Plummer who failed miserably here. Now he can do no wrong. Now he doesn't have to force everything because he is on a good team with good coaching. And Aeneas Williams, who switched from cornerback to safety, has resurrected his career with St. Louis. And who did the Cardinals get for him? Two draft picks that turned out to be Marcus Bell and Michael Stone, two absolute non-factors who are lucky to even be on an NFL roster. Anyone notice who leads the NFL in sacks - Simeon Rice. And who leads the NFC in interceptions - Cory Chavous. Both discarded by the Cardinals.

So really what's the point of rooting for the Cardinals when they won't change? At least 80 percent of their fans root for another team anyway. Can you blame 'em? Who really wants to pin all their hope on the Cardinals? You can't rely on them for anything outside of disappointing you year after year after year.

Unfortunately for Rod Graves and Michael Bidwill, they live in a fantasy world. They believe there is talent on this football team and actually had some of us believing, too, after a 4-0 preseason. Talent wins in all sports and at 3-11 it's safe to say there is very little talent on this team. Graves and Bidwill thought that they had a good off-season, bringing in five free agents. But who did they really bring in? None of the top free agents wanted to come here and the only reason Emmitt Smith did was to get paid. The truth is, Graves and Bidwill sold everyone a bill of goods. These players aren't any good, these coaches aren't very good and this ownership is the worst in all of sports.

Even the great Bill Parcells who has proven to be an elite coach in the league couldn't turn this mess around. You see, the situation here is hopeless. Maybe once every 10 or 15 years, the Cardinals will catch lightning in a bottle and make the playoffs with a 9-7 mark, even 10-6. But it won't last. Not as long as the Bidwills are in charge.

While fans of other cities get treated to holiday servings of postseason play and a chance at the Super Bowl, we in Arizona will have to be content getting Scrooged. Trust me on this. No one in the Bidwill family will be starving this Christmas. There will be no lack of presents under the tree. I'm sure there is a Mercedes or BMW or Porsche in every Bidwill driveway. And while Santa Claus may be coming to town, parity isn't. And you can thank the NFL for creating a situation where a pathetic and incompetent ownership group can cheat the fans out of real football yet laugh their way to the bank every week. So have a nice Christmas, Mr. Scrooge, and if the ghosts of Lombardi, Landry and Pete Rozelle come to visit you, take them up on their offer to have you sell. Because if you really do care about this team then it truly is the only solution.

I think the writer missed big-time on most of this article.

Yes, I am frustrated. Hate Bidwill??? Not even close. Upset, yes. Holding him accountable for his side, yes. But Bidwill has shown me that he is a good man and a asset to this community.

As an Owner of our Cardinal Team, he seems to leave a lot to be desired. But I would love to see him as owner AND have a Superbowl Championship. The is something SO right about that image...I just wish he would spend the money needed to enable it while the coaching and player effort / talent would be there to make it happen.

Remember, spending money is ONLY an enabler. Ask Snyder. Coaching has to be right, and players have to make plays.

 

[seesred]

There will never be any reason to hate the family Bidwill. It's a game, all be it a game dear to our hearts and a team you love to hate that we cheer for. Biwill is a good friend to our valley in many, many ways. They are good neighbors and I will never believe anyone who says they don't care if they win or lose they make money regardless. I would agree that for some reason, money being one of them , they have not pulled the right switches. I think at times of the biggest screw ups they thought or were advised they were doing the right things like Buddy the idiot Ryan. He had many of us fooled.

THeir football people tore the team up in 1999 after the great year and they or someone could have been Furgy made real bad money decisions, loseing Centers, Miller and Brown the heart of the D-fence, O-line and scoring game. We have not had a coach for more than 4 years at a time, but on the other hand not to many teams do. When called cheap they paid Plummer to much, when that went south they didn't offer the same money and Plummer went north.

But Hate them NEVER, no way, I wish them health and long life and a break with this team. And thanks for all they do!

GBR

 

[Krangodnzr]

Gambo is a *******.

His word isn't worth a nickel. I feel bad that everytime I read his drivel, it's defacto support for his inane thoughts.

 

[Mr.Dibbs]

Originally posted by Krangthebrain
Gambo is a *******.

His word isn't worth a nickel. I feel bad that everytime I read his drivel, it's defacto support for his inane thoughts.

If you spell Gambo backwards, you get Obmag, which in Botswana means "tampon."

 

[Krangodnzr]

Originally posted by Oran
If you spell Gambo backwards, you get Obmag, which in Botswana means "tampon."

This is the single funniest thing I've heard in the past month!

 

[Card Trader]

This guy gets under my skin....I wrote him an email...I doubt he reads it but here it is anways:

Gambo, that was one of the worst articles my eyes have ever had the misfortune of reading. First off, why would you "hate" Bidwill(the term you used on the radio yesterday to describe..ignorantly I might add....the way the majority of the people in Arizona feel about that family), football is a sport...a game, entertainment. Bill Bidwill and the Bidwill family have been one of the most generous members of our community since their arrival and their charity contributions are unmatched.....They are good people, that make bad decisions in regards to the football team many of us enjoy watching. To you that is a reason for hatred? Wow, it must be pathetic to be you.

There is, however, alot of hope on the horizon that things are changing, this offseason proved that. Now, I listened to your pathetic ranting on the radio yesterday and either you are an idiot or you just spew stuff to cause a little contraversy....I'm going to have to guess it's the former.

You start off by talking about all the talented people the Cardinals draft and let go to another team.......10 minutes later you talk about the Cardinals not being able to evaluate talent and draft poorly. Which is it? You flop around more than a fish out of water. You call Bryant Johnson and Calvin Pace a bad decision after 1 season? Good thing the good folks in the NFL didn't listen to your evalutations of John Elway and Brett Favre....or Michael Strahan or many of the other numerous players who didn't "prove" much in their first year or two in the NFL.

"At least 80 percent of their fans root for another team anyway. Can you blame 'em?"

This quote really stuck out to me, it also made it crystal clear that you don't know what a fan is.....Cardinal fans are Cardinal fans....nothing else. Just because you can hop on the wagon of the next sexy team in the league doesn't mean REAL fans do that. Grow a spine and get a pair!
Look, I know many Cardinal fans, I know many Cardinal haters......but there seems to be one mutual feeling we all share, and it's this: Gambo, you are a hack who ignorantly talks about things/players/teams he has no business talking about.....we all just wish that you would pack up and move back to NY(seeing how you love it so much).
But just one thing......we don't hate you.

Sincerely,


Brett Smith(a true FAN)

 

[ds512az]

Card Trader.....

 

[seesred]

Well written and right on the money. The only trouble is I'm not sure he knows how to read.

GBR

 

[Redheart]

Card Trader...

...solid...just solid.

 

[bigredjane]

redheart-

I am so glad you started this post, I agree with what you and the following posters say 100%. Gambo is a hateful man who sounds profoundly jealous of the family's wealth. And certainly does not give them credit for all they do for the conmunity. He obviously is not a Cardinal fan, because he has never said anything good about our team. The things he wrote only adds fuel to the rumors the public buys and repeats to others as truth and this continues on and on to the next person. I hear it all the time and mostly from people who don't follow football and could care less if we have and NFL team here or not. And this is what caused most of us so much grief when we were pulling for the stadium vote. As much as I can't stand Bickley, sometimes at least he reports some truth! It was nice meeting you at half time Sunday!!

 

[Card Trader]

I'd love to go one on one with Gambo in a debate over the Arizona sports scene. The guy is so out of touch with the market he's in it's not even funny.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Originally posted by Card Trader
I'd love to go one on one with Gambo in a debate over the Arizona sports scene. The guy is so out of touch with the market he's in it's not even funny.

let me ask all you guys this - would you not be jumping up and down if word came out tomorrow that the Bidwills had decided to sell the team? His execution may suck - a little to venomous - but Gambo's message isn't off course.

 

[AZCB34]

My wife and I took our boys to Dora the Explorer Live in July. In the row in front of us was Gambo and his family. During intermission, he called someone on his cell to find out the score of the Giants/Dbacks game. He was ecstatic the Dbacks were losing.

I really wanted to stand upo and whack him over the head...he can root for whomever he wants...but he could care less about the Giants. It wa sclear he was happy the Dbacks were losing. The fact they were playing the Giants was inconsequential.

I just want to point out that, by clicking on his article, by emailing him and by listening to his radio show, you perpetuate the fraud on AZ sports that is John Gambodoro. Every click on his article is confirmation to the Repulsive he brings readers. I never read his stuff because if I can hold out, maybe someone really will send him packing back to NY.

 

[Renz]

Originally posted by cheesebeef
let me ask all you guys this - would you not be jumping up and down if word came out tomorrow that the Bidwills had decided to sell the team? His execution may suck - a little to venomous - but Gambo's message isn't off course.

And so original too!

Dumbo must really be hard up for ideas to even bother writing an article about the Bidwills selling. I mean come on! IT'S NEVER GONNA HAPPEN! The fact that he even brought it up is a great indicator of the guy's (lack of) intelligence.

 

[Card Trader]

Originally posted by cheesebeef
let me ask all you guys this - would you not be jumping up and down if word came out tomorrow that the Bidwills had decided to sell the team? His execution may suck - a little to venomous - but Gambo's message isn't off course.

I'd be happy for sure, but that wasn't the message he was sending.....you had to have heard him on the radio yesterday to know what I'm talking about. He talked about pure hatred and couldn't understand why the Bidwill's wouldn't sell the team since everyone hates them so much.

His message is off course and ridiculous......the guy doesn't know anything about the Cardinals, the Bidwills OR the fans.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Originally posted by Renz
And so original too!

Dumbo must really be hard up for ideas to even bother writing an article about the Bidwills selling. I mean come on! IT'S NEVER GONNA HAPPEN! The fact that he even brought it up is a great indicator of the guy's (lack of) intelligence.

Renz - you didn't answer the question.

 

[100%CardsFan]

Great Email Card Trader! I hope you post his repsonse. I sent Woody Paige an Email letting him have it for him always bashing the Cards and he lives in Denver. I also told him he needs to worry more about winning on that bullsh1t show Around the Horn. He replied that he doesnt even take anything I say into consideration cause I root for the loser Cardinals and must be a complete moron, then started bashing the fans. I hate Woody Paige.

 

[john h]

Re: redheart-

Originally posted by bigredjane
I am so glad you started this post, I agree with what you and the following posters say 100%. Gambo is a hateful man who sounds profoundly jealous of the family's wealth. And certainly does not give them credit for all they do for the conmunity. He obviously is not a Cardinal fan, because he has never said anything good about our team. The things he wrote only adds fuel to the rumors the public buys and repeats to others as truth and this continues on and on to the next person. I hear it all the time and mostly from people who don't follow football and could care less if we have and NFL team here or not. And this is what caused most of us so much grief when we were pulling for the stadium vote. As much as I can't stand Bickley, sometimes at least he reports some truth! It was nice meeting you at half time Sunday!!

0

Have been a Cards fan for over 60 years and always will be one. I do not hate Bidwill or any of his family. Do not even know them. They may be great community people but as owners of a football team they are perhaps the worst ever if you measure a football team by winning/losing and by attendance. The problem is we the public support his lifestyle and we get little in return. All teams should be required to spend all available cap money so that any inbalances will be a result of incompetence and not a result of money. If other teams consistenly spend 10 mil a year more than us that will show up on the field of play. In the long run big spenders win everything else being equal. In baseball the top highest payroll teams consistenly make the playoffs with only an occasion supprise.

 

[john h]

Originally posted by cheesebeef
let me ask all you guys this - would you not be jumping up and down if word came out tomorrow that the Bidwills had decided to sell the team? His execution may suck - a little to venomous - but Gambo's message isn't off course.

cheesbeef you pretty much have it right. Do you ever wonder what would happen in Philly if the Eagles ever performed at this level for a few years. The owner would not be safe on the street.

 

[Russ Smith]

Originally posted by 100%CardsFan
Great Email Card Trader! I hope you post his repsonse. I sent Woody Paige an Email letting him have it for him always bashing the Cards and he lives in Denver. I also told him he needs to worry more about winning on that bullsh1t show Around the Horn. He replied that he doesnt even take anything I say into consideration cause I root for the loser Cardinals and must be a complete moron, then started bashing the fans. I hate Woody Paige.

If you want to get under his skin call his writings an article and not a column, for some reason he's VERY particular about that. I exchanged several emails with him this year and he kept saying "I don't write articles I write columns." I guess there's supposed to be some distinction which is lost on me.

 

[JeffGollin]

Bidwills can give us holiday cheer by selling the Cardinals

Someone had to say it (because, no doubt, a lot of people in AZ feel that way).

I'm just glad a jerk like Gambo was the one to say it.

 

[ASUCHRIS]

Originally posted by Card Trader
I'd be happy for sure, but that wasn't the message he was sending.....you had to have heard him on the radio yesterday to know what I'm talking about. He talked about pure hatred and couldn't understand why the Bidwill's wouldn't sell the team since everyone hates them so much.

His message is off course and ridiculous......the guy doesn't know anything about the Cardinals, the Bidwills OR the fans.

I agree that his message is off course, because most people don't hate the Cardinals. They are completely indifferent, which is much worse than hate. The saddest part of any relationship is when one side just doesn't care anymore. I think that accurately describes the feelings much better than hate.

 

[Lex]

Russ-

Gambo is touchy about article/column, because anyone can write something good and get it published as an article, to have a column, it means you are good enough to be a regular contributor, thus warranting your own weekly column.

The funny thing is, a column references an area of a newspaper. Gambo's not published in the Arizona Republic, he's only on the web site. Big deal. I'll bet more people read Cheesebeefs article on ASFN, than read Gambo's "column" on the AZ Central web site.

 

[Card Trader]

Originally posted by john h
cheesbeef you pretty much have it right. Do you ever wonder what would happen in Philly if the Eagles ever performed at this level for a few years. The owner would not be safe on the street.

Oh please.....the Eagles have been good lately and had a run in the 80s but from the early 1960s to the late 70s they were the worst team in the NFL.

I hate it when people say "well such and such organization won't tolerate losing" after they are having a few good years in a row. Puuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuhlease.

 

[Renz]

Originally posted by cheesebeef
Renz - you didn't answer the question.

Heck yeah! I'd be ecstatic! I'd also be ecstatic if I won the Powerball Lottery. My reaction to either scenario is as predictable as it is unlikely to happen.

It just annoys me when people bring up the topic of "sell the team"! It is just so pointless because we all know that it's just not gonna happen. At least not while Bill Sr. is alive.

When he dies maybe we can bring up the subject in anticipation of his heirs cashing out, but until then I don't see the point.