azdad1978
Championship!!!!
Dan Bickley
The Arizona Republic
Dec. 12, 2005 12:00 AM
Nothing that occurred on Sunday - not even the specter of another losing season in Arizona - could eclipse the silver lining.
There is only one NFL game left at Sun Devil Stadium.
Let the countdown begin.
"I remember when we'd play the Cowboys and over half the stadium was blue and white," said Redskins assistant coach Joe Bugel, former Cardinals head coach from 1990-93. "I guess nothing has changed around here."
Oh, most certainly not.
For the better part of 18 years, the Cardinals have dealt with an embarrassing home-field disadvantage.
Since arriving here in 1988, they have played 142 games in this antiquated building and won 62 of them. To claim 44 percent of your home games, in a state where the weather should be a huge advantage, is a few miles beyond absurd. Somewhere, Curly Lambeau and George Halas are rolling their eyes in disbelief.
But nothing can trump the indignity suffered by the homeboys Sunday.
On a kickoff that the Redskins' Antonio Brown returned 91 yards for a touchdown, with some 30-plus yards left before Brown would reach the end zone, he looked into the stands and blew a kiss to the huge contingent of burgundy-clad fans seated behind the Redskins' bench.
It is the perfect lasting metaphor, the ultimate defining moment for the Cardinals' reign of error in Tempe.
"It was partly for our fans," Brown said. "It was also for my daughters. I told them that I would blow them a kiss last week. They kind of didn't get it, so I told them I'd do it again."
For the record, Brown's smooch came after the Cardinals were booed when they raced through the tunnel to start the game. It came after Redskins players frequently implored the crowd to get loud. It came after resounding chants of "Deeee-fense" echoed throughout the stadium . . . while the Cardinals had the ball.
"We thought it was a home game. Our guys really liked it," Bugel said. "This was a huge game for us, and I think the crowd pulled us through."
Ouch.
Surely, this loss carried great implications. The drive for .500 was a nice story, and now it's over. The next two games are against teams with a combined record of 6-20, and had the Cardinals beaten the Redskins, they could've easily been 7-8 entering that final game against the Indianapolis Colts.
Imagine this: After year chock full of angst and missed opportunities, an 8-8 season with a win against the Colts would've represented the second best season in the history of the Arizona Cardinals.
It didn't happen because the Cardinals couldn't hang onto the football. It didn't happen because, incredibly, the coaching staff gave the ball to the diminutive J.J. Arrington on fourth and 2 late in the game. It didn't happen because the crowd was always there to lift up the other home team.
If it weren't embarrassing enough, the game was barely over when Clinton Portis sent over his signed jersey and a pair of signed shoes for Darnell Dockett.
It does not make sense, considering that Dockett is the enemy, and that Dockett attended Florida State while Portis attended the rival University of Miami.
It makes perfect sense if Dockett was looking for the number of the truck (26) that ran over the Cardinals defense.
"He asked for them," said Portis, who rushed for 105 yards. "He wanted to go to the U. He just couldn't make it."
So, when you throw in all the insults, the 80th loss at Sun Devil Stadium was about as aggravating as they get. And, surely, it will be an aggravating morning at Sky Harbor with all those gloating Redskins fans trying to get home.
Good news is, there's only four quarters of NFL action left at this cursed stadium. But a quick word of warning:
If the Cardinals don't stop their losing ways, this running phenomenon of visiting home teams could get even worse in Glendale.
After all, those games will be indoors, where the sound is amplified. One can only imagine what Cowboys or Steelers or 49ers or Packers or Bears or Broncos fans will sound like then.
http://www.azcentral.com/sports/columns/articles/1212bickley1212.html
The Arizona Republic
Dec. 12, 2005 12:00 AM
Nothing that occurred on Sunday - not even the specter of another losing season in Arizona - could eclipse the silver lining.
There is only one NFL game left at Sun Devil Stadium.
Let the countdown begin.
"I remember when we'd play the Cowboys and over half the stadium was blue and white," said Redskins assistant coach Joe Bugel, former Cardinals head coach from 1990-93. "I guess nothing has changed around here."
Oh, most certainly not.
For the better part of 18 years, the Cardinals have dealt with an embarrassing home-field disadvantage.
Since arriving here in 1988, they have played 142 games in this antiquated building and won 62 of them. To claim 44 percent of your home games, in a state where the weather should be a huge advantage, is a few miles beyond absurd. Somewhere, Curly Lambeau and George Halas are rolling their eyes in disbelief.
But nothing can trump the indignity suffered by the homeboys Sunday.
On a kickoff that the Redskins' Antonio Brown returned 91 yards for a touchdown, with some 30-plus yards left before Brown would reach the end zone, he looked into the stands and blew a kiss to the huge contingent of burgundy-clad fans seated behind the Redskins' bench.
It is the perfect lasting metaphor, the ultimate defining moment for the Cardinals' reign of error in Tempe.
"It was partly for our fans," Brown said. "It was also for my daughters. I told them that I would blow them a kiss last week. They kind of didn't get it, so I told them I'd do it again."
For the record, Brown's smooch came after the Cardinals were booed when they raced through the tunnel to start the game. It came after Redskins players frequently implored the crowd to get loud. It came after resounding chants of "Deeee-fense" echoed throughout the stadium . . . while the Cardinals had the ball.
"We thought it was a home game. Our guys really liked it," Bugel said. "This was a huge game for us, and I think the crowd pulled us through."
Ouch.
Surely, this loss carried great implications. The drive for .500 was a nice story, and now it's over. The next two games are against teams with a combined record of 6-20, and had the Cardinals beaten the Redskins, they could've easily been 7-8 entering that final game against the Indianapolis Colts.
Imagine this: After year chock full of angst and missed opportunities, an 8-8 season with a win against the Colts would've represented the second best season in the history of the Arizona Cardinals.
It didn't happen because the Cardinals couldn't hang onto the football. It didn't happen because, incredibly, the coaching staff gave the ball to the diminutive J.J. Arrington on fourth and 2 late in the game. It didn't happen because the crowd was always there to lift up the other home team.
If it weren't embarrassing enough, the game was barely over when Clinton Portis sent over his signed jersey and a pair of signed shoes for Darnell Dockett.
It does not make sense, considering that Dockett is the enemy, and that Dockett attended Florida State while Portis attended the rival University of Miami.
It makes perfect sense if Dockett was looking for the number of the truck (26) that ran over the Cardinals defense.
"He asked for them," said Portis, who rushed for 105 yards. "He wanted to go to the U. He just couldn't make it."
So, when you throw in all the insults, the 80th loss at Sun Devil Stadium was about as aggravating as they get. And, surely, it will be an aggravating morning at Sky Harbor with all those gloating Redskins fans trying to get home.
Good news is, there's only four quarters of NFL action left at this cursed stadium. But a quick word of warning:
If the Cardinals don't stop their losing ways, this running phenomenon of visiting home teams could get even worse in Glendale.
After all, those games will be indoors, where the sound is amplified. One can only imagine what Cowboys or Steelers or 49ers or Packers or Bears or Broncos fans will sound like then.
http://www.azcentral.com/sports/columns/articles/1212bickley1212.html
