I just can't be the only one...

[20yroldcardfan]

a preface so you understand some things before reading my post....

i am 23 now and have been a die hard fan since i was roughly 9-10.
i have visited this message board religiously for years.
i acknowledge this is all probably a rant over flooded with pessimism, depression, and just plain bitterness.

but i have no one who sympathizes. and no one who can even begin to relate to how it feels. i hope you all can...

I just still cant get over it...being so freaking close to winning the superbowl. Less than 2 minutes away. Ive only been a diehard fan over a decade and its pretty much the worst thing of my life. ive never cried so hard over anything. im not ashamed to admit it. even today if i think about it too much when alone i cry.

ive been dealing with depression all my life. and the fact that our team...a team with a history of being among the worst in the league...makes it all the way....to lose like that...just really hits me hard with how bitterly unfair life is. i dont complain about refs. or feet inbounds. or anything about that game, we just lost. to a team that always wins. and it just hurts and frustrates me.

the pessimist in me then goes to thinking how we may never get a chance like that again. how long have the jets been waiting to return to the superbowl? i try and be hopeful but its just hard...when pretty much everything possible went right for us and we were in the best imaginable position to win it all...and still lose.

i am saying this here cause i know you all will agree with me to a point. not just spout an optimistic line or two.

i am so excited about this season. we have a good chance to repeat as division champs.

however,

its gonna hurt to my dying day. or until the day they actually win it all. whichever comes first

cardinal fan forever no matter what nonetheless.

ps - calaise and early are my guys to make a splash this year. early will do it wether boldin is on the team or not. just my bold prediction.

pss- i know it must be even worse for the veteren fans. the 50 year fans. i know i am probably just being really dramatic. but i just cant help it.

if this all comes out as seeming really stupid/childish...please dont razz me too much.

go cards

 

[WildBB]

Go Cardinals!

You got to admit it was a great ride. 30 other teams didn't have that ride. Great season. Tough end. Renewed commitment and fervor pressing ahead. Hang in there, young un.

The hard knocks makes you appreciate what they did accomplish and hope for 1 more (post season) Win than last season.

Lets give it our all again + Together!

Home Field throughout. #1

 

[PJ1]

You aren't the only one for sure. Been a fan for quite a bit longer than you and yes it still hurts like hell.

I really haven't watched one replay of any part of last season since the Super Bowl.

I often think about not getting another chance in my lifetime. We had it and let it slip away.

 

[Catfish]

Hey there, First of all, welcome to the board. You will find that you have many new and true friends here. It is a wonderful place to meet with and discuss OUR Cardinals. I can relate to what you are saying, and to where you are coming from. I too, am the kind of person who always saw the glass as being half-empty, rather than half-full. I spent my whole life doing things that most people only can dream of. Did 8 years in the military during Vietnam. Then did a career in Law Enforcement.
I had to retire from my chosen profession because of depression. It is a nasty thing that can, (and will), eat you completely up, if you don't get some professional help, and begin to see the other side of this world.

My whole life, I considered myself as a failure, like I never quite succeeded in achieving my goals. I found ways to punish myself for my shortcomings, and eventually lost my health to this dreadful disease. It wasn't until I got some help with this problem, ( I wasn't diagnosed until I was 44 years old), that I FINALLY began to realize some good coming from my life. I discovered a whole new me. One that had achieved things that most people don't get the chance to do. I was able to live through, and accomplish more, in that short 44 years than most people would have ever thought possible. I just didn't know it, because I felt that I had failed. Yet others around me saw me as the opposite.

I hope that you are getting some help for yourself, because if you don't, eventually this disease will eat you up, and you will probably begin to think of suicide because of your low self-worth. Believe me, that is NOT the answer.

I have found the Cardinals to be one of the things that I enjoy the most, ( not because they are so great all of the sudden), but because they were so bad for so long, yet they stayed in there and competed the best that they could. Believe me, when I tell you that the good that has come from their recent success, is made FAR better by virtue of the fact that they had to overcome a lot of negative before they tasted the good.

Life is like that, you can watch the Cards, and be sad that they lost the Super Bowl, or you can look at the bigger picture, and feel good because they have come so far. I chose to do that. It makes life much easier to deal with, and gives me a much clearer perspective on where I am in it. I am learning to celebrate the good things, and to not be too critical of the ones that were not so good. but use them as a learning experience. You can do the same. If you would like to talk to me ( one-on-one ) I would give you my e-mail address. Just say the word in a reply on this thread, and I will send it to you and then give you my phone number. We have a lot to talk about, you and I. WE also have a lot more of Cardinals good times coming, that we will enjoy. I have been where you are. There is a much better way for you to live your life than what has been going on.

 

[20yroldcardfan]

yeah i actually have gotten help for myself the past year...

and actually...the cardinals have always been a comfort zone for me. despite all the losses...i dare to challenge such good days as ones i have had with the cardinals...

-any time we beat the cowboys
-i remember vividly when we beat the raiders years ago. seeing pittman run all over the raiders. david boston smoking woodson for a quick slant and a td. jake plummer on the two point conversion.
-the 98 season. i had to chance to be at the game against the chargers. and i met pat tillman that day too.
-this season/post season has been so fun: we won on monday night. we beat the cowboys. we won the division. every single post season win was memorable. the two weeks building up to the superbowl was so great, ive never seen espn cover the cardinals so much.

but just the way it ended. it was all dangled in front of us and snatched away by the 26th ranked offense.

gawd it sucks.

i needed to rant. thanks for reading mates. ill try and be hopeful. the draft and build up to the season will help.

you know what else will help the healing process...another winning season. a snd consecutive playoff appearance. division title. that would be good.

i trust in coach whiz. and our players.

 

[PoolBoy]

just think about it how I, and maybe most, thought of it.

If someone had come up to you before the season and said. The Cards will win the NFC West and make the playoffs. you would have been SO JACKED!

now what if that person told you we would be that close to the superbowl. you would have fainted. haha.

we broke down the "same old cards" barrier this year. We snatched down the "cards will choke guaranteed" saying.

it was a great year.

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[Ryanwb]

The Fitzgerald TD will forever be burned into my memory of "what if"

 

[Catfish]

There ya go 20yroldcardfan, Glad I got to meet ya, Stay in touch on the board. Iam stoked for the new up-coming season. Ain't it great ????????? Catfish

 

[Perfectionist]

After 40+ years of following the Cards, I guess my expectations were a little less than some. They had fallen to where I only hoped that someday they would make it to the Super Bowl, win or lose, I just wanted that day on the big stage, where all focus would be on my Cardinals.

Hey, I used to lose sleep when the Cards would lose, but have learned during the years to keep a little more even on the emotional aspect of winning and loosing. It seems I even enjoy the wins more now that I don't get so upset when we lose.

I think most on this board feel the same or have felt the emotions you have and all I can say is welcome to "Cardinal Football".

 

[D-Dogg]

The Fitzgerald TD will forever be burned into my memory of "what if"

Yeah, that's me. I still pause the superbowl forever after Fitz' unreal TD. That was a championship play if I have ever seen one. And then the defense had the title in their hands and couldn't hold.

It remains to be seen if the reason for that folding was fired, or if the players were the problem. I think the defense can be MUCH better, and I hope they are this season. If they are...watch out!

 

[JeffGollin]

1. It's only football.

2. We aren't the team/the team isn't us. (i.e. If we lose a close one or Kurt throws a pick, that doesn't make us bad persons).

3. Playing the role of the long suffering Cardinal fan is useful at times and makes for good conversation with other fans. But that's about it.

4. That said - I've thrown my share of clipboards and broken my share of arm-rests over the past 64 years, and I still dread reading Monday post-mortems after a Cardinal loss.

5. But looking back on the entire ride since roughly 1945, it's been a pretty interesting roller-coaster - where I've marveled at the exploits of Charley Trippi, Ollie Matson, John David Crow, aeneas Williams and OJ Anderson, hoped like crazy that lesser-sung guys like Willis Crenshaw, Roy Shivers, Cid Edwards, Thunder Thornton and Freddie Joe Nunn would emerge as All Pros; while cringing when Eric Swann's and Wads' knees blew out and David Boston's body blew up or Terry Metcalf fumbled or one of a series of our CB's (Norman Thompson, ToasTito Paul, Tommy Knight etc.) got torched.

6. It makes you wax philosophic: (Some days you eat the "Bahr"/some days it eats you). And while we certainly have had a fairly rotten ratio of valleys compared to peaks over all these years - each year is brand new! (We start out 0 & 0 and are privileged to become witnesses to whatever the hand is we're dealt.

7. And meanwhile, we get to congregate here or at games or with loved ones to cheer, boo, laugh or cry.

And life goes on - Babies are born. We meet someone we love. Jobs are landed and lost. People die. A new restaurant is discovered.

And there are the Cardinals each Sunday in the Fall.

We're not them, and they're not us, but in retrospect, they've helped life be pretty darned cool.

 

[MississippiCardfan]

As bad as I felt about the superbowl being so close, I still remember the excitement about winning the NFC championchip. I am 46 and never came close to anything like that feeling when DD was running around with that ball at the end. That is when I shed a little tear I wa so happy

 

[Carddan]

The dream is not over. I always told my son that the bitterness and sorrow of losing would make winning that much sweeter. Now we know how it feels to lose the biggest game.
We will be back. We will win the Super Bowl. And when we do, we will enjoy it and appreciate it even more because we were so close once before.

 

[Arizona's Finest]

The Fitzgerald TD will forever be burned into my memory of "what if"

+2

That had to me one of the most innocently not contrived moments of pure joy in my life. I have never been so happy as I was yelling at the top of my lungs -letting out years of frustration.

The sad thing is even if we win the Super Bowl next year or any year I will always think first "Well that should be our second...."

Oh well. Life is a journey - not a destination...

 

[English on tour]

it hurts real bad, its so quick and thats what makes it worse....we were so damn close, but they joy of getting there wont be forgotten for me. Then there is the pain of all those years in dumps....for me, far worse than giving the sporting world one of the best rides of its life.

Personally this season will be like no other for me, memories gained and friends made i wont forget.

 

[LoyaltyisaCurse]

I was bummed for about a week. I still can't bring myself to watch the game again yet... I'll probably watch when the next season starts.

 

[Shogun]

I've wiped that game from memory. I get sick every time it's mentioned.

 

[Crazy Canuck]

I was bummed for about a week. I still can't bring myself to watch the game again yet... I'll probably watch when the next season starts.

I've watched it a couple of times... no problem.

It is thoroughly enjoyable if you take a pass on the last drive, as I do.

(If you review the end of season, beginning with the Seattle game, you get a real sense of where this team can go.)

 

[Savage58]

I have the superbowl on the DVR, but I still can't watch it. It may just stay there forever, in the "unread" state it's still in.

I do like watching the Cards victory celebration after winning the NFC Championship though. =)

The pain will never go away, but someday I hope to get past it as well.

 

[NeverSayDieFan]

I was in church today....

the message was about finding things of value that are "lost". The question was what did you find recently that made you really HAPPY?? My 1st thought was last year I "found" my Cardinals (Been a fan 40+ years) IN THE SUPER BOWL!!!!!!!!! I wondered many times IF I'd live to see the day. To be part of playing on the BIG-stage. Don't get me wrong! I still feel the tinges of disappointment at coming up a lil' short....BUT the CARDINALS made it to the SUPER BOWL!! ...And in my universe that means ALOT!!!

 

[arthurracoon]

I just pretend that we won the game.

I'll never watch that game again.

 

[Carddan]

I watched the game once, in person. I erased it from my DVR. I can review all of last season, even Philly, Vikings, Patriots, but not that game. We have unfinished business, in some ways that's a good thing. I'm looking forward to getting it done next time.

 

[Perfectionist]

Personally this season will be like no other for me, memories gained and friends made i wont forget.

Just following your quest to get to the States for the NFC Championship, brings a smile to my face. Yes, some things, are more important than winning and losing. God, family, and good friends are much more important.

 

[DemsMyBoys]

After the SB ended I turned off the TV and went straight to bed. I just couldn't face anyone. Felt horrendous for a good week. "So close, so close..."

Then I watched Kurt on "Ellen" and Kurt and Larry on the "Tonight Show" and seeing them laughing and kidding did wonders for me. I thought, "Well they are dealing with it." What also helped was finding out just how many people all over the country and the world were cheering for our guys to win. Not just out of a dislike of the Steelers but because they appreciated our team and all they had done to get there. A lot of people wanted that fairy tale ending.

Now I'm concentrating on next year. For the first time I'm following the draft and all the off season planning. I too have faith in Whiz. Can't wait for training camp.

Hang in there! This board is a good place to be, because NO you aren't the only one.

 

[Treefiddy]

I've actually been thinking of making a post like this for the last few weeks. Mine would've been titled "2 months later and it still hurts".

It was a great run this season and I'll never forget the excitement in our household when Fitzgerald ran that Touchdown in. I let myself think that was the end and we had won.

I suggest going and watching this:

http://www.nfl.com/videos?videoId=09000d5d80e44329

It's the NFL Films of the NFC Championship. While the loss in the SB still hurts, it helped me a bit because it reminded me why this year was so special.