azdad1978
Championship!!!!
Guard blames exit on Cards' Green
Kent Somers
The Arizona Republic
Nov. 25, 2004 12:00 AM
Athletes rarely admit ill feelings for former teams, preferring to claim that playing against an ex-employer is like any other day at work.
Pete Kendall is different from most guys, however, so while it might not be animosity he feels for the Cardinals, who cut him Aug. 1, it's certainly not fondness, either.
"I guess you would have to say it is (special), but really not for great reasons," said Kendall, who starts at left guard for the Jets, the Cardinals' opponent Sunday at Sun Devil Stadium. "I'm going to try to keep my emotions under control, understanding that the reason I'm here has nothing to do with any of those guys I'm going to be playing against."
No, the reason he's in New York is that Cardinals coach Dennis Green didn't want him around.
Cutting Kendall, who spent three seasons in Arizona, is the most controversial decision Green has made since taking the Cardinals job in January. Kendall was the team's best offensive lineman, someone Green once regarded as an integral part of his "turnaround" efforts.
That opinion obviously changed. Green cut Kendall on the day players reported to training camp, a move some regarded as vindictive, since it could have been made weeks earlier, allowing Kendall more time to make plans.
Bob Wylie, then the team's offensive line coach, didn't know beforehand about Kendall's release. Wylie was fired after six games.
Some speculated Green cut Kendall because he suspected Kendall complained to the NFL Players Association about the intensity and structure of off-season practices.
"I think he got rid of me because he didn't think I was one of his guys and probably suspected me of going to the union," Kendall said Wednesday in a conference call with Arizona media.
He said a bit more to New York reporters.
"I'm not the type to hold my tongue," he said. "I was upset with how the minicamp and OTAs (organized team activities) were being conducted. That wasn't something I went to great lengths to hide, but it wasn't me who went to the union."
The NFL agreed that the Cardinals violated the rules and took away a week of off-season conditioning.
Green has never detailed his reasons for cutting Kendall, saying only that he drafted a center, Alex Stepanovich, in the fourth round for a reason.
"Change is part of it," Green said. "I don't think anybody thought 11 months ago that I was going to come in here and run the program exactly as it was the year before with the same players."
Several teams showed serious interest in Kendall, and he signed with the Jets, who will pay him about $6 million in guaranteed money over three years. He has been a key ingredient to the resurgence of their running attack, which is producing 147 yards a game, fourth best in the league.
"He's really brought some stability to our line," coach Herman Edwards said.
Kendall's release brought instability to the Cardinals. Stepanovich struggled early in the season, although he has made considerable progress since.
Cutting Kendall sent a message to the rest of the Cardinals that no job was safe.
"Oh, yeah. I was shocked," offensive tackle Leonard Davis said. "I didn't understand what was going on, and the only thing I could do is move on. The man (Green) made a decision."
Kendall also has moved on, and there have been benefits. He received another payday and moved closer to his family in the Boston area, and he's now with a team that has a winning record (7-3).
He harbors no animosity toward the Cardinals players, many of whom he still considers friends. He's looking forward to Sunday's game, but he also knows that a victory over the Cardinals would produce only so much joy.
"There's no way I can get back at Dennis Green," he told New York reporters. "I've come to accept that.
"I've been around long enough to know that if they win games and turn the program around, then he did the right thing by getting rid of a 'cancer' in me."
http://www.azcentral.com/sports/cardinals/articles/1125cards1125.html
Kent Somers
The Arizona Republic
Nov. 25, 2004 12:00 AM
Athletes rarely admit ill feelings for former teams, preferring to claim that playing against an ex-employer is like any other day at work.
Pete Kendall is different from most guys, however, so while it might not be animosity he feels for the Cardinals, who cut him Aug. 1, it's certainly not fondness, either.
"I guess you would have to say it is (special), but really not for great reasons," said Kendall, who starts at left guard for the Jets, the Cardinals' opponent Sunday at Sun Devil Stadium. "I'm going to try to keep my emotions under control, understanding that the reason I'm here has nothing to do with any of those guys I'm going to be playing against."
No, the reason he's in New York is that Cardinals coach Dennis Green didn't want him around.
Cutting Kendall, who spent three seasons in Arizona, is the most controversial decision Green has made since taking the Cardinals job in January. Kendall was the team's best offensive lineman, someone Green once regarded as an integral part of his "turnaround" efforts.
That opinion obviously changed. Green cut Kendall on the day players reported to training camp, a move some regarded as vindictive, since it could have been made weeks earlier, allowing Kendall more time to make plans.
Bob Wylie, then the team's offensive line coach, didn't know beforehand about Kendall's release. Wylie was fired after six games.
Some speculated Green cut Kendall because he suspected Kendall complained to the NFL Players Association about the intensity and structure of off-season practices.
"I think he got rid of me because he didn't think I was one of his guys and probably suspected me of going to the union," Kendall said Wednesday in a conference call with Arizona media.
He said a bit more to New York reporters.
"I'm not the type to hold my tongue," he said. "I was upset with how the minicamp and OTAs (organized team activities) were being conducted. That wasn't something I went to great lengths to hide, but it wasn't me who went to the union."
The NFL agreed that the Cardinals violated the rules and took away a week of off-season conditioning.
Green has never detailed his reasons for cutting Kendall, saying only that he drafted a center, Alex Stepanovich, in the fourth round for a reason.
"Change is part of it," Green said. "I don't think anybody thought 11 months ago that I was going to come in here and run the program exactly as it was the year before with the same players."
Several teams showed serious interest in Kendall, and he signed with the Jets, who will pay him about $6 million in guaranteed money over three years. He has been a key ingredient to the resurgence of their running attack, which is producing 147 yards a game, fourth best in the league.
"He's really brought some stability to our line," coach Herman Edwards said.
Kendall's release brought instability to the Cardinals. Stepanovich struggled early in the season, although he has made considerable progress since.
Cutting Kendall sent a message to the rest of the Cardinals that no job was safe.
"Oh, yeah. I was shocked," offensive tackle Leonard Davis said. "I didn't understand what was going on, and the only thing I could do is move on. The man (Green) made a decision."
Kendall also has moved on, and there have been benefits. He received another payday and moved closer to his family in the Boston area, and he's now with a team that has a winning record (7-3).
He harbors no animosity toward the Cardinals players, many of whom he still considers friends. He's looking forward to Sunday's game, but he also knows that a victory over the Cardinals would produce only so much joy.
"There's no way I can get back at Dennis Green," he told New York reporters. "I've come to accept that.
"I've been around long enough to know that if they win games and turn the program around, then he did the right thing by getting rid of a 'cancer' in me."
http://www.azcentral.com/sports/cardinals/articles/1125cards1125.html
