Rick Reilly:"The End Is Near"

[Totally_Red]

Warner article:

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/columns/story?columnist=reilly_rick&id=4840493&sportCat=nfl


excerpt:

Still, if Warner does quit in the next couple of weeks -- talk to him, you'll be convinced he will -- it won't be because of his seven kids landing 720 McTwists on him, or 300-pound linemen crushing him from the blind side. It'll be because it's become nine parts job and one part fun.

"Not the Sundays," he says. "The three hours on Sundays are still fun. But it's the whole week, the whole commitment, the ability to sustain it to your fullest, day in and day out.



"You feel the pressure. You have a game that isn't that great and people are like, 'What's wrong with Warner?' That wears on you. You don't have the joy and the fun and satisfaction of having one of those great games because everybody expects you to have one of those games. You never get to exhale."

 

[82CardsGrad]

Interesting... Doug and Wolf have Warren Moon on tomorrow morning to discuss this very topic. According to Moon, he feels Warner won't be able to walk away when he's still playing at such a high level. He says there is nothing "telling" Kurt to leave - physically and performance wise. And that the competitor inside Kurt will eventually over-rule his current exhaustion.

Kurt has always been a bit different. His entire story is different, so perhaps Moon is wrong here. Guess we'll soon find out...

 

[Mulli]

Troy Aikman thinks Warner will quit, but Aikman is kinda dumb.

 

[82CardsGrad]

Troy Aikman thinks Warner will quit, but Aikman is kinda dumb.

Aikman:

Games - 165
Comp % - 61.5%
Yds - 32,942
TD's - 165
INT's - 141
Rating - 81.6

Warner:

Games - 125
Comp % - 65.5
Yds - 32,344
TD's - 208
INT's - 128
Rating - 93.7


SHUT UP AIKMAN!!

 

[john h]

Interesting... Doug and Wolf have Warren Moon on tomorrow morning to discuss this very topic. According to Moon, he feels Warner won't be able to walk away when he's still playing at such a high level. He says there is nothing "telling" Kurt to leave - physically and performance wise. And that the competitor inside Kurt will eventually over-rule his current exhaustion.

Kurt has always been a bit different. His entire story is different, so perhaps Moon is wrong here. Guess we'll soon find out...

Kurt has had SIX (6) concussions. He stated he wanted to be there for his kids with a clear mind when he calls it quits. He is not your usual breed of athlete. This guy will put his family first if he feels he is risking his retirement years because of his love of competition. Many guys stayed to long and now can barely walk or are in constant pain. I hope Kurt does what is best for Kurt be it play or retire. He is not so self involved as to try and set records or even to play for big dollars. This guy has his head on straight and I will back him what ever his choice and recall the glory years he has given all of us.

 

[DeAnna]

IMO, he's already privately told some people he will retire and announce it after the SuperBowl.

 

[conraddobler]

Aikman:

Games - 165
Comp % - 61.5%
Yds - 32,942
TD's - 165
INT's - 141
Rating - 81.6

Warner:

Games - 125
Comp % - 65.5
Yds - 32,344
TD's - 208
INT's - 128
Rating - 93.7


SHUT UP AIKMAN!!

Funny but Troy's stats never told the real story, a lot of those completions he did make were to Irvin as death blows to the other team.

Always a big yawn as a fantasy QB.

 

[conraddobler]

Warner article:

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/columns/story?columnist=reilly_rick&id=4840493&sportCat=nfl


excerpt:

Still, if Warner does quit in the next couple of weeks -- talk to him, you'll be convinced he will -- it won't be because of his seven kids landing 720 McTwists on him, or 300-pound linemen crushing him from the blind side. It'll be because it's become nine parts job and one part fun.

"Not the Sundays," he says. "The three hours on Sundays are still fun. But it's the whole week, the whole commitment, the ability to sustain it to your fullest, day in and day out.



"You feel the pressure. You have a game that isn't that great and people are like, 'What's wrong with Warner?' That wears on you. You don't have the joy and the fun and satisfaction of having one of those great games because everybody expects you to have one of those games. You never get to exhale."

Hmmm, interesting.

Sounds like he's done to me.

Well I have already called it that he's staying and will get a new contract so I must of jinxed it.

 

[Mulli]

Come on Warner. He sounds whiney in that quote. Boo hoo being an Nfl qb is stressful, so what.

 

[DieHardCardFan]

Kurt has had SIX (6) concussions.

Where did that number come from. In this article that was just written they said at least 3 and Kurt said it was probably 5. So where did the 6 come from. Just curious.

 

[82CardsGrad]

Funny but Troy's stats never told the real story, a lot of those completions he did make were to Irvin as death blows to the other team.

Always a big yawn as a fantasy QB.

Bleh... dude only threw for 20 or more TD's once his whole career. Classic case of a QB being surrounded by once in a lifetime talent... Tremendous o-line, Hall of Fame RB & WR. Novacek (5 Pro Bowls), Daryl Johnston (2 Pro Bowls)... not to mention their defense.
If Kurt could have ever been surrounded with that type of talent even for half the amount of time as was Aikman, he would have re-rewritten the books...

Aikman was good don't get me wrong, but in terms of pure quarterback skills, I really don't think he's anywhere near Warner...

 

[MoeIsBetter]

Bleh... dude only threw for 20 or more TD's once his whole career. Classic case of a QB being surrounded by once in a lifetime talent... Tremendous o-line, Hall of Fame RB & WR. Novacek (5 Pro Bowls), Daryl Johnston (2 Pro Bowls)... not to mention their defense.
If Kurt could have ever been surrounded with that type of talent even for half the amount of time as was Aikman, he would have re-rewritten the books...

Aikman was good don't get me wrong, but in terms of pure quarterback skills, I really don't think he's anywhere near Warner...

Anybody could make a VERY strong argument that Kurt has played with the better players lol. Torry Holt, Issac Bruce, Marsharl Faulk, his OL there, Fitz, Boldin, Edge, etc.

 

[82CardsGrad]

Anybody could make a VERY strong argument that Kurt has played with the better players lol. Torry Holt, Issac Bruce, Marsharl Faulk, his OL there, Fitz, Boldin, Edge, etc.

Smith - Hall of Fame RB
Irvin - Hall of Fame WR
Novcek - Rams and Cards never had a TE to even come close.
Daryl Johnston - see Novacek.
Tuinei, Newton, Stepnoski, Erik Williams, Larry Allen...

All of those guys were together for years and years with Aikman. Kurt had 3 year runs with both Rams and the Cards, nothing sustained like Aikman had.

 

[Redheart]

Kurt has been praying for God to help him and take away his desire to play football so he can retire and get on with the rest of his life in peace.

What Kurt doesn't understand is that virtually the whole state of Arizona and a big chuck of the mid-west are praying for just the opposite.

 

[Mitch]

Kurt has been praying for God to help him and take away his desire to play football so he can retire and get on with the rest of his life in peace.

What Kurt doesn't understand is that virtually the whole state of Arizona and a big chuck of the mid-west are praying for just the opposite.

Post of the day, Redheart!

 

[Crazy Canuck]

While I doubt it's the number one or two issue for Kurt, by retiring, he leaves behind 11 million dollars, that could have helped with his good causes.

 

[moklerman]

Kurt has been praying for God to help him and take away his desire to play football so he can retire and get on with the rest of his life in peace.

What Kurt doesn't understand is that virtually the whole state of Arizona and a big chuck of the mid-west are praying for just the opposite.

If he's praying for God to take it away, doesn't that mean that it's still there? Sounds like he still wants to play. His heart wants to play football but his head says the practical thing is to walk away.

 

[Buckybird]

Post of the day, Redheart!

Those are Warner's words to Reilly according to Bickley & MJ.

 

[Buckybird]

If he's praying for God to take it away, doesn't that mean that it's still there? Sounds like he still wants to play. His heart wants to play football but his head says the practical thing is to walk away.

yep!!! Plus he said his body has never been more sore than after the Saints game which is contradicting to his words after the game.

 

[Doug]

I still pray to ALMIGHTY GOD to take away my too consuming love for NFL football.I'm still patiently waiting.

Being "THE" guy that makes a lifetime group of fans that have never enjoyed CHAMPIOHSHIP FOOTBALL as fans even harder than it was the rams who had been to MANY playoff games and a previous SuperBowl.

Its more pressure to make this team run like clockwork timing.Warner HAS to be ON every game or the team loses.PERIOD!!!We don't have the Ravens defense or one that scores regularly to help the offense.Warner has never had one of those.Once He had the 6th ranked defense and they won the world Championship.Never again was his defense in the top 10.

So it is added pressure Matt is gonna have to deal with.The CARDINALS fans are as tough as the giants fans,now that they tasted a NFC Championship and back to back division wins.We expect a great passing game and enough points to win every game.Hope Matt can prepare to handle losing with very tough fans.We have a very tough schedule next year as the whiners are breathing down our necks and getting 2 high draft picks very early this year.I doubt they hold out this year,like last year.

Matt was used to winning at USC.He won it all once in college.So he knows high expectations.

 

[DeAnna]

Those are Warner's words to Reilly according to Bickley & MJ.

Was that the article on espn.com? I thought Reilly was with SI ... ?

 

[40yearfan]

Kurt has been praying for God to help him and take away his desire to play football so he can retire and get on with the rest of his life in peace.

What Kurt doesn't understand is that virtually the whole state of Arizona and a big chuck of the mid-west are praying for just the opposite.

 

[Crazy Canuck]

On the issue of retiring, Warner was emotionally all over the place after the Super Bowl. Don't note much difference this year, although he's a year older and thus a year closer to making his final exit.

Too many people are trying to read the mind of someone who doesn't know his own mind on this issue.

 

[WarnerHOF]

I think it's time for us and him to move on. I'm being brutally honest here when I say the defense is going to hold us back from going to the super bowl as long as Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees are still here so I don't see much point in Warner coming back. Time to see what Leinart can offers us.

 

[Buckybird]

On the issue of retiring, Warner was emotionally all over the place after the Super Bowl. Don't note much difference this year, although he's a year older and thus a year closer to making his final exit.

Too many people are trying to read the mind of someone who doesn't know his own mind on this issue.

And I guess getting a concussion & a huge, scary blindside shot in a playoff game doesn't say "retire"? Being at the end of your career with nothing prove & the fear of a major injury has to be in his mind. Maybe he does retire, maybe he doesn't. I bet he does!!!