Hope you are right bro.
But I've read things like this for 25 years in Arizona, but the light at the end of the tunnel was a train 22 out of 25 times.
If you can dance around with red and white poms-poms in your living room chanting "BA - SK!" over a 1-1 regular season record... hey, more power to you. I actually wish I could. I don't think that makes you a better fan than anyone else though. Certainly not to the point you can think of anyone as "lame" for being a die hard for this team. It is not our fault the data is overwhelming that the Cardinals don't win and go to the playoffs very often. Data is what it is.
I hear you too AJ-----But if you are going to buy into all the 22 times in 25 years stuff without really considering the facts, and buying into what the P&M'rs are selling then you will be cheating yourself.
Consider that the Cards have been in the valley for 25 years. In that time, I believe they have changed coaches 6-7 times. So there are really only 6-7 times that this change for the better has occurred. It actually happened twice-----Once with Joe Bugel, and once with Whiz. Bugel built the best run offense we have seen here in the desert, and had a great O'line. The defense was getting better each year, but Mr. B fired him, despite that he won 5 of his last 8 games here in order to hire Buddy Ryan. Ryan immediately set about destroying the O'line, and caused a total rebuild to become necessary in his very short tenure. It took Mr. Biege, Mack, and Denny three tenures to put it back to where Bugel left it. Then came Whiz, and rode KW to a SB appearance, and then an additional NFCW title before he pretty much screwed the pooch. So really there were only about 5 times when real change came, not 22. See how easy it is to get caught up in this stuff, good or bad.
The change occurring now is unprecedented here in the desert. Everyone complained that SK delivered a bunch of short term garbage to BA. Not the case it seems, because these guys were all leaders. That they did not break the bank is a plus. They work their butts off, and they help those around them learn.
Then everyone complained that SK could not handle a draft, (because he was part of the problem). Not so. He proved to be very adept at maneuvering in the draft and even created extra picks from nothing. He had a sensational draft.
Then they all wanted to complain that we should have brought Norv Turner in to coach the offense, and keep our defensive co-ordinator. Well, how is that working out in Cleveland? After all, they were a better team than we were last year, and what have those two done for them.
Meanwhile, the roster players here have bought into what BA is selling much quicker that they bought into what Ray Horton sold last year, and this roster is looking much better and deeper than before. We are better at CB, QB, RB, WR, OL, DL, and ILB than last year, and MUCH deeper. Remember Massie and Potter were both starters on the OL last year. Now they are depth. We are still 5 deep at corner, and 5 deep at RB. Each WR that has been kept on this roster has contributed. None have failed or let us down. We have added depth to the DL and are good at ILB, with the opportunity to get much better there when D-Wash comes back. Remember too, that both Cooper and Swope could possibly come back next year, although Swope is likely to a much lesser degree than Cooper to do so. WE lost two veteran safeties, but Rashad Johnson and Yeremiah Bell are being pushed by Tryan Mathieu and Tony Jefferson, both rookies. Meanwhile Wilson was on the bubble at NE, and Kerry Rhodes is not even in the league. So it would appear that we got better everywhere but at OLB, and that can be argued some, because we brought in John Abraham as a situational pass rusher during camp.
So, my thought is, if you want to only listen to the P&M'rs, your year could be long and wanting. But if you want to have some fun, really look at what is happening here, and join in. This team plays competitive football, and they strive to learn during each practice. They all appreciate what is happening here, and want to contribute to it. That is the real change that has happened here, and it only looks to get better with time.
