Time for fans to tread water:

[Catfish]

This is the growing period that we all expected would occur with all the new players added during the off season. We are about where I expected us to be right now, (although I did have Seattle listed as a win before the season started).

This is not the time to be calling for a QB change, or for jettisoning the new defensive scheme. Both the offense and the defense played well enough to win the Giants game. The fact that we didn't can be laid on the play of our rookie cornerbacks, but I choose not to do that. This is all new for them too. I feel that it is more a failure to put our best players in the best position to make plays at critical times in the game, (a fact that has occurred with frequency for the past several years, including the Super Bowl game). That is not new, and probably contributed more to this loss than any other one thing.

In any event, I believe this is a time where we, as fans, should remain quiet and simply allow the learning process to continue. We ARE making progress, though it may be hard to see. The run game produced by the offense was strong last Sunday, as was the defensive effort, up to the critical last two possessions for the Giants. As I stated before, that is not something new, and I don't lay that blame on any players, but on placement and on the use of players.

We have lost one game we should have won, and have lost two more that we could have won. As the new players learn continue to learn, we will improve, and who knows, maybe we will win a game or two that we normally would have lost. I'm willing to bide some time right now and not be calling for any heads to roll. Let the learning process continue.

 

[JeffGollin]

Agree.

I'm not happy, but this is the kind of stuff that happens in FB.

 

[BigRedRage]

Agree.

I'm not happy, but this the kind of stuff that happens in FB.

Do we really have to talk about facebook here too? God I hate social media!



; )

 

[TheCardFan]

Totally agree.

That is the problem with fans and the media...people who (for the most part) don't know what they are talking about and are hypercritical. Very few people have access to team meetings, practices, behind the scene conversations, etc. We see the players for 3 hours 1x/week and go crazy.

As a perfect example...look at Philly. They want Andy Reid's head on a stick outside the stadium. What...all of a sudden he is an idiot?

119 wins - 74 loses in 13 years (only two losing season out of 13).
6 NFC East (not west) Division Championships
4 NFC Championship games

 

[chickenhead]

I agree because although many/most of the complaints are valid, it's not as if the rest of the league is 4-0.

Miami and Indy are 0-4 and for different but obvious reasons. The Vikings look like they've made a QB miscue (I thought it would turn out better than it has) and they've blown leads. Their fans should be upset at the steps back they've taken.

Philly is 1-3 and their fans are worried. Carolina is 1-3 but their fans were probably worried about 0-4 and have been thrilled with a rookie QB.

Jacksonville and Denver are 1-3. I'm sure their fans were thinking about 2-2. KC fans are now worried last year was a mirage. Seattle fans probably think this is about right.

And then we have a number of teams (Atlanta, Chicago, Pittsburgh, Dallas, and the Jets) who were legitimately better than us outside our weak division. All of those teams are 2-2 and just a game in front of Arizona.

We'll see where we all finish...

 

[MrYeahBut]

I'm doing the best I can...

.

 

[ASUCHRIS]

Both the offense and the defense played well enough to win the Giants game.

You'll be stunned to learn we actually lost the game!

 

[Stout]

I agree that a lot of these headaches were foreseeable, Catfish. And I agree that we need to realize that it will take time for certain things to gel. That does not mean, however, that we need to be happy with it. Understanding the difficulties does not mean we cannot criticize CKW for poor coaching decisions, for example, or that we cannot criticize that defense for utterly failing us at the end of the game. We must temper that criticism with understanding, as fans, sure. That doesn't mean we stop doing what fans do--calling play, effort, and decision making into question when we lose.

 

[RugbyMuffin]

Cardinals fans have spent most of thier lives treading water.

We have cramps.

You must be registered for see images

 

[jefftheshark]

Cardinals fans have spent most of thier lives treading water.

We have cramps.

Treading water is what you do after the boat sinks. It is a time for prayer, hoping that some kind of miracle will unfold and you'll be saved by Divine intervention. An apt analogy for sure, but not the one I think the OP is really going for.

Instead he appears to be advising patience, asking for everyone to relax. This attribute, while admirable, will quickly lead to drowning if employed while treading water. So I don't know exactly where he's going with this.

Personally, I'm more like the vultures up in the tree who say "Patience my ass! I'm going down and killing somethin'."

Not that I'm advocating really killing someone - luckily there's a timely thread at the top of this page which has informed me that this would be a bad line of thought. However, metaphorically speaking, I'd rather see Mr. Graves splashing about in the ocean instead of myself or my fellow fans. I'd like him to tread water for a couple of years and see how much he likes it.

Of course this is just venting. I've never met Mr. Graves and if I did I bet I'd probably like him. Seems like a likable guy. We could have a couple of beers and maybe I'd come away with a whole different understanding of all the crap he's had to deal with over the years. Or maybe I'd find out that he's a complete and total knucklehead whose stewardship of the organization has been a near total disaster except for a three game span back in '08 & '09. Who knows?

But that's all we can do on this board, isn't it? Vent that is, not drinking beers with Rod Graves. So while I understand the call to just relax and let the season unfold as it will, I also understand that the entire point of this board will cease to exist if everyone took this advice. So please everybody - don't. Yell! Curse! Throw everybody under the bus!

It is the only way to keep our sanity while we collectively endure/enjoy another challenging season of Gridbird football.

Stay thirsty, my friends!

JTS

 

[Duckjake]

This is the growing period that we all expected would occur with all the new players added during the off season. We are about where I expected us to be right now, (although I did have Seattle listed as a win before the season started).

Is this a bump from last season?

 

[Catfish]

I agree that a lot of these headaches were foreseeable, Catfish. And I agree that we need to realize that it will take time for certain things to gel. That does not mean, however, that we need to be happy with it. Understanding the difficulties does not mean we cannot criticize CKW for poor coaching decisions, for example, or that we cannot criticize that defense for utterly failing us at the end of the game. We must temper that criticism with understanding, as fans, sure. That doesn't mean we stop doing what fans do--calling play, effort, and decision making into question when we lose.

Not at all Stout. Nobody should be happy with where we are right now. I'm not asking for that at all. Only asking to be patient, (especially about getting on any particular players) because some of them are new to pro football, and some are new to the Cardinals. We need to give all of them a reasonable time to learn a new system. That includes the QB. Warner as much said so this weekend saying that it takes a full year to learn this system of offense.

As for the losing late theme, that has been going on far longer than most of the people who are starting now have been here. I won't put that on any player-----that is a coaching problem, and has been all along.

 

[Crazy Canuck]

Treading water is what you do after the boat sinks. It is a time for prayer, hoping that some kind of miracle will unfold and you'll be saved by Divine intervention. An apt analogy for sure, but not the one I think the OP is really going for.

Instead he appears to be advising patience, asking for everyone to relax. This attribute, while admirable, will quickly lead to drowning if employed while treading water. So I don't know exactly where he's going with this.

Personally, I'm more like the vultures up in the tree who say "Patience my ass! I'm going down and killing somethin'."

Not that I'm advocating really killing someone - luckily there's a timely thread at the top of this page which has informed me that this would be a bad line of thought. However, metaphorically speaking, I'd rather see Mr. Graves splashing about in the ocean instead of myself or my fellow fans. I'd like him to tread water for a couple of years and see how much he likes it.

Of course this is just venting. I've never met Mr. Graves and if I did I bet I'd probably like him. Seems like a likable guy. We could have a couple of beers and maybe I'd come away with a whole different understanding of all the crap he's had to deal with over the years. Or maybe I'd find out that he's a complete and total knucklehead whose stewardship of the organization has been a near total disaster except for a three game span back in '08 & '09. Who knows?

But that's all we can do on this board, isn't it? Vent that is, not drinking beers with Rod Graves. So while I understand the call to just relax and let the season unfold as it will, I also understand that the entire point of this board will cease to exist if everyone took this advice. So please everybody - don't. Yell! Curse! Throw everybody under the bus!

It is the only way to keep our sanity while we collectively endure/enjoy another challenging season of Gridbird football.

Stay thirsty, my friends!

JTS

Another classic...

 

[Mitch]

Treading water is what you do after the boat sinks. It is a time for prayer, hoping that some kind of miracle will unfold and you'll be saved by Divine intervention. An apt analogy for sure, but not the one I think the OP is really going for.

Instead he appears to be advising patience, asking for everyone to relax. This attribute, while admirable, will quickly lead to drowning if employed while treading water. So I don't know exactly where he's going with this.

Personally, I'm more like the vultures up in the tree who say "Patience my ass! I'm going down and killing somethin'."

Not that I'm advocating really killing someone - luckily there's a timely thread at the top of this page which has informed me that this would be a bad line of thought. However, metaphorically speaking, I'd rather see Mr. Graves splashing about in the ocean instead of myself or my fellow fans. I'd like him to tread water for a couple of years and see how much he likes it.

Of course this is just venting. I've never met Mr. Graves and if I did I bet I'd probably like him. Seems like a likable guy. We could have a couple of beers and maybe I'd come away with a whole different understanding of all the crap he's had to deal with over the years. Or maybe I'd find out that he's a complete and total knucklehead whose stewardship of the organization has been a near total disaster except for a three game span back in '08 & '09. Who knows?

But that's all we can do on this board, isn't it? Vent that is, not drinking beers with Rod Graves. So while I understand the call to just relax and let the season unfold as it will, I also understand that the entire point of this board will cease to exist if everyone took this advice. So please everybody - don't. Yell! Curse! Throw everybody under the bus!

It is the only way to keep our sanity while we collectively endure/enjoy another challenging season of Gridbird football.

Stay thirsty, my friends!

JTS

That is priceless! The worth of admission to this board! Bless you, Jeff!

 

[conraddobler]

This is the growing period that we all expected would occur with all the new players added during the off season. We are about where I expected us to be right now, (although I did have Seattle listed as a win before the season started).

This is not the time to be calling for a QB change, or for jettisoning the new defensive scheme. Both the offense and the defense played well enough to win the Giants game. The fact that we didn't can be laid on the play of our rookie cornerbacks, but I choose not to do that. This is all new for them too. I feel that it is more a failure to put our best players in the best position to make plays at critical times in the game, (a fact that has occurred with frequency for the past several years, including the Super Bowl game). That is not new, and probably contributed more to this loss than any other one thing.

In any event, I believe this is a time where we, as fans, should remain quiet and simply allow the learning process to continue. We ARE making progress, though it may be hard to see. The run game produced by the offense was strong last Sunday, as was the defensive effort, up to the critical last two possessions for the Giants. As I stated before, that is not something new, and I don't lay that blame on any players, but on placement and on the use of players.

We have lost one game we should have won, and have lost two more that we could have won. As the new players learn continue to learn, we will improve, and who knows, maybe we will win a game or two that we normally would have lost. I'm willing to bide some time right now and not be calling for any heads to roll. Let the learning process continue.

I'm not going to be treading any water, cause I don't base my life on this stuff.

It's a game, and a team that I had the fortune or misfortune to bond with, which IMO is something that you have to seriously watch out for, I noticed my youngest daughter bonding with this team through me and we decided to go for some Sunday walks instead.

I don't think you should let this team bond with your kid until they're 18 JMO, no one should let a minor fall into that pit, no they should be of some age at least and jump in there on their own.

I was like 7 when I got hooked on this team and no one told me it was going to be like this, probably the same thing Cubs fans deal with.

One thing after all these years I do know, this team hasn't earned JACK !$!$ in terms of patience, NONE, ZERO, ZIP.

They have a MASSIVE NEGATIVE patience balance, if they were a country they'd be Iceland.

So if you want to be patient, then by all means do so.

 

[100%CardsFan]

The difference is That I have had the pleasure of being around the players, coaches, staff alot. I heard ALOT and saw ALOT of behind the scenes stuff. I even got a PM from a a player who told me something and asked me not to post it...... There is alot of favoritism and BS in that front office.

 

[PJ1]

Wouldn't be wise to tread water waiting for the Cardinals. You would surely drown.

 

[Duckjake]

The difference is That I have had the pleasure of being around the players, coaches, staff alot. I heard ALOT and saw ALOT of behind the scenes stuff. I even got a PM from a a player who told me something and asked me not to post it...... There is alot of favoritism and BS in that front office.

I call that the big time sports equivalent of Omerta. Nobody ever says any thing. Just day after day of coachspeak. From the coaches, the owners, the media and the players.

Then 5 or 10 years later after the statute of limitations has run out we finally get the real story.

 

[Mulli]

The difference is That I have had the pleasure of being around the players, coaches, staff alot. I heard ALOT and saw ALOT of behind the scenes stuff. I even got a PM from a a player who told me something and asked me not to post it...... There is alot of favoritism and BS in that front office.

:BIM:

a lot

 

[100%CardsFan]

I call that the big time sports equivalent of Omerta. Nobody ever says any thing. Just day after day of coachspeak. From the coaches, the owners, the media and the players.

Then 5 or 10 years later after the statute of limitations has run out we finally get the real story.

He is a friend, I wouldnt do that to him. he specifically asked me not to post it on here, Lets just say the news story about his release was complete BS as they dragged his name through the mud.

 

[Seandonic]

One thing after all these years I do know, this team hasn't earned JACK !$!$ in terms of patience, NONE, ZERO, ZIP.

They have a MASSIVE NEGATIVE patience balance, if they were a country they'd be Iceland.

I almost totally agree with ^this^.

After Warner left however, I have always believed that it would take two years to rebuild this team. One year of absolute squalor and turmoil (last season). And one season of steady albeit tempered improvement (this season).

The third season (for a truly credible organization) should be the one in which true contender status would be reached. Therein lies the real question though: Is this team under Michael Bidwill a credible organization?

I believe that on paper, this team is a left tackle and a 3-4 OLB (along with some other minor improvements) away from reaching that goal of contention. However (IMHO), the M. Bidwill running a credible organization question has yet to be answered.

The real answer will come during next season...which unfortunately requires that ugly, untimely, and undeserved (by the Cards) word: patience.

 

[Catfish]

I almost totally agree with ^this^.

After Warner left however, I have always believed that it would take two years to rebuild this team. One year of absolute squalor and turmoil (last season). And one season of steady albeit tempered improvement (this season).

The third season (for a truly credible organization) should be the one in which true contender status would be reached. Therein lies the real question though: Is this team under Michael Bidwill a credible organization?

I believe that on paper, this team is a left tackle and a 3-4 OLB (along with some other minor improvements) away from reaching that goal of contention. However (IMHO), the M. Bidwill running a credible organization question has yet to be answered.

The real answer will come during next season...which unfortunately requires that ugly, untimely, and undeserved (by the Cards) word: patience.

Ya know ------ I find it hard not to believe that kids like Peterson and Jefferson don't deserve a dose of patience, not only from the fans, but from their coaches. They are brand new to all this professional game stuff. Even vets like Colledge, and Eason, and Holliday, and especially Kolb, deserve some patience due to the new scheme's they have to learn, though probably not so much as the rookies. I don't have a whole lot of patience left for Whiz and company though, (Horton excluded), because they have not yet fixed what they have been pointing out as broken as long as 5 years now. The coaches, for the most part, have worn me out.

 

[JC_AZ]

Treading water is what you do after the boat sinks. It is a time for prayer, hoping that some kind of miracle will unfold and you'll be saved by Divine intervention. An apt analogy for sure, but not the one I think the OP is really going for.

Instead he appears to be advising patience, asking for everyone to relax. This attribute, while admirable, will quickly lead to drowning if employed while treading water. So I don't know exactly where he's going with this.

Personally, I'm more like the vultures up in the tree who say "Patience my ass! I'm going down and killing somethin'."

Not that I'm advocating really killing someone - luckily there's a timely thread at the top of this page which has informed me that this would be a bad line of thought. However, metaphorically speaking, I'd rather see Mr. Graves splashing about in the ocean instead of myself or my fellow fans. I'd like him to tread water for a couple of years and see how much he likes it.

Of course this is just venting. I've never met Mr. Graves and if I did I bet I'd probably like him. Seems like a likable guy. We could have a couple of beers and maybe I'd come away with a whole different understanding of all the crap he's had to deal with over the years. Or maybe I'd find out that he's a complete and total knucklehead whose stewardship of the organization has been a near total disaster except for a three game span back in '08 & '09. Who knows?

But that's all we can do on this board, isn't it? Vent that is, not drinking beers with Rod Graves. So while I understand the call to just relax and let the season unfold as it will, I also understand that the entire point of this board will cease to exist if everyone took this advice. So please everybody - don't. Yell! Curse! Throw everybody under the bus!

It is the only way to keep our sanity while we collectively endure/enjoy another challenging season of Gridbird football.

Stay thirsty, my friends!

JTS

 

[CFLredzoned]

As for the losing late theme, that has been going on far longer than most of the people who are starting now have been here. I won't put that on any player-----that is a coaching problem, and has been all along.

Apparantly, Whiz is 23 and 4 when leading after 3 quarters. Two of those losses were this year. (This is according to Fun Katie from Ron and Wolfe. She said that Kent Somers tweeted that. I looked and I couldn't find the tweet. But it could be old.) It sure doesn't seem like it. But... okay. So Whiz can coach. Because this was definitly an issue preWhiz. I think? It sure seemed like it.

 

[RugbyMuffin]

Ya know ------ I find it hard not to believe that kids like Peterson and Jefferson don't deserve a dose of patience, not only from the fans, but from their coaches.

There are a lot of zeros on their pay check that spells out: proffessional athelete.

Every pay checked widdles away at the patience anyone is going to have for these players at any time in their career.