My retort.
There are some definite strong opinions in this post, thus my retort will be strong as well.
While I understand this is to be read as an editorial, and I did take it that way, I still had opinions back on some of these claims.
I respect about every opinion out there including this one. My retort of this post is more or less there are a lot of catch-22 situations where no matter what the Cardinals do, they would be in the wrong.
Thus I am not sure what the point is, and have a very hard time understand what exactly the complaints are.
For example, saying that the coach is a moral destroyer in one post, and then complaining about self-promotion in another. Thus, no matter what is said by the Cardinals, it is unacceptable. OK. That is fine, but what is the point then ?
Same coach who came here in 2013 with his bravado. Not sure how you missed it, but if you are just realizing this is how he is last year, I can see if you do not like his personality, why you would say this. Just not sure why it is a problem now and not in 2013.
Show me an NFL coach without an ego, by the way.
I have been on ASFN through 4 coaches.......#1 complaint about every single one of them is ego.
With rank comes privilege. Something I believe in, live, and utilize myself. I earn my place within my job, and I get things others do not. Why? Because I have earned the trust, respect, value, and benefit of the doubt.
It is the difference between working in a private sector after school, and institutionalized public work and school. It may not be "fair". But, neither is life. You want the benefits, you gotta work for them.
I have no problem with a coach having his loyalties, favorites, etc., etc. YET, it can cost him his job.
As for moral and unity of the team, please site any example of where that happens ? Seems to be a pretty tight unit of guys on this team, and what I am seeing, reading, hearing, etc. has re-enforced that.
Keep hearing of free agents that want to be in AZ.
Fair enough. I would like the Cardinals to move Deone Bucanon back to SS and use NFL sized linebackers. But just like using a fullback, it ain't going to happen.
Many teams in the NFL do not use a fullback, are they just as reckless with their running game? I guess the use of David Johnson as a wide receiver to try and increase his touches and the hits he gets from linebackers and defensive linemen was something you didn't read about, but FYI, that is one the main reasons they like Johnson and give him so much work.
Yet, I do question your own favortism, and loyalties. I have read a lot of complaints in your articles calling out numerous players over the last few years. Andre Ellington, and Patrick Peterson being two favorite whipping posts, and you complain they are not physical enough. Now you are saying David Johnson is asking to be too physical ?
OK. Where is that line and balance ? Because either that entire situation is a convenient truth, or there is a happy medium, which I have talked about at length in response to many of your posts, that you never seem to agree with.
I know this retort is a bit of "backing you in a corner" on the subject, but to be fair you are keeping a fine line in your player analysis, and have had some very definite judgement on players because of how physical they are, and not you are literally taking both sides of the argument.
Or maybe you are just coming to the realization that these are professionals and you have to play smart, not just hard all the time. I dunno, but after reading this, I have no idea where you stand on that.
Reggie Wayne played until he was 34 years old. Hines Ward played until he was 35 years old. Larry Fitzgerald is currently 33 years old.
How many games has Fitzgerald missed while playing for Arians ?
May receivers do not sniff these ages, and the system Arians has put in for Fitzgerald just got him the receptions record at 32 years old.
Not much more that needs to be said. I do not see anything supporting your argument.
How long did Calvin Johnson, Andre Johnson, Terrell Owens, and Randy Moss play for ? Maybe they had the systems that shortened their career since it seems the receivers that play the slot position in Arians offense have outlast all those "great wide receivers that were better than Larry Fitzgerald (at least by the media's standards at the time)" when they played.
I have no idea what a "fun" offense is. It is a term that I have never heard used in football. Thus I would need an example of what in the heck this means.
The rest of your opinion on that makes sense.
An example please. If it is from the team website, then your complaint can be laid at the feet of any NFL team at this moment. It is preseason and hope springs eternal.
I have heard nothing from Arians and the Cardinals but how they "don't have goals", how they "are not the top 5 defense the numbers say", how there "receivers are not NFL quality".
So some how, the Cardinals lead the league in promoting themselves 7 talking points after Arians is killing moral. Which is it ?
I have heard more talk about how good a team is coming out of Philadelphia than in AZ. And that is just one place. Thus I would really need to see some example of what you are talking about, because I simply have not seen it.
Rugby...I appreciate the time and effort you put into refuting several of my worries. I think you make good arguments and so, if some of the worries turn out to be unfounded, I will happily tip my cap to you and others who don't share in these concerns.
I also appreciate that you are engaging in a respectful discussion of the concerns. I find it funny that some of my constant detractors on this board think this is about my ego. Wow. if my ego was as big as they claim it to be, why would I put up with the constant abuse I get from a number of dissenters who never have anything respectful to say about my threads and always fill my posts with snide, snarky insults and expressions of contempt?
For my own sanity, i checked my ego at the door a long time ago. I just pretty much accept the fact that no matter what there are some posters who will go out of their way to insult me.
As for your good points and questions, here are some explanations:
1. BA's ego.
When BA arrived in Arizona he described himself as the "cool uncle." And for the first couple of years that rang true. BA taught the Cardinals how to win again through aggressive play calling on both sides of the ball. It was "no risk it, no biscuit" in full array.
I don't know if it was winning 2 Coach of the Year awards so fast and early into his HCing tenure and/or getting a fat raise...but BA started to say some things that I found very disturbing, such as publicly calling rookie T DJH "Knee Deep", insulting the Rams on national TV and calling an injured Justin Bethel a "failure in progress."
On a couple of occasions last year following losses, BA appeared to be slightly open to self-criticism and/or criticism of his staff --- but each time by the next day he was in the media blasting the players for their lack of leadership, all the while lauding his coaches for the outstanding work they do, even to the point of calling embattled STs coordinator Amos Jones a "brilliant" coach.
Living here in Foxboro, I have grown accustomed to Bill Belichick calling himself and his coaches out every time they lose. i find that refreshingly humble and it is not an act. Belichick thinks that way. It's what motivates him the most. I know people are sick of hearing about Belichick and the Patriots, but they are the model organization in the NFL, like to or not. There are reasons why they win year after year and it's not just because they have Tom Brady.
BA no longer seems to me like the "cool uncle." He is more like the outspoken uncle who you can't shut up at the Thanksgiving dinner table and who is the first to say that the turkey is dry.
You are right...every coach has an ego. But, I have never seen a great coach show such blatant disrespect for his own players, for other teams and the officials as BA does...and, imo, that has generated bad karma for him and his players.
It's a desperate coach who has to try to motivate his players through the media.
2.
As for moral and unity of the team, please site any example of where that happens ? Seems to be a pretty tight unit of guys on this team, and what I am seeing, reading, hearing, etc. has re-enforced that.
Keep hearing of free agents that want to be in AZ.
I thought that BA lost the team last year and it wasn't until Steve Keim threatened the players' future in Arizona following the home loss to the Saints last year that things were turned around.
When week after week the same lousy script gets unveiled, it's a sign that the team is not responding to the coaching. Examples: slow, sluggish starts, getting in an early hole, shoddy ST gaffes, no adjustments at half-time (same shaky start of second halfs)---BA always says that the first five minutes of each half dictates the tome of the game -- well, even though he scripted the first 20 plays every week, week after week we were seeing the sam mistakes and half-hearted play.
If this off-season is an indication, there were no splash FA signing in Arizona. Three veterans in their 30s signed. The only real potential 5th year FA splash signing was OLB Jarvis Jones (whom they got near the minimum on a one-year prove it deal)...and Jones hasn't even seen the field yet.
This is one of my biggest worries, Rugby. Now that "cool uncle" is gone and "dissing uncle" is in his place, do FAs really want to come here anymore?
How do we explain the mass exodus of free agents? Seems most of them couldn't wait to get out of here.
The current players still say good things about BA and maybe they are sincere, but let's be real, if they have their issues with BA and the coaches, are they going to say so publicly?
3.
Yet, I do question your own favortism, and loyalties. I have read a lot of complaints in your articles calling out numerous players over the last few years. Andre Ellington, and Patrick Peterson being two favorite whipping posts, and you complain they are not physical enough. Now you are saying David Johnson is asking to be too physical ?
I started writing posts years ago called "Cardinal Tough" because i felt like the Cardinals played soft. Last night Richard Sherman came up in run force and pasted RB Spencer Ware, in a pre-season game. That's the way they play in Seattle. It's not just when they want to. Last week, Tarik Cohen had 4 big runs to Patrick Peterson's side and on 3 of those runs Peterson's effort to make a tackle was zero to none. Others have said they don't want Peterson to tackle...I think that the whole defense has to start tackling and this year I went back and watched Peterson's tackling at LSU and he was a baller...just as he was an all-world punt returner. The Cardinals should be getting the same guy who starred at LSU. He's not...he's only interested in doing the things he wants to do...and everyone can relate to how damaging to morale double standards are in the work place. How about the guy who comes in late very day and gets away with it? Sure, he could be a superstar salesman or whatever, but it sure doesn't endear the guy to his colleagues and it makes the colleagues pissed off at the boss.
Ellington's effort on so many of his dives and Peterson's running away from tackles are game clips that opponents watch when preparing to play the Cardinals. Opponents feel that they can out-tough the Cardinals. This is still true.
As for David Johnson, what I am asking for is to give him some added protection in the running game and a greater springboard for big plays. The problem I have with BA and HC's running game is that they don't iso (straight on) on the LBers...which is why good LB teams play great against the Cardinals.
They try to block LBers from the side with TEs or Fitz, but the quick ones can dodge those blocks every time. The Cardinals don't punish LBers---that how you win in the running game. Take away their will.
9.
An example please. If it is from the team website, then your complaint can be laid at the feet of any NFL team at this moment. It is preseason and hope springs eternal.
Patrick Peterson---"I am the best CB in the NFL."
Tyrann Mathieu---"When I'm healthy i am the best defensive player in the NFL."
Rugby---thanks for the discussion. Your reactions?
