Lomax to Green 84
Hall of Famer
We Big Red fans are an unusual bunch. When you root for a team that has been transplanted 3 times in the last 45 years and have the record of ineptitude they have shown it is absolutely amazing that there are so many out there who have followed this club for a long, long time.
For me its been 25 years. Every once in a while my wife asks me why I still root for the Big Red. Why go through the emotional pain of losing when we have the Rams just 2 hours away and the Colts only 3 hours away. To be honest I can't give just one reason, but I have compiled 10 major events (both good and bad) that have defined me as a Cards fan. I would love to hear some others.
Here are my top 10 in order of least to most influential:
10. September 1997-Cards vs. Bengals in Cincinatti. Arizona leads 21-3 at halftime, in total control on the game and boom the Bungels score 3 touchdowns in the 4th quarter and win. Was at the game. Cocky, laughing, getting beer poured on me for 3 quarters and then to have the Bengals come back and win. A loss that defines what is typical as a Big Red fan.
9. January 2, 1999-Cards vs. Cowboys. Arizona wins 20-7 to win first playoff game in 50 years. Between trying to help at my brothers wedding and wedding reception and sneaking into the bar to catch parts of the Cards win. Truly a great day!!!
8. Cards selection of Kelly Stouffer in round 1 of the 1987 draft. The first year I really got into the draft. I had messed around with the draft some but this was the first time that I had invested serious time into the draft. I had already penciled in Jerome Brown (DT from Miami) and the Cards take Stouffer instead. I had a bunch of buddies over (all Bears fans) who mocked me the entire day over the Stouffer selection.
7. 1984-Cardinals vs. Dallas. Roy Green goes crazy, gets close to 200 yards receiving and the Cards crush the Cowboys. The first time in my life as a Cards fan that I see a dominant Cardinals team. I have for years said that the 1984 St. Louis Cardinals were the best 9-7 , non playoff team ever.
6. December 21, 1998-Cards vs. New Orleans. My first and only time going to Sun Devil Stadium to see the Big Red. Suprised my wife, brother, and sister in law with a Christmas gift of plane tickets and Cards tickets. Got an awesome picture with Pat Tillman and saw the Cards win on a last second Chris Jacke field goal. The best moment was right after New Orleans scored to go ahead and seeing the look in Jake Plummer's eyes as he was getting ready to take the field. Say what you want about Plummer, but he was and is a gamer and that guy had the eye of the tiger that day.
5. July 1997-My first trip to Flagstaff. A little bit of football heaven. Had numerous fans ask me if I was Jake Plummer's older brother. Cool stuff.
4. October 1984-Steve Sabol (NFL Films) Halloween edition-"The Birds". It was an awesome 30 minute piece on the then 6-3 Cardinals. The Cards were on a 4 game win streak and were the talk of the league. I would pay huge bucks to anyone who had a copy of that show. OJ Anderson, Neil Lomax, Roy Green, Stump Mitchell all were interviewed. A great show for a great team!!
3. July 1987- My very first NFL training camp. Charleston, Illinois. Had a great conversation with Neil Lomax. Great memories. I remember seeing Niko Nogo behind the neck pressing 315 pounds in the Cards weight room. That was and still is the scariest looking man I have ever seen.
2. December 1984-Cards vs. Washington. Cards get royally screwed on a number of calls (a phantom pass interference call and a phantom roughing the passer call) and lose when Neil O'Donohoue misses on a last second field goal. Why a loss so high on my list? This was way before the internet and DIRECTV NFL Ticket and Cards games were hard to come by on TV. The Cards/Skins game was in the TV Guide as the game of the week. My dad and I watch the pre-game show, they go to the Cards/Skins game and just seconds before the kickoff they inexplicably go to the Bears/Lions game. The Cards/Skins game was for the division championship and the Bears/Lions game had absolutely no implications for the playoffs. My dad calls the TV station and they give some BS answer that too many Bears fans had called and comlained so they changed the program.
1. November 1979-PRO magazine headline article on OJ Anderson. That article turned me into a Cards fan. That crazy looking bird on Anderson's helmet just called to me and I was hooked. OJ was and still is my alltime favorite player. The armadillo was an awesome back!!!! Mike Singeltary said Anderson was the guy everyone feared going against. Just a great, great back who never got the credit he deserved until he was over the hill and playing for the Giants.
For me its been 25 years. Every once in a while my wife asks me why I still root for the Big Red. Why go through the emotional pain of losing when we have the Rams just 2 hours away and the Colts only 3 hours away. To be honest I can't give just one reason, but I have compiled 10 major events (both good and bad) that have defined me as a Cards fan. I would love to hear some others.
Here are my top 10 in order of least to most influential:
10. September 1997-Cards vs. Bengals in Cincinatti. Arizona leads 21-3 at halftime, in total control on the game and boom the Bungels score 3 touchdowns in the 4th quarter and win. Was at the game. Cocky, laughing, getting beer poured on me for 3 quarters and then to have the Bengals come back and win. A loss that defines what is typical as a Big Red fan.
9. January 2, 1999-Cards vs. Cowboys. Arizona wins 20-7 to win first playoff game in 50 years. Between trying to help at my brothers wedding and wedding reception and sneaking into the bar to catch parts of the Cards win. Truly a great day!!!
8. Cards selection of Kelly Stouffer in round 1 of the 1987 draft. The first year I really got into the draft. I had messed around with the draft some but this was the first time that I had invested serious time into the draft. I had already penciled in Jerome Brown (DT from Miami) and the Cards take Stouffer instead. I had a bunch of buddies over (all Bears fans) who mocked me the entire day over the Stouffer selection.
7. 1984-Cardinals vs. Dallas. Roy Green goes crazy, gets close to 200 yards receiving and the Cards crush the Cowboys. The first time in my life as a Cards fan that I see a dominant Cardinals team. I have for years said that the 1984 St. Louis Cardinals were the best 9-7 , non playoff team ever.
6. December 21, 1998-Cards vs. New Orleans. My first and only time going to Sun Devil Stadium to see the Big Red. Suprised my wife, brother, and sister in law with a Christmas gift of plane tickets and Cards tickets. Got an awesome picture with Pat Tillman and saw the Cards win on a last second Chris Jacke field goal. The best moment was right after New Orleans scored to go ahead and seeing the look in Jake Plummer's eyes as he was getting ready to take the field. Say what you want about Plummer, but he was and is a gamer and that guy had the eye of the tiger that day.
5. July 1997-My first trip to Flagstaff. A little bit of football heaven. Had numerous fans ask me if I was Jake Plummer's older brother. Cool stuff.
4. October 1984-Steve Sabol (NFL Films) Halloween edition-"The Birds". It was an awesome 30 minute piece on the then 6-3 Cardinals. The Cards were on a 4 game win streak and were the talk of the league. I would pay huge bucks to anyone who had a copy of that show. OJ Anderson, Neil Lomax, Roy Green, Stump Mitchell all were interviewed. A great show for a great team!!
3. July 1987- My very first NFL training camp. Charleston, Illinois. Had a great conversation with Neil Lomax. Great memories. I remember seeing Niko Nogo behind the neck pressing 315 pounds in the Cards weight room. That was and still is the scariest looking man I have ever seen.
2. December 1984-Cards vs. Washington. Cards get royally screwed on a number of calls (a phantom pass interference call and a phantom roughing the passer call) and lose when Neil O'Donohoue misses on a last second field goal. Why a loss so high on my list? This was way before the internet and DIRECTV NFL Ticket and Cards games were hard to come by on TV. The Cards/Skins game was in the TV Guide as the game of the week. My dad and I watch the pre-game show, they go to the Cards/Skins game and just seconds before the kickoff they inexplicably go to the Bears/Lions game. The Cards/Skins game was for the division championship and the Bears/Lions game had absolutely no implications for the playoffs. My dad calls the TV station and they give some BS answer that too many Bears fans had called and comlained so they changed the program.
1. November 1979-PRO magazine headline article on OJ Anderson. That article turned me into a Cards fan. That crazy looking bird on Anderson's helmet just called to me and I was hooked. OJ was and still is my alltime favorite player. The armadillo was an awesome back!!!! Mike Singeltary said Anderson was the guy everyone feared going against. Just a great, great back who never got the credit he deserved until he was over the hill and playing for the Giants.