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Wide Right feels like John Belushi in Animal House, lamenting “7 years of college down the drain.” In this case, we’re talking about three years of high school Spanish classes that apparently didn’t take. How else does Wide Right explain asking Cardinals Lineman Rolando Cantu, a native of Mexico, how to say “touchdown” in Spanish? In short, Wide Right is ‘mucho disappointed’ in itself.
At the same time, Wide Right is ‘muy concerned’ for Mr. Cantu. First, as the unofficial team ambassador for Futbol Americano in Mexico City this weekend, the 6-5, 361 pounder will be taking his fellow ‘linemen el grande’ out to dinner. Let’s just say that, in public, a group of offensive linemen stand out like a mountain range in motion.
“Of course, you walk in with 8 or 9 of them, people will turn around. So, I have to find a spot with traditional Mexican food and, hopefully, have a good time.”
As for the menu, Cantu says he’ll do the ordering of carnitas and traditional guacamole, while his teammates do the eating. The key to ordering for a group of teammates who, collectively, weigh more than a ton? “Get 3 or 4 of everything,” says Cantu.
“He’s already asked us to come out and eat with him,” says Reggie Wells, without somehow licking his chops. “I think the O-Line will go get a taste of Mexico City.”
The real question then becomes – how many people will get a taste of Rolando? When you’re the point person within a city of 20 million people, the odds say you’ll wind up with a honkin’ huge number of ticket requests.
“Actually, my teammates pulled through and gave me their comp tickets, since this is a home game for us,” says Cantu. “I raised about 70-80 of the tickets there.”
From there, Cantu still had to invest in another 150 tickets for “over 200 family and friends,” according to the only player to reach the NFL via the Mexican collegiate system and not the NCAA.
Actually, maybe Cantu has more to worry about in his own locker room than his new found friends in Mexico City. Guys like Josh McCown are looking for a “little somethin’ for the effort” in return for handing over their game tickets.
McCown says whether Cantu assists with the language barrier or “how to understand pesos, I hope he’ll help me out, since I gave him something, maybe he’ll give me something back,” says McCown. Amazing how the QB’s are always looking for protection from their offensive linemen, huh?
Viva la Cardinals
By the way, to answer the earlier question about how to say ‘touchdown’ in Spanish, it’s “anotacion.” Cantu should know, considering that he served as a Super Bowl commentator last season on a network broadcast seen throughout Mexico.
Ice-bergen Alert
Per policy, Wide Right limits the use of its own “jackstomp” term for only those honkin’ huge hits that shake the gridiron. You know, the colossal collisions that everyone remembers, except the guy on the receiving end. Case in point, Seahawks DB Kelly Herndon, who played the role of the Titanic against Cards TE Adam “IceBerg-en.” Wide Right presents a transcript of the colorful call last Sunday on the AZ Cardinals radio network:
Dave Pasch: “ ..Bergen lowered the shoulder and hit him right in the mask!"
Ron Wolfley: “…it's going to be Tuesday night before they get all of Herndon off the turf here! They're going to have to break out every spatula in Washington to scrape him off the 23 yard line! ...that's how you play this game. You catch the ball and go North and South with the intent of bloodying someone's nose."
In the Wide Right follow-up file, Adam Bergen is asked for a blow-by-blow of the blow itself:
Bergen: “I just saw that he was coming to tackle me and getting low, so I just tried to meet him down there. And I just happened to get a good piece of him, I guess, and stuck him pretty well."
Wide Right: Did you say anything to him?
Bergen: "Nah, not a thing, that's not my thing. I just got up and went back to the huddle."
Q-Tip of the Week
As a receiver, rookie LeRon McCoy has wheels on the football field. But, would you believe that McCoy doesn’t have doesn’t have wheels in the parking lot!? On Maximum Cardinals this week, receiver/reporter Anquan Boldin blows the doors off the fact that McCoy is the car pool guest that never leaves! The following is part of an exclusive locker room sit down interview with the only 7th round rookie in the NFL who has 52 chauffeurs – his teammates:
Q: “You’re making a pretty good amount of money, but there is only one problem with that: I gotta believe that you’re the only guy in the NFL thumbing a ride to practice! I mean, as much money as you’re making, why don’t you have a vehicle?”
McCoy: “I’m trying to save my money, diversify my bonds. If I keep saving my money by not buying a car this year and just bumming rides from my friends, my teammates, and getting a cab every once in a while, I should have a substantial amount of money at the end of the season.”
Q: “Somebody told me you actually have a bus pass, is that true?”
McCoy: No, but I do have the cab company on speed dial.
Q: “With the amount of money you’re making, you can actually buy a cab company.”
Maybe an NFL team should consider making McCoy their future capologist. If so, Wide Right hopes the gig comes with a company car.
Dead Pan Alley: When told that Emmitt Smith and John Elway played at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, Cardinals Guard Reggie Wells wondered aloud: “they had an old-timers game out there already?”
Actually, NFL games have been played periodically in Mexico City since 1978. And NFL games have been televised throughout Mexico since 1966.
Double Coverage
Anquan Boldin is attracting double coverage in more ways than one. Not only cornerbacks, but multiple cameras are focusing on #81.
In fact, let’s hit rewind to check out this snapshot from the Cardinals locker room earlier this week: Boldin shooting his Q-Tip segment for Maximum Cardinals while the NFL Network shoots Q shooting the interviews.
See, Anquan is starring in “Six Days to Sunday,” an all-access show every Thursday at 8:30pm on the NFL Network. This week, the NFL Network crew is in AZ to chronicle the Cards journey to play the first regular season game on international turf.
“It’s an important story for the NFL to show the Arizona experience of playing a game in Mexico,” says NFL Films producer Rob Gehring.
Gehring estimates they’ll roll tape on 15-17 hours worth of footage to eventually televise 22 minutes worth of edited content.
Among the highlights, fans will see Boldin lifting weights, watching film, attending meetings, and going to dinner with his fellow receivers. Plus, the crew accompanies Q shopping for a new house and a new TV. Why not? After all, Boldin did sign a new multi-year contract extension earlier this summer.
So, Wide Right asked the tough question for the inside scoop on Q’s spending habits. Does he bring the bling? We know how elite NFL receivers can certainly lead flashy and flamboyant lifestyles, right? Not the case with Q, says the crew.
“It’s refreshing, especially for WR’s,” says Gehring. “Q didn’t buy anything. He’s not a flashy guy at all…he wasn’t looking at $4 million dollar houses. He definitely has a nice car, but it’s not overdone.”
Maybe the financial prudence of LeRon “Thumbs Up” McCoy is rubbing off on all the receivers.
http://www.azcardinals.com/news/news_details.html?iid=3097
