It's the Super Bowl Baby !

A week has passed, and the pain has subsided...mostly. At first I was disappointed that they came so close to winning, but then I realized that what they had accomplished was incredible! They went to the Superbowl, played better than anyone thought they could, and almost pulled of one of the biggest upsets in the history of the game! Arguably, this was the best Super Bowl's ever played.

At the beginning of the season, I had the same high hopes that I always do. This would be our year. Ok, not really. But I did think they would be better than last year. Every year, I tell my Dad that all I want is for them to make progress in their record and win one more game than they did the year before. Last year, the Cardinals finished 8-8, missed the playoffs by one game. So this season, they needed to finish with a record of 9-7. If that was good enough for the playoffs, all the better. If not, ok. This year they made it.


The playoffs. I was so happy that they even made it. This is the Cardinals we are talking about. One season in twenty years that they finished with a non-losing record. The fact that the division they played in was the weakest in the league didn't matter. They were better than last year. And they made the playoffs! Ken Whisenhunt, the head coach in his second year, had done the impossible: Lead the perennial losing Cardinals to a winning record and into the playoffs.


Ok, they made the playoffs. Life was good. Round one: the Atlanta Falcons. But not only did they make the playoffs, they got to host a playoff game for the first time in a millennium! The Falcons were also having a surprising season. They came into our house favored by one and a half points! Inconceivable! It was Kurt Warner vs. Matt Ryan. Nobody thought the Cardinals would make it to round two. Except me. I thought they would win. It was at home and the Cards had to earn some respect. Somehow, the Cardinal defense had a secret. Somehow, the defense was able to time the snap count perfectly. Ryan must have been tipping his hand because the Cards knew when the ball was going to be snapped. Cards 30, Falcons 24. They had their respect.



On to round two. Time to hit the road. Traditionally, the Cardinals do not play well on the road. To make things worse, we have to travel to Carolina to play the Panthers. Carolina had a 6-2 lead in their series with Arizona, including a 27-23 win when the teams played in Week 8 of this season. The Cardinals are 0-5 against the Panthers since last beating them in 2002. The Panthers were favored by ten points. Nobody thought the Cardinals had a chance. Including me. Hey, I was satisfied. They had a better record that last year and they had won a playoff game, right? I just hoped that it would not be a blowout. Well, it was. But it was the Cards that performed like they were unbeatable! Could this be true? Yep, the Cardinals had Carolina's number. The offense performed like they had all year by putting up a monster game. 33 points. Kurt Warner was a stud. The defense again must have had a secret! This game somehow, they knew when Jake Delhomme , the quarterback for the Panthers, was going to throw the ball and to who. The jumps the defenders got on the ball were incredible. Delhomme, with his 5 interceptions, almost had as many completed passes to the Cardinals defenders as he did to his own. The result? A 33-13 clubbing of the Panthers. What was going on? Is this really our Cardinals? Inconceivable!



Next up? Round three and the Philadelphia Eagles. At home. In our stadium. In front of 62, 500 redbird screaming fans! When the tickets went on sale, they sold out in a record time of under ten minutes! The fans and the country had taken notice of our beloved Cardinals.



Once again, the odds favored the Eagles by three and a half points. But this was different. It had a different feel. The were people believing in the Cardinals. The experts were divided. Even Terry Bradshaw, one of the biggest disbelievers of the Cardinals, was picking the Cardinals not only to hold their own, but to WIN ! Are you serious? I wasn't sure if they would win, but I really thought they could win, unlike my thoughts of the Carolina game. If they play well, if both offense and defense played well, if Warner could get into a rhythm...could it be? Could the Arizona Cardinals win and go to their first Super Bowl ever? Yes, it was possible!

The Cardinals came out and played well in the biggest game in franchise history. It was a great game to watch. I would call my friend Larry and my Dad every time something big would happen. I was in heaven. The Cardinal looked like they were going to the Super Bowl. The defense didn't seem to have a secret in this game, but they kept the Eagles in check. Once again, Warner and his magic propelled the Cardinals to a 32-25 victory. I was on the phone with my Dad as the game ended. The Cardinals had just won the NFC division title for the first time in 33 years I was so excited I was teary! My voice was hoarse from the yelling (in a good way, not like usual!). I couldn't believe it. Our Arizona Cardinals were going to the Super Bowl! The next morning, I called my Dad just to make sure it was not a dream. It was real! The Cards are going to the SUPER BOWL !!! INCONCEIVABLE !!!!





Sunday, February 1st, 2009. Tampa Bay, Florida. Host of Super Bowl XLIII. Pittsburgh Steelers and our ARIZONA CARDINALS. Yes, I am not dreaming, the Cards are in the Superbowl. It's a long awaited dream come true. It's the SUPER BOWL baby! As usual, the Steelers are favored by seven points. The atmosphere is electric. The two week wait was well worth it. Here we go. Yes, that really is the Cardinals on the field. And they belong! The game started out slowly for the Cards, but the game was terrific. By half, the Cardinals were about to overcome the early deficit, and then tragedy hit. Warner made the correct read on a pass for a touchdown, but the Steelers made a better play. The linebacker for the Steelers faked a rush and dropped back into pass coverage and intercepted the pass and ran it back for a touchdown. Momentum had switched and there was a 14 point swing going into the half. But the Cardinals didn't give up. They were not done. Going into the forth quarter, the Cards still trailed. But they were able to overcome and actually take the lead! Yes, they had a shot at winning! Unfortunately, the Steelers responded and were able to score to win the game, 27-23. Hats off to the Steelers, they proved they were the better team. Bottom line. They are the World Champions.

All week long at my work, there has been much discussion about why the Cardinals lost the game. Some blamed the officials. There were some questionable calls and even more questionable no calls. The first half seemed to favor the Steelers, but the second half favored the Cardinals. But, the officials did not lose the game for the Cardinals. The Cardinals lost the game. I have to admit, the 100 yard touchdown run back by James Harrison, should have not been a touchdown. If you watch the play, you will see Kurt Warner trying to make the tackle and he is blocked. But if you look again, you will see Kurt get blocked, then held (the defensive player grabs Kurt by the collar and shoulder pads) and pushed out of the way. This, by definition, is holding. The interception should have counted, but the touchdown should have been called back. Would this have made a difference? Maybe. But again, the Cardinals had many chances to win this game. On the last play of the game, the officials ruled the play a fumble. It was clearly an incomplete pass. Warner's arm was moving forward, the definition of an incomplete pass. The Cards should have had one more play. The replay booth should have reviewed the fumble. If they had, they would have ruled the pass incomplete, not a fumble. Why they didn't, nobody knows why. They have the ability to automatically review any play in the last two minutes of the game. The Cardinals would have one more shot. Would that have made a difference? I don't know. But with the receivers that the Cardinals have (Fitzgerald, Boldin, Breaston), that would have been worth seeing. Bottom line is, the Steelers played better. Many people feel that the touchdown catch made by Santonio Holmes should not have been allowed. It was a good catch. It was the best catch I have ever seen. Yes, his feet got down. Both of them.

Talk about a clutch catch! The Cardinals were this close to being world champs. Congratulations to the Steelers on their sixth Super Bowl Championship !!! You earned it and deserve it.

So, yes, I am sad that we lost the biggest game in franchise history. But it was a fantastic game. It had everything you would want in a game. The Arizona Cardinals played with heart. They left everything on the field. They played with pride and with love for the game. We all should be proud. Does it still sting? Of course. But say it with me everybody, JUST WAIT UNTIL NEXT YEAR !!!