Archive for January 16th, 2009

Two “forces of nature”

Published on January 16, 2009 in Uncategorized. 2 Comments

Courtney Love once said “I am not a woman, I’m a force of nature.”

But she was nuts, which makes her a perfect way to get into the topic of the weekend.  I believe the Cardinals are headed to the Super Bowl.  More on that in a moment.

There will be two “forces of nature” on display at University of Phoenix Stadium and they’re destined for a head-on collision.

The first “force” is the Eagles defense.  Carolina and Atlanta have their share of defensive playmakers (John Abraham and Julius Peppers-both neutralized by the Cards), but they have not seen a defense this good this postseason.  3rd in the league in yards per game (Carolina was 18th, Atlanta was 24th).  4th in rush yards per game (Carolina was 20th, Atlanta was 25th).  In their last seven games they are giving up 12.1 points per game.  The last time they gave up a touchdown via the air was December 7th.

Defensive Coordinator Jim Johnson leads a blitzkrieg that brings chaos, pressure and confusion.   Their secondary is as good as it gets in Dawkins, Samuel, Brown and Mikell.  They’ll do everything in their power to force Kurt Warner into bad decisions and turnovers and at times they’ll be successful.  It’s inevitable.

Warner must limit turnovers and the running game must be viable to maintain offensive balance.  If the offensive line plays as it has the last two games, this can happen.

The other “force of nature” is you.  University of Phoenix Stadium and the homefield advantage the Cards miraculously stumbled upon will play a dynamic role in this game.  The Cardinals are truly a different team at home, they’ve shown it all year.  Joe Buck and Troy Aikman will, guaranteed, refer to the sheer noise at least three or four times on Sunday.  The Cardinals players, on defense in particular, will have to work extra hard to make certain their emotions don’t take over their smarts.

I don’t know if Donovan McNabb will get rattled, but I also know there is something about him I just don’t trust in the “big” game.

And while I’m at it, let me throw in one more “force of nature” and that’s human nature.  The Eagles will say they’re not looking past the Cardinals but I don’t believe them.  If Sodium Pentothal were involved, I bet most of Philly’s players would tell you they’re a lock for the Super Bowl.

It’s not easy to utter the words “The Cardinals are going to the Super Bowl.”  It contradicts nearly 20 years of reliable history.  But as we documented on the show Thursday night, crazier things have happened.

(Barack Obama, the 1980 U-S Hockey team, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jessie Ventura as Governors, the 9th inning of the 7th game of the 2001 World Series, the ipod, Buster Douglas and the marriages of Billy Bob Thornton and Angelina Jolie and Julia Roberts and Lyle Lovett are far, far crazier)

So….embrace the crazy.  The Cardinals are going to the Super Bowl.

23-17.

Crazy Talk

Published on January 16, 2009 in Uncategorized. 0 Comments

The Arizona Cardinals are in the Super Bowl.  Sounds funny, doesn’t it?   Actually, it’s more like something you thought you’d never hear in your lifetime.  So, what’s crazier sounding then “the Cardinals are in the Super Bowl?”  We came up with a list:

- Roger Clemens not being a shoo-in for the Hall of Fame (Would’ve seemed crazy 3 years ago)
- Tampa Bay Rays going to the World Series  (Would’ve seemed crazy two years ago)
- The Phoenix Suns getting a legitimate Center  (Would’ve seemed crazy one year ago)
- Shakespeare in Love beating out Saving Private Ryan for Best Picture (Still seems crazy)
- Barrack Obama’s historical Presidential victory, first African-American (Seemed crazy 40 years ago, when African-Americans were not even allowed to dine in the same restaurants as whites. )
- Boston Red Sox winning the World Series (Seemed crazy anywhere from 1919, following the sale of the Babe to the New York Yankees, to 2004 when “The Curse of the Bambino,” was finally broken).
- Red Sox winning the ALCS over the Yankees down 3 games to none (Seemed crazy as late as the 9th inning when the Red Sox trailed New York 4-3 with Mariano Rivera on the hill for the Yanks).
- D-backs winning the World Series in the 9th inning off of Mariano Rivera (Seemed crazy as of the 8th when Rivera struck out the side, including Luis Gonzalez, Matt Williams, and Steve Finley, which lowered his ERA in the postseason to a major league-best of 0.70).
- Arnold Schwarzenegger , Governor of California (Seemed extremely crazy in 1970 when Arnold made his film debut in “Hercules in New York.”  Seemed very crazy in the early 1980’s when Arnold starred in two Conan films, and Commando in 1985. Seemed crazy from 1994-1996 when Arnold starred in such horrendous movies as “Junior,” “Eraser,” “Jingle All the Way,” and “Batman and Robin.” See below:
“Junior” (1994) - As part of a fertility research project, a male scientist agrees to carry a pregnancy in his own body.
4.4 IMDB user rating (out of 10)
“Eraser” (1994) - A Witness Protection specialist becomes suspicious of his co-workers when dealing with a case involving high-tech weapons.
5.8 IMDB user rating
“Jingle all the way” (1996) – An anxious father decides to dream the impossible dream, to get that year’s hot toy for his son just before Christmas Day.
4.8 IMDB user rating
“Batman and Robin” (1996) - Batman & Robin try to keep their relationship together even as they must stop Mr. Freeze and Poison Ivy from freezing Gotham City
3.4 user rating

- Michael Jordan playing baseball instead of basketball  (Seemed crazy and maddening to Suns fans in 1993, when Jordan averaged a Finals-record 41.0 ppg during the Bulls six-game series win over Phoenix, during which Jordan became the first player in NBA history to win three straight Finals MVP awards).

Crazier things that haven’t happened:
- Cubs win World Series (hasn’t happened since 1908)
- Female President (hasn’t happened)
- University of Arizona in the Rose Bowl (hasn’t happened)
- Phoenix Suns World title (hasn’t happened)
- Detroit Lions in the Super Bowl (hasn’t happened)