I feel like a twister just tore through the sports department and left the whole place in shambles.  Two bombshells went off within about an hour of each other.

And we went from “I can’t believe he said that” to “I can’t believe they did that”.

Let’s start with the most recent big boom….the I-can’t-believe-they-did-that move of the day.  The Cardinals fired Defensive Coordinator Clancy Pendergast.  On the same day their Offensive Coordinator Todd Haley accepted the job as Head Coach in Kansas City.  So five days removed from losing Super Bowl 43, the Cardinals have now removed, or have had removed, both of their top assistant coaches.

Had the Cardinals season ended when most thought it would – after a first round loss to Atlanta – this move would have not surprised a soul.  The defense was awful the last month of the season.  Under performing, under motivated, and under heavy fire.

But they played at a level that few, if any, thought was possible in the playoffs.  While most praised Pendergast for the work done during the postseason, in some ways wasn’t that an indictment of Pendergast?  Where was that effort during the final month of the season?  They were clearly capable of it, they proved it during the playoffs, but got complacent and shut it down in December.

Plus, I have to think the Haley departure had something to do with this.  He’s looking to build a staff now that he’s the Chief in Kansas City.  I bet that there was someone he had in mind for his Defensive Coordinators position and the Cardinals were worried he was going to steal that guy from them.  Perhaps somebody who is already on the Cardinals defensive coaching staff?

We go from the I-can’t-believe-they-did-that to the I-can’t-believe-he-just-said-that bombshell of the day.

Did Amare Stoudamire really say this?

“Me being the All-Star….one of the leaders, you know, so, I think half the time it’s pretty much on me.   But I’m not a Captain.  So you can’t put too much of the blame on me.  It’s not my job to rally the troops and get everybody on board.  It’s the Captain’s job to do that.”

He did, just listen to it right here.

Steve Nash and Grant Hill are the “captains” of the Suns.

Calling out the captains?  Passing responsibility to others like it’s some kind of toxic waste dump that you don’t want in your backyard?  I thought he wanted to be the man.  Thought this was supposed to be his team.  I thought the Shaq trade was supposed to liberate him and motivate him.  And now I hear….it’s not my job?

Let’s be honest.  Nash hasn’t had his best year and he clearly misses Mike D’antoni.  And I’ve come to question just how motivated he is.  But you don’t see him dropping these not-so-subtle references in public about who is to blame and who is not.

And you don’t hear him saying…..it’s not my job.

Amare is either incredibly bright (by doing this now he’s trying to create a locker room dynamic that forces the Suns to trade him or Nash).  Or he’s incredibly dim (by not realizing that what he said, when he said it, would cause a stir).

Either way, is this the young superstar you want leading your team?