This ties into AJ’s logic a bit, but it always seemed that the Steelers and Cowboys were in the Super Bowl. I couldn’t root for the ‘Boys, so I’d find myself rooting for Pittsburg…until Earl Campbell came into the league with the Oilers. The Oilers were the “other team” in Texas, all the more reason to root for them too.

With the advent of fantasy football and the focus on the individual abilities of specific players, has it made rooting for another team easier? Hold that thought…this could be next week’s “confessional”.

I can empathize on that thought. It was tough, though, as I dislike the Giants, Redskins, and Eagles quite a bit too. I sure was rooting for the Giants against Dallas in last year’s playoffs! ::wonk, wonk, woooooonk::

The Bucs were always those sorry losers I felt sorry for, especially with their old uniforms. I thought the logo was pretty cool, it was just the team colours. Ugh. When they revealed the new uniforms I was stoked. Even the team became good. Coincidence? There seems to be a parallel between teams modifying/changing their uniforms and getting good. Bucs. Pats in the ’90’s. Jets going old school. Seahawks. Titans. Falcons.

Then there’s the Cards…bucking trends for 110 years now. ::sigh::

But how brave are you when you don’t even mention your own favorite team. We just discussed this a few weeks ago how long it would take some idiots to find this site and degrade it with their OPINIONS. We are Cards fans and that is it. Nothing you can say, no matter how eloquently presented, can change that. Hope this clears the air, NON BELIEVER. Oh, and just so you know, expectations are being elevated. And if you haven’t noticed, this is becoming a destination, not a final resting place for players. Look it up!!!

I’m guessing that some of it was meant as a joke, but I’ll address a couple of things.

- Why does it matter where a fan is from? I’ve been a Cardinals fan since I gained ‘football consciousness’ and where I reside has no barring on my level of fandom.

- I’m assuming that you’re talking about Buster Davis when you’re talking about us mentioning former players involved in cuts, is that correct? If so, why is talking about what system Buster Davis would be a good fit in, a reason to question my “grip on reality.” This isn’t the Associated Press or USA Today, it’s a blog and we’re nothing more than a group of fans talking amongst each other. No one said he was a future Pro Bowler or a future Hall of Famer, all we were doing was guessing at which defensive system would suit him the best. Sorry if that somehow offends you.

- You really want more stories about the QB situation? If you want to be beaten to death with “who’s the Cardinal’s QB” talk, I can send you about 5 links a day for your viewing pleasure. I think I’ve covered the position at least a couple of times a week since the start of camp and I’m not sure how much more I can beat a dead horse. I will say though, that if you’re, or anyone else, isn’t happy with the stories that I’m posting or you feel that I’m not covering something, you can post you’re own story as a FanPost. That is your platform to discuss anything regarding the team or the NFL.

- As far as DRC, I think it’s a completely different situation to compare him to Felix Jones or almost any other first round pick for that matter. First of all, RB is a position that’s much easier to learn that CB and DRC was drafted with the understanding that he would have to adjust to the speed of the NFL game b/c he came from Tennessee State. If you really want to compare him to a first round pick though, why don’t you look at any other corner drafted in the first round? Not a single one of them is projected to be a starter.

I would also ask what changed in your opinion of ROTB considering that six days ago you said:

Go Cards and keep up the great work on this site!!!!

Does it occur to any of you that your franchise of choice gives rise to precious little zealotry among those who spend their daily lives in close proximity to the team?

I admit to some surprise at the low ratio of Cards fans in AZ here on RoTB. The fact that “local” zealotry is not dominating this site doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. There’s plenty of that to be had on azcentral.com’s message boards. There’s plenty to be had on azcardinals.com boards. I understand that this particular fan outlet is just getting itself going after an aborted first attempt. Give it time. I think that the most “zealous” are the bandwagon jumpers; they will come out of the woodwork when the Cardinals are successful. At this time, bandwagon jumpers will go with the old reliable teams (Cowboys, Steelers, 49ers, Raiders) so they don’t stick out as being “different”.

Do you really think that by importing a bunch of people passed over as replacements for Bill Cowher that the Redbirds have somehow grafted a new culture of achievement onto an organization synonymous with failure?

Any time a coach is sacked, the new staff is expected to bring in a new attitude and to change the “old culture”. That’s what they’re hired to accomplish and in the process win some games. Do we think the Pittsburgh “rejects” can do that? Of course. We thought the same of Dennis Green too. ::shrugs:: Does that make us “inferior” fans because our team is “synonymous with failure”? Only in the eyes of the insecure. I’m secure with my choices in life, are you SanAntone?

Do you believe that the Cardinals (old regimes or current regime) are considered as astute judges of talent by others in the NFL? While the Cardinals have improved depth in some areas and it is entirely proper to acknowledge those improvements, have they assembled such a rich stockpile of future Hall of Famers that other teams would grovel for their cast-offs?

I suspect that these are rhetorical questions as much of the post was, but I’ll attempt to answer anyways. Yes, I believe “others” in the NFL see the Cardinals as being “astute” judges of talent, certainly within the Rod Graves era. Recognizing that talent, drafting that talent, and then getting that talent to perform at the expected levels are completely different matters. “Grovel for their cast-offs” paints a cute picture, but isn’t reality in the NFL. Just ask Daunte Culpepper and Chris Simms. I do believe that the Cards have had to cut better players this year than any previous season in recent memory. And if you’d prefer to use a more realistic term, the Cards are well on their way to “stockpiling” Pro-Bowl-calibre players.

The Cardinals brain trust, on the other hand, is so incredibly leery about its collective ability to evaluate talent that they "hope" their first-rounder will contribute in some nickel packages. If a franchise refuses to elevate expectations year after year, pretty soon there won’t be any expectations.

If you really question the expectations of the Cardinals’ “brain trust” as being anything less than post-season any given year, then I don’t think I could explain it to you. Rogers-Cromartie is the first 1st round pick in a few years that wasn’t expected to start immediately because the Cardinals haven’t completely dumped that position in the off-season. There’s a few cornerbacks on the roster that can play in the NFL, perhaps not at Pro-Bowl level, but well enough to let the lad to learn the system and adjust to the speed of the game. The “brain trust” has high expectations of DRC and those will manifest as the year progresses.

Thank you for your counterpoint opinion.

…what scares me more: B66 thinking I wrote SanAntone’s piece or I understood the Chris Gaines reference.

But I’ve been known to be pretty dense at times too. :P At least my wife keeps telling me that as she waves her Patriots gear in my face. ::sigh::

Maybe for dinner? I’ll put the kettle on for you.

All mockery aside, this is pretty funny stuff. ::snicker:: Thanks for a laugh.