FAITH TESTED

Wow!  What a game at Cardinals Stadium, as I like to call it still.  The game was surreal, 96 total points scored, I am asking myself today, did that really happen and then my next thought is yeah, we did it.   My family and I attended our first Arizona Cardinals playoff game yesterday afternoon, evening, and boy did we get our dollars worth.  I was praying all week to God to let the Cardinals play hard, start fast, win the turnover battle, and make more plays than Green Bay.  Lets just say, he answered my prayers and many others I hope.  I also prayed that God keep me sane and control my emotions with Packer fans, not many of them compared to last week.  My emotions were controlled, for most of the day.

My faith was tested at the end of the 4th quarter.  Our defense just could not stop Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay offense in the second half.  The Cardinals held them to ten first half points, and I am okay, we can win this with a two touchdown lead.  But this is the 2009 NFL Playoffs, and there is a reason why the Packers are a playoff team, winning 7 of their last 8 ball games.  A relentless comeback by the Packers was outshadowed by our main man Kurt Warner.  I will tell you right now, Kurt Warner will not only be in the hall of fame, but he is the best quarterback the Cardinals have ever had, hands down.  The Cardinals go as Kurt goes, his precision passing yesterday was untouchable, completing 29 out of 33 passes, with 5 touchdown throws.  At the end of the 4th quarter, with just under 2:00 to play, Kurt would drive the Cardinals down field one last time in regulation, only to see Neil Rackers miss a 34 yard game winning field goal with :14 left on the clock.  I was sitting opposite end of the field goal try in the upper level and could easily see that it was shanked wide left.  My first human thought was we are going to lose this game in overtime if we lose the coin toss.  I turned to my 8 year old son who had tears in his eyes after the miss.  He thought we had lost.  I told my son the game was going into overtime and we had not lost yet.  I told him and my wife that we needed to win the coin toss to get the ball first because we had not stopped the Green Bay offense all second half.  After the Cardinals lost the coin toss, I was being really negative, saying its over, we cannot win this game.  My son told me do not be so negative.  And I said you are right son, I then looked at Neil Rackers on the sideline after he missed that field goal try with his head down.  I yelled Rackers, keep your head up, we may need you later in this game.  I saw Neil trot out to the field with his head still down and yelled out encouragement again to him, to keep his head up, we need you to kickoff here.  I trusted God and through my son, I remembered to keep the faith, that something positive would happen on defense for the Cardinals if I did trust him.  And we all know now what happened, Money Mike, as Karlos Dansby likes to call Michael Adams, crushed Aaron Rodgers on his blindside, knocking the ball free, the ball landing on Rodgers cleats, bouncing up into Dansby's hands,  who bolted in for the winning touchdown.  Not unbelievable, but THANKS BE TO GOD!

As we were walking out of Cardinals Stadium, I shook hands with several Packers fans, acknowledging them for a good game played by their team.  There is a lot of history with Wisconsin and being a cheese head.  I understand that.  But as we walked out of the stadium, there were two young Packer fans, that walked in front of us.  One of them said, CARDINALS SUCK!!!  I do not call out, or start stuff with fans of the opposing team, but if they come at me or near me where I can hear them, I am going to have to defend my team.  I really cannot write what I said exactly here, but lets just say I told him we beat their blank and take your blank back to Green Bay or wherever you are from.  They continued to walk their way and we walked our way.  My human emotions got the best of me there, but God kept me sane enough.  Let me just tell you,  I am not one to get into stupid fights over sports, never have, that is just down right retarded if you do, but its fun when someone trys to say something, and then you have something to say back.  Praise God and go cards next week at New Orleans!