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Trust Is Earned Not Given. Ken Whisenhunt Has Earned The Trust Of The Arizona Cardinals

There is a saying that goes "trust is earned, it is not given". If that's true, and I believe it is, than the Arizona Cardinals and their fans shouldn't be worried about this season.

Think about the coaches who have called the Cards their team. Did you, as a fan, trust any of them? Did you believe in the mild mannered Joe Bugel? Was there ever a time when you truly trusted that Buddy Ryan was bringing a winner to town? Did you ever trust the moves that quiet Vince Tobin made or the rah-rah style of Dave McGinnis? Did you trust the charts touting Dennis Green's talent or buy into his quarterback carousel?

If you are anything like me, the answer to all those questions is no.

For years there hasn't been much to trust about the Arizona Cardinals as a franchise. From top to bottom the team has been filled with false promises and exaggerated skills. Things are different now though.

In a time where the "quarterback of the future" was just cut, the new starter is a Cleveland Browns reject --which is about as good as being a Cards reject from the early 2000s-- and the backup is now a undrafted rookie, it would be easy not to believe in this club. The difference between now and the franchise Cardinals fans knew for years is that they've earned trust.

Star-divide

Think about what Ken Whisenhunt has done in just three seasons. He's never had a losing season. He's won back-to-back NFC West titles and there's that little thing of taking the Cards to the Super Bowl. His decisions have, more often than not, worked out. Everything he's done has earned the trust of his players, the organization and the fans (or at least the fans should trust him).

Was the decision to go with Derek Anderson over Matt Leinart a tough one? Yes. Is it one that many can question? Yes. Is it enough to change people's opinions on Ken Whisenhunt and the franchise? It shouldn't be.

Just a few years ago Whisenhunt was face with a similar situation. Go with the young "up and coming" quarterback in Leinart or go with the old washed up starter Kurt Warner. People questioned Whisenhunt's decision than thinking he was hurting the team's chances to win (if you don't believe me, go back and read some of the articles written about the decision). That decision not only worked out, it changed the perception of the franchise.

No, Derek Anderson doesn't have the resume that Warner did, but he's also younger that Warner was when he won the starting job. Anderson has a great deal of potential. He has a big arm and the ability to make the big play.

People who are questioning Anderson's ability as a starter and referencing last season as proof why he can't lead the Cardinals to the playoffs fail to remember that he was throwing to guys named Cribbs & Massaquoi, not exactly Fitzgerald and Breaston or even Doucet and Williams.

Since his pro bowl season in 2007, Anderson hasn't had a true top notch receiver to throw to. In one year his top target, Braylon Edwards, went from a solid player to a guy who caught about as effective as a fishing line without a hook or bait.

Anderson has the potential to be more like Warner than Leinart ever did. Add that to Whisenhunt's track record and things shouldn't seem all that bad.

The moves Whisenhunt has made over the years in Arizona has earned him trust and because of that fans should give this team the benefit of the doubt. When the season start Sunday, it's Anderson's turn to earn the trust of the fans and for the team to officially remove any doubt.

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Comment 34 comments  |  1 recs  | 

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I just ban all of them as soon as I see them.

Lifelong Arizona Cardinals/Chicago Bears fan [I have always lived in Arizona, dad is from Chicago].

I can't stand fair-weather/bandwagon fans, stick with your team, throughout the good and the bad. And don't switch to whichever team wins the Super Bowl each year.

by JoeCB1991 on Sep 6, 2010 6:19 PM MDT up reply actions  

Sorry, it is my own personal ad deal. jk

I once tried to quit a job using a dry erase board. Unfortunately I wrote the first part in Sharpie so I couldn't finish.

by Greg Esposito on Sep 6, 2010 6:37 PM MDT up reply actions  

I trust Coach Whiz

But it is always possible to lose trust in someone that you believed in. I hope that doesn’t happen, but anything is possible.

We just need to see how everything turns out.

Lifelong Arizona Cardinals/Chicago Bears fan [I have always lived in Arizona, dad is from Chicago].

I can't stand fair-weather/bandwagon fans, stick with your team, throughout the good and the bad. And don't switch to whichever team wins the Super Bowl each year.

by JoeCB1991 on Sep 6, 2010 6:19 PM MDT reply actions  

if the Cards

go 7-9, will you still be a fan, or will you be done?

by KDean75 on Sep 7, 2010 7:13 AM MDT up reply actions  

Of course

I said before that I’ll keep watching even if we suck this year (even 3-13 levels of suck).

I was watching during the Sun Devil Stadium years too. I’m used to failure.

Lifelong Arizona Cardinals/Chicago Bears fan [I have always lived in Arizona, dad is from Chicago].

I can't stand fair-weather/bandwagon fans, stick with your team, throughout the good and the bad. And don't switch to whichever team wins the Super Bowl each year.

by JoeCB1991 on Sep 7, 2010 9:44 AM MDT up reply actions  

Agree Greg

It’s easy to forgett the past, and pretend that “we have always been good and Whisenhunt is not that good a coach, he inherted a talented roster and had the benefit of Kurt Warner”… it’s easy to forgett all those years all those expectations, new coaches, finally a winner in town, from young QB’s to Boomer Esiason, high draft picks, Deny Green was supposed to be the coach to lead us every year to the playoffs, but winning in the NFL is difficult, winning in Arizona can be really difficult… so my opinion is that we have to give Whisenhunt and his staff some trust, they are bringing their kind of players, they are not handing anything, it doesn’s matter where players were drafted, if they are not good enough they won’t be here… Darren Urban made a great point about Whisenhunt having issues with players, in the Lutui case this summer, Wells was the good soldier, Lutui was overweight, but in the end Lutui’s play on the field earn him the starting position, I find it difficult to believe that Whisenhunt had personal problems with Leinart, it came down to performance and it just wasn’t there… we will be fine, can’t wait for sunday. GO CARDINALS.

paco cabrera

by pacocab on Sep 6, 2010 7:00 PM MDT reply actions  

We finally got what we deserved in the desert.

A top notch, high class coach.

"Some people think football is a matter of life and death. I assure you, it's much more serious than that." - Bill Shankly

by Jesse Reynolds on Sep 6, 2010 7:32 PM MDT reply actions  

One of the things that gets commented on alot

Is the eye that Whiz and company have for finding talent, but it’s apparently the first thing folks seem to forget. Whiz’s record in the draft was discussed in another post, all in all it’s been excellent especially in finding players from small schools. Whiz’s record for rekindling another washed up QB’s career has been discussed extensively in numerous posts. It should be fairly obvious by now that coach Whisenhunt knows what he’s doing and keeping this a winning team. Players have to earn their jobs, and I’m sure that gives them a sense of pride not to mention a winning attitude. The whole organization has shown a new attitude, from Michael Bidwell on down. The same ol Cards are gone, I believe in the new Cards

by Dem_Cardz on Sep 6, 2010 8:05 PM MDT reply actions   1 recs

I'd say

that it’s because Leinart looks good doing 7 on 7, but in actual game situations, Whisenhunt doesn’t like what he sees.
I don’t particularly like mixing sports, but it’s like a baseball player that has batting practice power. In BP, he just smashes the ball, but once he’s in the game, the power isn’t there.

by KDean75 on Sep 7, 2010 7:12 AM MDT up reply actions  

Derek Anderson...

I like Derek Anderson as a starter better than Matt Leinart. Neither QB impressed me very much in the pre-season. Anderson missed touchdown passes in the end zone; Leinart threw short and didn’t keep the drives going. If I had to make the same choice, I would have chosen Anderson as well.

The analogy to Kurt Warner is pretty good. Warner lost his job with the Giants to Eli Manning because he was fumbling and costing his team games. Then he came over to Arizona and everyone thought “well, here’s a washed up veteran.” It just so happens that with time and patience, Warner ended up having some very good years in Arizona and helped turn the franchise around.

So, once again, Arizona looks like the underdog. Probably for the third year in a row. What everyone underestimates about this team is Whisenhunt’s eye for talent, and that’s the X-factor that keeps the team winning division titles.

by Winter on Sep 7, 2010 3:40 AM MDT reply actions  

Whiz knows

what he’s doing. If he thinks that the team doesn’t “respond well” with Leinart in there. Then it doesn’t. That means the running game wont be as good. The shots taken downfield (as long as they’re not picked) will open up the running game.
Maybe Fitz or the other receiveers went to him to complain about leinart—we dont know. All we know..is that with Whiz as coach—We went to the plaayoffs as division champs—twice in a row.
Lets make it 3
IN WHIZ WE TRUST!!!
GO CARDS!!!

by Cuckoo for Coco Puffs on Sep 7, 2010 5:42 AM MDT reply actions  

Niner fan here

I think you guys are gonna be tough this season. I can’t wait for the season to start.
Looking forward to our games against you.
I think the Derek Anderson move was a good one.

They're called RUNS for a reason.

by connie mack on Sep 7, 2010 9:22 AM MDT reply actions  

On one hand, I despise every step the 49ers take

On the other hand, I’m glad that together, we may be able to overtake the AFC West and claim a little respect around here. Let’s kick some Raider ass.

by tw3kr on Sep 8, 2010 4:30 AM MDT up reply actions  

Great article.

I was pro Leinert, but in the end, I’m a Cards fan. And Whiz has made that a good thing for the first time… well, ever. So yeah, he’s earned the right to do things we don’t yet understand. I’ll leave my second guessing to Madden 11.

by psknapp on Sep 7, 2010 9:57 AM MDT reply actions  

Mark my words

DA is going to be awful or get hurt and they’ll be screwed. they painted themselves in a corner. they got no backup. they should’ve play ML two games and see how he does. his stats weren’t great but many teams that run first (like the cards were suppose to) would rather have a qb that threw 70% with no interceptions than a qb that rather throw first with 55% and get a 1:1 ratio of td and interceptions. come to think of it, it was probably a financial decision. they probably didn’t want to pay him the 2.5 mill + roster bonus for a qb they thought was only marginally better than the backup. i mean the preseason numbers matt put aren’t bad. but still they have no backup. with him as #1 he’d have the confidence and then if he sucks give it to da. with cofidence he’ll be able to throw downfield. i mean he’s the first rookie to throw 400 yds and look at his game against the titans last year. huge gamble this way no backup. at least they would of had a safety net (and not much of one but still better than two rookies) with DA as backup.

by Willpower824 on Sep 7, 2010 6:52 PM MDT reply actions  

Words Marked.

Will you be around RoTB at the end of the season still, even if you’re wrong, or are you a cleveland fan come to pass the bad news?

by hadrarius on Sep 7, 2010 7:23 PM MDT up reply actions  

The Cardinals no longer enter a season willing to lose a couple games to test a player's ability. .

We expect to win, and I don’t think anyone on the team felt that Leinart displayed that ability.

by ajroddam on Sep 7, 2010 8:10 PM MDT up reply actions  

I am a caterpillar! Watch me molt!

The rage. The seeming betrayal. The confusion; the bewilderment. The images of a 49er Super-Bowl. Ultimately, the sense of loss.

These things I will shed, along with all the sentence fragments.

I thought we would finally get to see what Matt Leinart can do. I thought Derek Anderson was an act of hubris on Whis’s part. I was a fool, and I apologize for the rants (and for trying to do math). I can’t say it won’t happen again, but, y’know… my bad, dudes. My position on it is well-known, but it’s a dead horse — it is what it is.

We can, and will, do this.

by tw3kr on Sep 8, 2010 4:45 AM MDT reply actions  

Dynasty

There, I said it. I am so impressed with what coach Whisenhunt and staff have been able to do together in this short 3 years that I REALLY DO BELIEVE we are witnessing the birth of a dynasty.

Not necessarily saying multiple Super Bowl wins kind of dynasty, although I don’t put that out of the realm of possibility, but I can def. see an NFC West dominance kind of dynasty that can be effective for many years.

When Whiz directs us to our 3rd consecutive division crown this year, the third time in a row as an underdog no less after losing golden poster boy Hall of Famer Warner and so many planning on the Cardinals sputtering, Ken Whisenhunt will finally get his due as one of the best head coaches in the game.

http://www.reverbnation.com/chrisfarmer

by Undrafteds on Sep 8, 2010 6:35 AM MDT reply actions  

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