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12-3-10: Arizona Cardinals Bird Droppings

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Everyone who watched the battle for the Territorial Cup got to see a great game last night (well, everything  after the middle of the 2nd quarter), and as an ASU fan I'm happy the Territorial Cup has returned to Tempe.

KTAR.com - Fitzgerald could break franchise records Sunday
Although the Arizona Cardinals playoff hopes took a huge hit Monday night against the San Francisco 49ers, there are still things for fans to look forward to the remainder of the season. One of those things is the fact that Larry Fitzgerald is on the verge of setting some major franchise receiving records. A few of which might even fall this Sunday at home against the St. Louis Rams.

Arizona Cardinals' coach will do anything to help snap losing streak
Coach Ken Whisenhunt's superstitions are so intricate they look like the twisted strands of cables behind a television. In normal times, he avoids touching them. Over the course of a six-game losing streak, Whisenhunt has tried changing everything, from his route to work to the clothes he wears to what he eats and when he eats. "I'm grasping at straws trying to find something that works," he said. "The people that know me know how superstitious I am and they know my routines. For me to change it up is a real departure." The number of superstitions has grown over the years, and number is so unwieldy now that Whisenhunt said "it would take me forever to go through them."

Arizona Cardinals find different ways to deal with sour skid
Losing six games in a row is enough to make Cardinals free safety Kerry Rhodes go home at night and kick the dog. "You know what? If I had a dog, he might be mad at me," he said. "I might punt him into the pool." Rhodes was only joking, but the frustration and disappointment of losing week after week clearly is starting to mount for Cardinals players and coaches.

Arizona Cardinals vs. St. Louis Rams scouting report
Arizona Cardinals vs. St. Louis Rams scouting report, Kent Somers breaks down Sunday's matchup and offers his prediction.

No Cards blackout despite loss streak - NFC West Blog - ESPN
The Arizona Cardinals sold enough tickets to avoid local television blackouts for their first 50 games at University of Phoenix Stadium. They made it No. 51 this week despite taking a 3-8 record into their Week 13 home game against the St. Louis Rams. That seems like a fairly notable achievement given the circumstances: two teams with losing records, Arizona riding a six-game losing streak, a traditionally skeptical fan base and continuing unfavorable economic times.

Two blocked PATs help ASU take down rival Arizona 30-29 in Tucson
And so it came down to this, one game, one final shot at possible bowl eligibility, one chance to end the regular season on a positive note. Arizona State, a team that seemed to invent new ways to lose this season, showed resolve, beating No. 23 Arizona 30-29 in two overtimes Thursday night, a thrilling Territorial Cup effort that removes the sting of countless missed opportunities.

Redemption, hope define ASU football victory over rival Arizona Wildcats
There Thomas Weber stood, like Poseidon with his trident, eyeing the Arizona Stadium end zone. He stabbed at it with a pitchfork, a symbolic reaction to the fork his Sun Devils had just put in the Wildcats. Oh, thank you, Territorial Cup, for once again delivering a game that played out like a Greek tragedy. ASU beat Arizona, 30-29, in overtime Thursday night thanks to a blocked extra point in a meeting that delivered both redemption and hope for the Sun Devils.

Arizona State Sun Devils vs. Arizona Wildcats - Recap - December 02, 2010 - ESPN
The first blocked extra point by James Brooks, at the end of regulation, was dramatic, adding a wild chapter to a rivalry that's been filled with crazy plays. That second one? C'mon. That's getting a little surreal.

Phoenix Suns return to .500 with 107-101 win at Golden State
The Suns are working on being a winning team. Until then, just winning will do. For the sixth time this young season, the Suns won to return to .500 with a 107-101 win Thursday night at Golden State.

The Big Red Rage with Wilson and Stephens-Howling
LaRod Stephens-Howling joins the Big Red Rage with Adrian Wilson, Paul Calvisi, and Ron Wolfley.

Video Gallery
Whisenhunt on superstitions and Fitzgerald

Madden 11 Roster Update #14 Details | pastapadre.com
This week’s roster update for Madden 11 takes into account week 11 and week 12 of the NFL season. Two weeks worth of data on top of the first 11 games of the season makes this one of the most significant updates provided this year.

Giants DB Antrel Rolle apologizes for military comment - NFL - SI.com
New York Giants safety Antrel Rolle has apologized for comparing fans' booing players after a bad half of football to fans booing troops returning home from Iraq after a tour of duty. Rolle says he used a very poor, inappropriate example on Thursday to demonstrate how seriously he takes his job.

KTAR.com - Cardinals sell out against Rams
A six-game losing streak for the Arizona Cardinals had fans worried whether their team would be able to sell out home games. That concern can be put to rest, for now.

Warner will dance into booth for Rams telecast
Kurt Warner's dancing days, at least on national television, are over. And he's back to his true passion for the fall, football, as the former Rams and Cardinals quarterback will be the analyst on Fox's regional telecast Sunday of the game involving those teams.

A look inside the NFC West standings - NFC West Blog - ESPN
The St. Louis Rams' 4-4 record outside the NFC West has helped them rise to the top of the division standings. Seattle's 3-1 record inside the division has been key.

Rams game sells out, beer, and the Rage
The game Sunday between the Cards and Rams has been deemed a sellout, so the broadcast will not be blacked out on local television and the Cards now have gone 51-for-51 in selling out games played at University of Phoenix Stadium. The game will be aired on Fox.

Superstitions and change
So Ken Whisenhunt was asked today, even though he likes to keep for example his practice schedule the same, if he has looked at others areas he could change. "Oh yeah, I have changed it up every week looking for a combination," Whisenhunt said. "I am grasping for straws trying to find something that works. Just to be clear, when I say we are going to stay the same, I am talking about how we practice, when we practice, what the schedule is, those things. You have to have some type of consistency to come out of this. As far as anything else? I am certainly willing to try." Whisenhunt is a superstitious coach. Superstitions and change don’t often mesh. "People that know me know how superstitious I am and they know my routines," he said. "For me to change it up is a real departure."

Arizona Cardinals' Derek Anderson should be allowed to be human - Jeff Pearlman - SI.com
Derek Anderson should be ashamed of himself. There is a way a professional athlete is supposed to behave, and a way one isn't supposed to behave. There's a proper method for responding to criticism, and an improper method for responding to criticism. There's good vs. bad, right vs. wrong, decent vs. wicked. Again, Derek Anderson should be ashamed of himself.

azcentral.com blogs - Kent Somers - The 1 unit doing work
The one unit playing with the level of confidence Ken Whisenhunt desires is also the one he would like to see the least. The kickoff return team, led by returner LaRod Stephens-Howling, has been the team's most consistent offensive threat all season. It's ranked seventh in the average starting yard line (28.2 yards). Stephens-Howling has returned two for touchdowns and is ranked fourth with an average return of 27.7 yards. Stephens-Howling has energized the group because the players know he has a chance to score on every kick off.

Chat wrap: Lots of Rams questions - NFC West Blog - ESPN
Chris (Broadview Heights, OH): Is it possible that Derek Anderson is one of the lower level concerns for the Cardinals? I'm much more concerned with their awful running game and incredibly poor defensive efforts. I'm not saying Anderson has been good, but the other elements have been worse.

Antrel Rolle should give it a rest - NFL Nation Blog - ESPN
I generally applaud players for speaking their minds, but New York Giants safety Antrel Rolle is in desperate need of an inner filter this week. He first sparked a bit of controversy Tuesday by complaining that Giants fans booed his team at halftime of Sunday's game against Jacksonville. He quickly learned that New York/New Jersey's not the right place to be complaining about booing. You go out there and stink up the brand new joint for a half and trail 17-6, you're going to hear some boos. But instead of tempering his remarks Thursday, Rolle took it to the next level, which turned out to be an embarrassing level for him. He threw common sense and good taste out the window and compared his plight to our troops coming home from war.

Texans vs. Eagles - Recap - December 2, 2010 - NFL - Football - SI.com
Michael Vick limped to the huddle and walked gingerly to the line of scrimmage. He may have been bruised. He may have been battered. But nothing could slow him down once he took the snap. Vick threw for 302 yards and accounted for three touchdowns, rallying the Philadelphia Eagles to a 34-24 victory over the Houston Texans on Thursday night.