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12-8-10: Arizona Cardinals Bird Droppings

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More Than Football
The losing streak hasn’t felt good for any of the Cardinals, and it’s not like it goes away on the players’ Tuesday off day. So heading over to take part in the Cards’ annual "Teddy Bear Express" Tuesday at St. Joseph’s Hospital was a welcome distraction. The Cardinals aren’t winning, who plays quarterback is in question, and yet – for a couple of hours anyway – it didn’t matter.

Arizona Cardinals' QB issues key to poor season
Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt admitted the obvious Monday: His quarterbacks have played poorly this season, and the team isn't good enough elsewhere to compensate. Asked what he had learned this season about handing that position, Whisenhunt smiled wryly and offered gallows humor: "I've learned that . . . if they play well it looks like a good plan. If they don't play well, it doesn't look like such a good plan. It really comes down to production at this position." The minute Kurt Warner announced his retirement in the off-season, the Cardinals' "plan" for the position became to break glass and pull the alarm. Whisenhunt had never felt comfortable with the prospect of Matt Leinart as the starter, so another veteran was needed.

azcentral.com blogs - Kent Somers - Herman Johnson to the Bears
The Bears signed offensive lineman Herman Johnson off the Cardinals practice squad on Tuesday, adding him to their 53-man roster. A fifth-round pick out of LSU in 2009, Johnson disappointed coaches when he reported overweight to training camp this summer. He spent this season on the practice squad after being on the 53-man roster his entire rookie season. He has not played in a game. Johnson was a guard in college, but the Bears, like the Cardinals, see him as a right tackle.

azcentral.com blogs - Kent Somers - Practice squad move
The Cardinals signed offensive tackle Cliff Louis to the practice squad, filling the space left when offensive lineman Herman Johnson signed with the Bears. Louis was with the Giants and Lions during training camp last summer and spent one week on the Cowboys practice squad. He entered the league in 2007 as an undrafted rookie with the Browns. He played at Morgan State. Louis (6-8, 315) also has been on the practice squad with the Browns, Jaguars and Giants. The Cardinals didn't make a strong effort to keep Johnson, who was signed to the Bears active roster. Johnson had struggled with his weight all season.

Arizona Cardinals: 5 Reasons For Hope In The Desert | Bleacher Report
This season has not been a good one for the Arizona Cardinals. Everyone around the league will admit that. And even those who thought that the Cardinals wouldn't be very good after losing so much talent have to be shocked at this seven game losing streak, maybe an all-time low in the 21st century for the Cards.

Arizona Cardinals Spread Some Dirt - And Holiday Cheer - SB Nation Arizona
Members of the Arizona Cardinals brightened some spirits and made some new friends Tuesday at a Phoenix homeless shelter.

John Skelton looks likely to start for Cardinals | ProFootballTalk
The cruelest part of Josh McDaniels’ firing: Doing it just before the 3-9 Broncos faced John Skelton and the Cardinals.

Video Gallery
The Way I See It - Andre Roberts

Phoenix Suns score double-digit points, lose to Portland Trail Blazers
Like grinding out sausage, playing the Portland way was not pretty Tuesday night for the Suns. The Suns found their way to one fast-break score and reiterated that double-digit point totals are hazardous to their health. The Suns have lost all five games in which they failed to reach 100, losing the latest 106-99 to the Trail Blazers at Rose Garden. Phoenix was denied its first four-game win streak of the season because it was denied much of what it wanted to do by a Portland team missing suspended guard Andre Miller. The Suns shot 51 percent but got up only five 3-pointers in the first half and committed 19 turnovers despite fewer possessions than usual.

Madden 11 Week 13 Ratings Change Suggestions | pastapadre.com
With teams having completed three quarters of their regular season schedule every division has a tight competition taking place going into the final weeks. The upcoming Madden 11 roster update should bring about some significant ratings changes as players continue to establish their levels of performance as more than a trend or aberration. This update though may have more impact with the number of good players that will move to the IR.

Broncos admit Josh McDaniels had too much power - NFL - SI.com
The Denver Broncos kicked Josh McDaniels out of a job. They're not going to throw him under the bus. Speaking on behalf of team owner Pat Bowlen, chief operating officer Joe Ellis said Tuesday the organization was at fault for giving McDaniels too much power at too young an age with so little experience.

Judge who sentenced Michael Vick is now a fan | ProFootballTalk
The judge who sentenced Michael Vick to 23 months in federal prison in 2007 says he’s proud to see what Vick has accomplished in 2010. "He’s an example of how the system can work," U.S. District Court Judge Henry E. Hudson told the Washington Post.

Thoughts on Rams' offensive philosophy - NFC West Blog - ESPN
The St. Louis Rams are 6-6 this season after going 6-42 over their previous three. It's probably picking nits, then, to complain about second-half game plans that have, at times, bordered on overly conservative. Bernie Miklasz and I were discussing the subject in the pressbox Sunday following the Rams' 19-6 victory over the Arizona Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium. Bernie has come to respect the overall approach Rams offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur has taken despite some misgivings along the way.

Everything Is Albert Haynesworth's Fault, But What About Mike Shanahan? - SBNation.com
Nobody's going to defend Albert Haynesworth's performance with the Washington Redskins this season. He's been overweight, lazy, petulant, and just plain awful. Compounding the disappointment is the outrageous contract he was awarded two years ago. In a sport where superstars routinely go underpaid, he's made $35 million in two years as a Redskin, and hasn't done much to earn it. We know all this, and after he was suspended for the rest of the 2010 season on Tuesday, nobody's looking to argue that Albert Haynesworth has somehow gotten a raw deal in Washington. But what about Mike Shanahan, the coach that decided to suspend him?