9-11-11: Arizona Cardinals Bird Droppings - Remembering 9/11 And Gameday

First off, it is the 10th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on September 11th 2001, so lets all take a moment to remember all of the lives that were lost on that day.

It is also time for the first game of the season for the Cardinals, so lets go out there and get a win. For America.

Starting Anew
Cards open against Panthers ready to forget last season

Cardinals seek to start on right foot vs. Panthers
As a rallying cry, "Let's not go 5-11 again!" is not going to reach bumper-sticker status. Even among Cardinals, its motivational properties vary. To defensive end Darnell Dockett, last season is not easily forgotten. In a 2 1/2-minute period with reporters this week, he mentioned "5-11" five times. "The whole attitude has changed with our team," Dockett said. "We're not complaining, guys staying after (practice). We know what 5-11 feels like at the end of the day." Returning players might use that as motivation, but coach Ken Whisenhunt hasn't broached the subject with his team this week. Of the 53 players on the roster, 19 of them are in their first seasons in Arizona, so reminding them of last season wouldn't do much good.

QB debuts highlight Panthers-Cardinals opener - ArizonaSports.com
Cam Newton returns to the scene of his greatest triumph as a college football quarterback, and he may hardly recognize the place. Instead of Auburn fans cheering him on, as they did in the BCS championship game eight months ago, there will be deafening hostility. Rather than an undersized Oregon defense, the Heisman Trophy winner and No. 1 pick in the draft will face an NFL team scheming to confuse and flatten him at every turn. Newton leads the Carolina Panthers into University of Phoenix Stadium on Sunday to face the Arizona Cardinals, who have a new quarterback of their own in Kevin Kolb. The crowd, with the roof closed, is among the noisiest in the NFL, and Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt expects it to be a major advantage.

Arizona Sports News:

Diamondbacks complete rally, beat Padres on tribute night
The Diamondbacks had plenty of star power on the field to excite a sellout crowd of 48,017 at Chase Field when it honored the 2001 World Series Championship squad before Saturday's game with the San Diego Padres. But in the end, it was the talent from the 2011 team that stole the show. Back-to-back home runs in the bottom of the ninth by Chris Young and Lyle Overbay set up extra innings, and in the tenth the Padres walked in the winning run to give the Diamondbacks a 6-5 comeback win for their 15th straight victory at home.

Phoenix Mercury fall to Seattle Storm, to open WNBA Playoffs on road
Thirteen-year veteran Katie Smith turned into the "Katie of old" to help the Seattle Storm clinch the Western Conference's No. 2 seed. Smith scored 11 of her season-high 26 points in the third quarter to lead the Storm past Phoenix, 85-70 on Friday night and clinch home-court advantage against the Mercury in the playoffs next week.

ASU football finally breaks through on a national stage
Lightning filled the sky over Sun Devil Stadium for much of Friday's Arizona State-Missouri game, like the flashes of paparazzi cameras at a high-profile event. slideshow Game photos | slideshow Close-up gallery | slideshow Best of ASU fans | message boards Twitter updates This was a high-profile game, all right, and ASU delivered. The Sun Devils beat a ranked team with a gritty, late-game effort, which is not something this team could have done last season. Or the season before.

NFL News:

Troy Polamalu Agrees To Contract Extension With Pittsburgh Steelers - SBNation.com
Troy Polamalu signed a four-year contract extension the day before his Pittsburgh Steelers begin the NFL's regular season.

Adrian Peterson Signs Contract Extension Worth $100 Million, According To Report - SBNation.com
Adrian Peterson signed a contract extension with the Minnesota Vikings worth a reported $100 million.

Brady: "It sucks" not seeing Manning out there | ProFootballTalk
Tom Brady and Peyton Manning will ultimately be remembered as the two players who defined their NFL era. While Patriots and Colts fans and front offices may hate each other, the league’s best two quarterbacks over the last decade have always enjoyed more of a friendly rivalry. When Brady heard Manning was likely out this weekend, he simply didn’t believe it.

Marques Colston Could Miss Four Weeks With Broken Collarbone - SBNation.com
Marques Colston, the leading receiver for the New Orleans Saints last year, could miss four weeks with a broken collarbone suffered in Thursday's season opener against the Green Bay Packers.

9/11 Memories: SB Nation NFL Bloggers Remember Where They Were - SBNation.com
It's the 10th anniversary of 9/11 and, on the day the NFL season opens, SB Nation's NFL bloggers remember where they were.