Lens of Celebration

Earlier this week, I made an attempt to explain why I choose to accentuate the positives about the Cardinals’ draft picks, the same way I make it a priority to find what is unique about each of my students, and everyone person in my life, for that matter.

I love this Cardinals’ draft —- every single pick.

I love too that Steve Keim and Kliff Kingsbury have now dismissed the notion that they prefer their draft picks to have “redshirt “ years.

“Their ain’t no redshirt years,” Kliff Kingsbury proclaimed.

Then, a couple of days ago I tried to offer some thoughts and hunches about Year 3 of Kliff Kingsbury and his coaching staff.

On Twitter, a fried of Kingsbury’s thanked me for the article and said that he forwarded it to Kliff. I thanked his friend and said that I hope I did Kliff justice.

I happen to think very highly of Coach Kingsbury. I believe he is a class act, through and through. I also believe he is one of the premier QB developers on the planet. I like it that the players like playing for him. They respect the way he treats them like men and they appreciate the way he puts the onus of the team’s performances on his shoulders, particularly when things are not going very well.

Kliff is evolving as an NFL play caller, just as Kyler is evolving as an NFL QB. There are numerous reasons why some plays work and a myriad of reasons why some plays fail. We have talked about those reasons recently. I love that each week, win or lose, Kliff and Kyler say “we left a lot of plays out there.” Not that they left them —- but that they are always hungry for more.

Then, yesterday, I wrote an opinion piece where I made a case for the Cardinals trading or releasing MIKE LB Jordan Hicks.

To tell you the truth, articles like the Hicks one are the most difficult for me to write. I don’t like to see anyone struggle and I don't like to arrive at a conclusion that a Cardinals’ player would be better off playing with a fresh, clean slate somewhere else, just as I felt with Patrick Peterson —- and I sincerely hope that Pat P. crushes it in Minnesota.

I sincerely hope that Jordan Hicks crushes it next year whether he remains in Arizona or goes elsewhere.

After reading your comments regarding Jordan Hicks’ situation and having engaged last evening in a Twitter debate with Chuck Harris who wrote that there was no way that the Cardinals are going to trade or release Jordan Hicks, I can see Hicks’ situation more clearly now that I, with a little help from my friends, am seeing it from a number of different angles.

I still believe —- especially after Keim and Kingsbury asserted that Zaven Collins is going to play MIKE and he is going to play and play a ton (“there ain’t no redshirting”) —- and then when they were asked what this meant for Jordan Hicks’ status with the team, neither Keim nor Kingsbury would offer a comment —- that Jordan Hicks would be better off getting a fresh start somewhere else.

But, as many of you said, and as Gungus said on Twitter last evening, the Cardinals would at least be wise to hold on to Jordan Hicks through training camp just to make sure that Zaven Collins is good to go at MIKE. It’s just that I am also perfectly happy with Tanner Vallejo playing MIKE and I am anxious to see Evan Weaver play MIKE in the pre-season. But, none of them have Hicks’ experience, so I do understand and appreciate the point.

You know, I haven’t said this enough to all of you often or well enough —- thank you.

Every day, I feel that I gain a far keener perspective on the Cardinals and their goings-on by reading and hearing your thoughts, your hunches and your beliefs.

More often than you might realize, you always help give me keener viewpoints and a broader lens to proceed with —- after all —- it is when we view things from multiple angles, that we can see the various sides of the truth and appreciate the variety of the angles.

I will always try to “free the angel from the marble” (Michelangelo) when it comes to finding the redeemable aspects that make each of us unique. That is my raison d’être.

But, man, I owe so much thanks to you for doing the same.

This Ted Talk by National Georgraphic photographer Dewitt Jones is priceless.

Jones speaks of the “lens of celebration” and the possibilities we all have when we take the time to look at people and nature from a variety of different angles. Dewitt Jones is absolutely brilliant. This is my sincere thanks to you.