Super Bowl question

[mteson]

Being from Arizona I have a ton of folks on my Facebook and LJ going nuts about the Cardinals actually playing in the Super Bowl next year. Lots of "Go Cardinals!" circulating around.

I remember the Cardinals being the laughingstock of Arizona, and it would be disingenuous for me to suddenly turn around and root for them. I hope all the people

Comments

[bessie_smith]

Here is the most famous person ever associated with the Arizona Cardinals.

Eh

[anonymous]

Let the fair weather fans have their thunderstorm.

[drewfansler]

I don't think it's disingenuous to root for anyone, provided you don't claim something you're not. It's something for people in Arizona to get excited about because their locality is represented in the biggest game of the season. I can't imagine there were many Diamondbacks fans when they won the World Series in 2001. I don't think one need be a fan to get caught up in the excitement.

I was pulling for Arizona because they were the underdog, but all I'd really hoped for was a good game.

But let me see how I do on the 10.

Dan Dierdorf, offensive line
E.J. Junior, linebacker
Neil Lomax, quarterback
Neil O'Donohughe, placekicker
Tom Tupa, punter
John Lee, placekicker
Vai Sikahema, running back
Larry Fitzgerald, wide receiver
Matt Leinart, quarterback
Kurt Warner, quarterback

The last three were suited up in Tampa, the rest are names I remember from Football cards throughout the 1980s, with the exception of Dierdorf, who was in the press box during my coming of age but a Cardinal in the 1960s, iirc.

[mteson]

It's not wrong to root for the Cardinals, what's wrong is to live in Arizona, be from Arizona, completely ignore the Cardinals and laugh at them, and then the one year they have a good season you put on your red and white clothes and head to the nearest sports bar and take pictures on your Facebook of you and your buddies yelling "GO CARDS!" like you've been doing this for forever.

My brother is a REAL Cardinals fan. He goes to games, he follows the team, he's stuck by them for years. He has earned the right to cheer them on during their good years because he was there through all of the bad ones. That's what being a sports fan IS.

I heartily recommend Joe Queenan's "True Believers" for the definitive look at the perils of front-running.

Also, cross-apply my comment to Russell. My test is about current players only.

[drewfansler]

I've read parts of Queenan's book. Your copy, actually.

I laughed at all the people who did that in Chicago when the White Sox went all the way in 2005, after the Black Sox scandal, decades of mediocrity and being the second team in the city.

And they did it in droves because they were hungry for a winner. Never mind where they were when the season opened with stands half full. John Cusack was mugging for the cameras that October, but he was back at Wrigley the next summer.

They did nothing to tarnish the trophy.

Point being, I just don't care. I didn't care in '05 when White Sox jerseys and caps were crawling out of the woodwork and I don't care now. I simply chuckle at the clockwork of the whole thing.

[rmaltempo]

Edgerrin James
Tim Hightower
Kurt Warner
Matt Leinart
Anquan Boldin
Larry Fitzgerald
Steve Breaston
Anthony Rogers-Cromartie
Samari Rolle
JJ Arrington

Not a fan of the Cardinals but football in general. Easy giveaway as most of the players I remember are on offense.

Of course then there's the story of Pat Tillman... the only other Cardinal that I can think of.

[mteson]

I'm sorry, I should have been clearer. The question is whether you could name ten current players. Of course, I have no idea if your lists are of current players or not because I can name Leinart and Warner and that's it.

[rmaltempo]

My list is all current players. Except it's Dominique Rogers Cromartie and Antrel Rolle - the two defensive players I listed.

Regardless you're right. Fairweather fans frickin' suck.

[paperthinwalls]

i know! i was like you--when i found out the cardinals were in the super bowl, i was like, 'wait, i thought the cardinals sucked??' i had been running on this vague notion that Our Football Team Was Bad for years, ha ha! i guess they are better now.

i still could not name you one player. nor did i watch the game. c'est la vie. ;)

[mteson]

I didn't watch the game either, but that's because (a) I dislike the NFL in general and prefer college football, and (b) We don't have TV reception or cable at home and we didn't feel like going to the sports bar.