When September rolls around each year, I have one recurring dream: to see the Chicago Bears win a Super Bowl title. I have other aspirations, don't get me wrong, but I choose only to dream about those things which are out of my own personal control. The Bears winning their second Super Bowl is a moment I've played out in my head a million times. I can see it, goddamn it, I can see it. And that vision is what keeps me logging on to this site every few days to share my harebrained ideas with you monkeys.
If the Arizona Cardinals were to win the Super Bowl on Sunday...then what becomes of the beloved Super Bowl? Some teams simply don't belong as the last ones standing. The Cardinals are one. So are the Detroit Lions. The Los Angeles Clippers. The New York University men's basketball team. Me playing Golden Tee. Some folks do the game more justice by continuing to lose. It keeps the universe in balance. Keeps the vocals in harmony.
If the Steelers do their job on Sunday, it is simply another title for a proud football franchise. It is another notch in the championship belt of an organization which - along with the Patriots of late - has come to set the standard for continual excellence in a sport built to deter it. Another Steelers Super Bowl win feels right in the recesses of one's football soul. It's Lambert. It's Bradshaw. It's clean. Nay. It's immaculate.
And didn't Rob Moore play for the Cardinals? Wasn't the team's most important ballgame before January the one at the end of Jerry Maguire? No. They're not allowed to win it all. They're not allowed to set the standard. They're not allowed to be the thing the other 31 teams aspire to be.
Because I can't wake up on the first Sunday of the 2009 season and say out loud, "Damn it, boys. We can be this year's Arizona Cardinals."
#2 KentuckyBearsFan said . . .First! Good article and although I see your point, I still find myself cheering for the Cardinals for two reasons. I like to cheer for the NFC and I like underdogs. I pulled for the Giants last year and I'll pull for Cards this year.
Although the Steelers (and the Pats) should be the model franchise to compare to I have to feel that we are currently more like the Cards. I will say that leaguewide we have more respect earned than the Cards, but we don't start the season ranked in the top ten. We don't even get picked to win our division. We have a different style of play than them but our end results have been similar in recent years.
If they win it gives hope to every team at the start of the season. It goes back to your article a few weeks ago saying "all you have to do is make it to the post season". Once you are there anything can happen.
January 31, 2009
#3 Albert in Tucson said . . ."Wasn't the team's most important ballgame before January the one at the end of Jerry Maguire?"
That's hilarious and so true that that should be the tagline for this year's Super Bowl.I don't have much rooting interest in this year's game, but Arizona made it with two Pro-Bowl caliber receivers and a rejuvenated aging QB. Watching the playoffs, I was surprised at how good Warner looked compared to another aging Qb: Kerry Collins. Must be all that damn clean leaving.
I'm conflicted. I tend to favor the Steelers most years, yet the state is too close to the state I hate (Ohio) but Arizona has all those damn retirees who choose to live in a DESERT. When growing up, how many people here hoped "Before I die, I hope i end up in the fucking desert?"
Steelers winning would signal that all is right with the world....which is clearly not true right now. Warner winning the Super Bowl would be like Joe Montana winning it all with the KC Chiefs.
Damn it. I wish Baltimore or Tennessee had made it instead. Baltimore would have been a great match-up: best secondary (Balt.) vs. best wide receivers(AZ). Plus if Baltimore had won, Martial Law would be declared before the end of the day in all of Maryland.
January 31, 2009
#4 BearDownInMoco said . . .Sorry, I'm rooting for guys like Kurt Warner and Adrian Wilson. By the way, Steeler Parker should have been suspended for that text book spearing job he did on Willis McGahee.
January 31, 2009
#5 The Ghost of Halas said . . .I live in Maryland and while there's definitely an extremely dedicated core group of Ravens fans, it's still Redskins country (vomits in mouth). I'm torn because I like to root for the underdog and the NFC, but Ive been saying since week 5 that the steelers were the best team in the league and Id like to actually be right for a change.
January 31, 2009
#6 The Ghost of Halas said . . .No. I've got to go with history. With the Chicago's other sons. With the only other founder still left. With the oldest franchise in the sport.
You're absolutely fucking right though. Nobody should wish to aspire to the Arizona Cardinals. But does that really happen? I haven't heard anybody wish to aspire to the 2005 Steelers, the 2006 Colts, the 2002 Bucs, etc. They aspire to great teams like the 1985 Bears, the 1978 Steelers, the 1984 49ers, etc. I think people, and players, look back at the legends more often then the assholes on the other teams who are still playing.
January 31, 2009
#7 do said . . .By the way....
Richard Dent could be in the Hall of Fame tomorrow!
January 31, 2009
#8 jdawg said . . .do people forget that the cardinals were in chicago for OVER half of their existence as a team? I am cheering for the cardinals not because I want an underdog to win or because I want the old qb to win another, no I am cheering for the cards because for 62 years they were the other team in chicago. Hell the cards are even named after our state bird.
Did anyone else find it interesting that for one year in the 40's these 2 teams merged to form a team because of the war?
January 31, 2009
#9 CA BEAR FAN said . . .heard some analysts point out that when the Steelers blitz there is a huge open space in the middle of the field and Warner can get rid of it quickly.
I just hope its a good game.
January 31, 2009
#10 Murph said . . .Steelers? are you serious Jeff? FUCK THE STEELERS!!!!!! CARDINALS BABY...THE OLD CHICAGO TEAM!!!! GO CARDS!!!!
January 31, 2009
#11 Hey said . . .No hall for Dent, didnt make it again, what a bunch of crap.....Derrick Thomas was awesome pass rusher but didnt play the run as well as Dent, also the sack man had more sacks than Thomas...right behind Bruce Smith. Hell they let Hayes in and he was a convicted felon. Hope the Cards win, then the Cubs can have the solo hold on the losers tag!!
February 1, 2009
#12 Max said . . ....who you calling monkey?
February 1, 2009
#13 Max Blart Mall Cop said . . .I am going for the Cards because 1) underdogs 2) they have been shit on enough 3) I really dont like the Steelers. Dont get me wrong, I like some of the Steeler players, but it just seems as though I have never been a big fan of the Black and Gold.
But hey, thats just me.
Oh the negative side: I got a new job now that I am officially a college grad, and im a security officer (not a guard) and im headed to the morning shift at work which means im gonna miss the first quarter+ of the game. Hopefully it wont be to exciting.
Bear Down ... only 11 more weeks til the draft
February 1, 2009
#14 NY Bears Fan said . . .That's Security Officer to you!!
February 1, 2009
#15 The Ghost of Halas said . . .I am rooting for the Cardinals but damnit Matt Millen just gave them the kiss of death by picking them.
February 1, 2009
#16 zisk said . . .Hmm. End of the first and the Steelers offense is slapping the Cardinals defense to and fro across the field. This reminds of of the latter half of Super Bowl XLI.
February 2, 2009
#17 zisk said . . .Did that just happen? I think I need another beer.
February 2, 2009
#18 cards fan for a day said . . .Now that I have my next refreshing beverage, I love teams who get big hits on defense and swarm the ball carrier. I don't like teams that get nine wins in the worst division then take the rest of the regular season off. Jeff made a great point, I don't want the super bowl to be cheapened.
February 2, 2009
#19 shonbear said . . .zisk i don't know what the hell youre talking about. if the cards beat the steelers they deserve to be champs. it doesnt devalue the super bowl.
February 2, 2009
#20 shonbear said . . .wow
February 2, 2009
#21 shonbear said . . .kinda had the feel of the last 9 secs of the atlanta game
February 2, 2009
#22 shonbear said . . .how the heck doesnt the booth review that?
February 2, 2009
#23 AfroCelt said . . .it was still a good game.
February 2, 2009
#24 Kurt Warner threw for 377 yards and 3 TD's against the nasty Steelers D said . . .That Harrison back-punching and later whack was just shameful. RESTRAINED aggression...remember it.
February 2, 2009
#25 shonbear said . . .and we didn't bring this guy in because we didn't want to frighten poor Rex and hurt his feelings.
February 2, 2009
#26 Urlacher FTW said . . .wouldnt have mattered, we didn't have Anquon Boldin or Fitzgerald for him to throw to. Plus they picked a good Michigan reciever as their three, remember our last Michigan receiver.
Still I always wished that he had come to Chicago earlier. When we had a running game and lights out D he would have been the ticket, even with not so great receivers.
February 2, 2009
#27 shonbear said . . .24 - it turned out not to matter since his hoorid decision, pick six was the difference in the game. You can put up as many yards as you want but in the end he lost the game, and didnt do enough to make up for it.
February 2, 2009
#28 Anonymous said . . .uftw, you couldnt be more wrong, that was just like the bears it was a 100% defensive failure on the last drive.
February 2, 2009
#29 Albert In Tucson said . . .Another Super Bowl marred by substandard (putting mildly) officiating.
What part of "Nobody paid to come here and watch you throw flags" don't the NFL and it's herd of Zebras understand?
Don't get me wrong, the Cardinals lost because Kurt Warner did exactly what he COULD NOT AFFORD TO DO at the end of the first half by getting picked at the goal line and because the Cardinal defense couldn't get to Big Ben when they had to.
But Terry McCauley and his gang HANDED the Stealers 3 points on that 3rd quarter drive with some heinous flag throwing!
And WHY ON GOD'S GREEN EARTH wasn't that last "fumble" call reviewed? I saw it was an incomplete foward pass and the Cards still had another shot PLUS and extra 15 yards on the Stealer penalty following the play.
And when is the NFL going to trash the rule that allows a runner to grab a defender's face mask under the guise of a "stiff arm".Roger Goodell, FIX THIS!
PS: And yes, I KNOW it's spelled StEElers, but not when it comes to their last 2 Super Bowl appearances.
February 2, 2009
#30 Urlacher FTW said . . .Didn't mean to go "Anonymous", guys. Rant #28 is me.
February 2, 2009
#31 Anonymous said . . .It was a 10-14 point difference in score. 17-23 or 13-23 they win without that pick 6 period. It was too costly a mistake on a down he didn't have to force it in a situation where he had to be extra careful to protect at least the 3 points anyway.
By the time the 4th quarter came both Ds were gassed and playing sloppy, did you see Pitts vaunted D dropping into cover 4 still get burned deep by Fitz. It turned a game where they could have taken control by a couple of scores into a race to see who gets the ball last. It was the absolute difference and proved that passing yards are a really meaningless stat.
I'm not saying he's an awful QB, quite the contrary I think he is 10x the QB Roth is, but none the less he threw the game away period.
February 2, 2009
#32 BearDown1982 said . . .Sorry guess it woulda been 26-20 or 30-20 but none the less.
February 2, 2009
#33 shonbear said . . .I agree, the officiating wasn't great, but the Cardinals deserved many of those flags. The only two I didn't agree with were the personal fouls: ie - roughing the passer (no way that defender could have stopped by then, and for god sakes, the QB was Big Ben), and the facemask penalty (if only because Holmes had his hands all over the DBs facemask just as much...shouldn't that cancel out a bit?)
Otherwise, yes, the pick 6 was huge. I still don't understand why the cards didn't try a much safer jump ball to Fitz in that situation like they did on the first TD in the fourth quarter. Why try to force that into the teeth of a 3-4 defense that often disguises its blitzes and coverage....hense why he never saw Harrison.
February 2, 2009
a 2:02 minute drive for a TD though come on! That's just not normal.
-Bad officiating
-Bad halftime show
-Bad call on the goal line
-Bad AZ D when it counted-Good KW
-Good BR (ridiculous escapability)
-Good Fitz
-Good Holmes
Overall it was a decent game and kept my attention, now it's onto free agency and the draft, let's see what the Bears are going to do now to make the team better...February 2, 2009
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