The Arizona Cardinals finish the year at 11-7, going 10-6 during the regular season.  I would say they had a good year, winning 10 games for the first time since the franchise has been in Arizona.  My family and I will continue to support the Cardinals, we just like watching them play, and have for the past seven years.  I am already looking forward to the off season and to see what player and coach personnel changes we are going to make.  Okay, yesterday was a tough loss, but not a setback.  The Cardinals will be better next year, as long as we have Kurt Warner behind the center calling the shots.  And mark my words, in the Ken Whisenhunt era, the Cardinals will not only get back to a super bowl, but win it too!

     Its obvious the Cardinals need to improve defensively, but on offense we are probably going to have to trade Anquan Boldin to move up in the draft and get another quality player or players.  I am thinking a quarterback or cornerback to replace McFadden because lets face it Leinart is not the answer for future success.  Our defensive schemes have to improve, maybe a new defensive coordinator and defensive players that can shut teams down on 3rd down and improve tackling.  I do not know but something has to improve with our defense, that gave up back to back 45 point games in this years playoff run.  You cannot win that way and expect to make it to the superbowl.  Defense wins championships.  But I have faith in the system that Ken Whisenhunt is promoting and belief in the front office that the Cardinals will improve and make the right moves.  No doubt about it.  Sports media and lousy analysts predicted the Cardinals would have a superbowl hangover this year and not even make the playoffs.  A guess that did not happen.  The Cardinals will get better and continue to dominate the NFC western division.  Just keep Kurt Warner and improve our defense is all that is required.  The Cardinals will make that there primary focus this offseason.

     The Arizona Cardinals fans need to not hang their heads, yes, it is disappointing that we did not make it to the superbowl for the second year in a row, but it is a competitive and difficult league to play in.  I am both proud and satisfied with how the Cardinals 2009 year went.  Of course, I would have liked a Lombardi trophy to cap off the season with, like every other true Cardinals fan.  That time will come, and when it does, this desert town will not be able to stop talking about it.  See you next year, take care of yourselves, and GOD bless you all!

I have been an Arizona Cardinalsfan since 2003.  I am not a native of Arizona, as some of you know that read my profile.  I love the National Football League, historically, the Cardinals organization has been less than stellar to put it nicely.  But the organization is under a new and improved regime now, no matter what takes place tomorrow at New Orleans, the Cardinal organization and fans can hold their heads high.  The hire of Ken Whisenhunt has made all the difference in the world for this team, this town, and their beloved fans.  I have never seen a NFL coach give praise and compliments to thier fans like coach Whisenhunt does before and after games.  He continually shows the fans love and gratitude for supporting the Cardinals.  Trust me, there is no NFL coach that does that.  I believe that is important because of the lack of success the Cardinal franchise has had over the years.  

Ken Whisenhunt has brought that Pittsburgh Steeler mentality to the desert, now 4-1 in post season play.  He has installed discipline and a physical force in this version of the Arizona Cardinals.  The Cardinals were not a bad football team prior to the Coach Whisenhunt era.  Let me finish here before you jump to any conclusions.  For those of you who did not jump on the bandwagon until last years super bowl run, the Cardinals played competitively, only to lose it in the 4th quarter, as in the infamous Monday night debacle against the Chicago Bearsat Cardinals Stadium when they blew a 23-3 lead in the second half, with most of the damage coming in the 4th quarter.  The Cardinals just needed to learn how to finish.  With all the talent they had, they just needed someone to guide them and show them how to finish a game in the win column.  And Ken Whisenhunt and his staff have done that, Kevin Spencer, special teams coach, has played a big role in that also, with our special teams kick coverage being one of our weaker points.  Ken is a calm coach, you can see it in his interviews, and a fair one too, despite what Q might think.  Coach Whisenhunt has changed the entire NFL culture in Arizona, with Cardinal fans, NFL fans, and the sports media for the better.   

Wow!  What a game at Cardinals Stadium, as I like to call it still.  The game was surreal, 96 total points scored, I am asking myself today, did that really happen and then my next thought is yeah, we did it.   My family and I attended our first Arizona Cardinals playoff game yesterday afternoon, evening, and boy did we get our dollars worth.  I was praying all week to God to let the Cardinals play hard, start fast, win the turnover battle, and make more plays than Green Bay.  Lets just say, he answered my prayers and many others I hope.  I also prayed that God keep me sane and control my emotions with Packer fans, not many of them compared to last week.  My emotions were controlled, for most of the day.

My faith was tested at the end of the 4th quarter.  Our defense just could not stop Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay offense in the second half.  The Cardinals held them to ten first half points, and I am okay, we can win this with a two touchdown lead.  But this is the 2009 NFL Playoffs, and there is a reason why the Packers are a playoff team, winning 7 of their last 8 ball games.  A relentless comeback by the Packers was outshadowed by our main man Kurt Warner.  I will tell you right now, Kurt Warner will not only be in the hall of fame, but he is the best quarterback the Cardinals have ever had, hands down.  The Cardinals go as Kurt goes, his precision passing yesterday was untouchable, completing 29 out of 33 passes, with 5 touchdown throws.  At the end of the 4th quarter, with just under 2:00 to play, Kurt would drive the Cardinals down field one last time in regulation, only to see Neil Rackers miss a 34 yard game winning field goal with :14 left on the clock.  I was sitting opposite end of the field goal try in the upper level and could easily see that it was shanked wide left.  My first human thought was we are going to lose this game in overtime if we lose the coin toss.  I turned to my 8 year old son who had tears in his eyes after the miss.  He thought we had lost.  I told my son the game was going into overtime and we had not lost yet.  I told him and my wife that we needed to win the coin toss to get the ball first because we had not stopped the Green Bay offense all second half.  After the Cardinals lost the coin toss, I was being really negative, saying its over, we cannot win this game.  My son told me do not be so negative.  And I said you are right son, I then looked at Neil Rackers on the sideline after he missed that field goal try with his head down.  I yelled Rackers, keep your head up, we may need you later in this game.  I saw Neil trot out to the field with his head still down and yelled out encouragement again to him, to keep his head up, we need you to kickoff here.  I trusted God and through my son, I remembered to keep the faith, that something positive would happen on defense for the Cardinals if I did trust him.  And we all know now what happened, Money Mike, as Karlos Dansby likes to call Michael Adams, crushed Aaron Rodgers on his blindside, knocking the ball free, the ball landing on Rodgers cleats, bouncing up into Dansby's hands,  who bolted in for the winning touchdown.  Not unbelievable, but THANKS BE TO GOD!

As we were walking out of Cardinals Stadium, I shook hands with several Packers fans, acknowledging them for a good game played by their team.  There is a lot of history with Wisconsin and being a cheese head.  I understand that.  But as we walked out of the stadium, there were two young Packer fans, that walked in front of us.  One of them said, CARDINALS SUCK!!!  I do not call out, or start stuff with fans of the opposing team, but if they come at me or near me where I can hear them, I am going to have to defend my team.  I really cannot write what I said exactly here, but lets just say I told him we beat their blank and take your blank back to Green Bay or wherever you are from.  They continued to walk their way and we walked our way.  My human emotions got the best of me there, but God kept me sane enough.  Let me just tell you,  I am not one to get into stupid fights over sports, never have, that is just down right retarded if you do, but its fun when someone trys to say something, and then you have something to say back.  Praise God and go cards next week at New Orleans!