Reaching High Hopes, Or Another Season Of Jokes? A Cardnials Preview

Guess what everybody its that time of year again.  Yep it's football season.  Time to see what a new season brings for your team.  Eveybody seems to be excited about their teams chances and its no different here in Arizona.
Training camp started late last week and with all of the new pieces the Cardinals have assembled in the off season the fans have very high expectations this year.  The expectations seem to be high every year, but since Kurt Warner left the Cardinals have continued to put together disappointing season after disappointing season.  The Cardinals have a new coach, QB, running back and guard that plan to put an end to those disappointing seasons.  The Cardinals have a new coach, quarterback, running back and guard that plan to put an end to those disappointing seasons.

During the off season the Cardinals hired Bruce Arians to be their next head coach.  At first I wasn't to thrilled with the move, but as time goes by I think the Cardinals made a great decision.  Arians is a proven winner.  What he did last year in Indy is just short of a miracle.  The move is also good because Arians wasn't a household name.  That means not as much pressure to win as there would have been if a high profile coach would have been hired.  The Cardinal's brought in Buddy Ryan and Dennis Green and the results were horrible.  To say the least "they were who we thought they were".  Then when the Cardinals started winning and made it to the Super Bowl they did with a little known guy named Ken Whisenhunt.  I don't think its a coincidence that a big name coach can't win here.

After the Cardinals hired Arians it wasn't long before they acquired Carson Palmer to be their next QB. This is good for many reasons.  First they know who the QB is going into camp and for a team like the Cardinals it gives the coaches a chance to focus on the offensive line.  Second Palmer was the best guy available.  Sure you could argue that Kevin Kolb is as good or even better than Palmer but the bottom line is Palmer has not let Arizona down and many fans were left with a sour taste in their mouth from Kolb overall performance with the Card's.  And finally Carson Palmer is a good quarterback.  He is good but not great and certainly has the ability to become better here in Az.  Palmer is a proven veteran that has won in the past and with a target like Larry Fitzgerald he has a promising future.  The problem is that he will set his own legacy with the Cardinals.  The offensive line will.
The Cardinals also added Rashard Mendenhall at running back.  Mendenhall who like Palmer has came to the Cardinals to try and prove himself as still a good running back in the NFL..  The addition of Mendenhall is a good one because he is fast and can give the Cardinals 60 to 70 yards a game. If they can throw like most people think they should be able to that's all the rushing game will need to contribute.  Now I'm not saying the offense is going to ne the best in the league but I think the Cardinals will not have to rely on just their defense to get them out of trouble.
The strong point of the Cardinals for the last few years has been their defense and this year should be no different.  They were a very good under rated unit last year.  They definitely will miss Safety Adrian Wilson but if rookie Tyrann Mathieu really is a changed man we will soon forget about trusty number 24.  Mathieu, who no longer wants to be called Honey Badger, is very talented and is in the right place to turn his life around and have an effective rookie season in the NFL.

The Cardinals may not make the playoffs but they will definitely be a much improved team from last years disaster.  As far as the playoffs go, I feel they will go as far as the O-line will take them.  If the line allows the running backs to average 85 yards it will open up the passing game.  If this happens and they can split the season series with the 49ers and Seahawks they will be in good position to make a push for the playoffs.

Season Prediction:

The Arizona Cardinals, under first year head coach Bruce Arians will finish the 2013 champaign 8-8.  They will reach the NFL playoffs.  They will lose on the road in a wildcard game.

All We Are Saying Is Give Tebow A Chance!

In case you haven't heard Tim Tebow was released by the New York Jet's.  Tim was the third string QB and with the Jets drafting Geno Smith everyone new his job was in jeopardy.  Tebow is not your typical QB and some think he should have played a different position.  I don't think Tebow is a great QB, he may not even be a good QB.  My only issue is that Tebow wasn't even given a chance.  The Jet's got him from Denver and never let him play.  Think about it, its no secret Mark Sanchez wasn't getting the job done so you go and pick up this guy that came off the bench and took his team to the playoffs and even won a game.  Tebow does all that and New York disgraces him by not even giving him a chance. 
When he was in Denver it was a no brainer, if you have a shot at Peyton Manning, you go get him.  But why get rid of Tebow?  Money? Doesn't fit the system? No. John Elway had a personal issue with him, which we will probably never know.  My best guess is that Elway didn't want Tebow to start winning and still his "thunder".  Well guess what, you are John freaking Elway, no one is going to still your spotlight!  Elway is just lucky Peyton worked out for the Broncos.

So lets look at this from a talent aspect.  Whether you want to admit it or not Tebow is very talented.  He has decent arm strenght and is above average running the football.  Many people knock his mechanics and throwing ability.  To that I say look at the last two QB's to come out of USC and a hand full of others that either lasted just one or two seasons or are career backups in the NFL.  When Tebow was drafted people said his style of quarterback will never work in the NFL.  Really, can you say read option! Colin Kaepernick, Russell Wilson and RGIII can.  Like these guys Tebow is able to extend a play with his feet.  Tebow will never be a Hall of Famer, but let's give him a chance and at the very least he puts a few extra fans in the seats, or he gets you into the playoffs like he did in Denver.  Now I know its a stretch to compare Tebow to the three previously mentioned QB's but if you stop and think about it its really not.  Tebow is a smart guy and very gutsy, willing to do what it takes to prove the nay sayers wrong, kind of like half of the QB's in this league.  So know one wants to give Tebow a chance at the read option, why not?  I leave you with this "would we think different if Tebow wasn't a white guy trying to be a Running QB?"  I wonder.  All we are saying is give Tebow a chance!

Time For College Hoops to Crown A Champ.

The madness is almost over. Tonight the NCAA will crown their  basketball national champs. Louisville takes on Michigan in what promises to be a very entertaining game. Louisville comes in as a number 1 seed and the favorite.  They have a very good defense, which has carried them to the tittle game. They will have their hands full when they tip off against Michigan.   Michigan is a very different team than Louisville.  They are an offensive oriented team that puts a lot of points on the board. A fast paced game will favor Michigan. This should be a fast paced game, and at the end of the night it will be Michigan cutting down the nets.

Prediction:
Michigan 78
Louisville 62

Why Carson Palmer Will Win In Arizona

In case you haven't heard the Arizona Cardinals made a much needed improvement at the quarterback position.  They acquired Carson Palmer from the Oakland Raiders in exchange for a 6th round  draft pick. The move seemed to be inevitable when they released John Skelton the day before the trade.
The move makes perfect sense. While Palmer isn't the greatest QB in the NFL he certainly is a much better option than the QB's they currently have on the roster. Palmer is established and good lead a team with a good receiving corps, something the Cardinals have.
Palmer may prove to be the last piece to the Cardinals offensive puzzle.  Every one is questioning the play at both tackle spots last season, but now those guys aren't  rookies. They are a lot better this year. Add one more lineman in the draft and you will have a decent to above average line. They already have the best Wide Receiver in the league and there is real potential for Michael Floyd.  With the addition of Rashard Mendenhall at running back Cardinals fans can't help but image there team in the playoffs next season.
The Cardinals will with Carson Palmer under center next season. The big question will be can they hang with fellow NFC West foes Seattle and San Francisco? None of the experts would even dream of picking the Cardinals to win the West. The Cardinals always play good against the 49ers, so if they can start the season off as good as last season and stay consistent the rest of the year the Cardinals may be the surprise of the 2013 season.

Spring Training Coming To A Close

So it's the last week of Spring Training here in the Valley of thee Sun.  If you did not take in a game these last few weeks, you truly missed out,
Spring Training for true baseball fans is more than just practice and preparation for the upcoming season. It's a chance for fans to truly be a part of the game that America loves so much. I recently went to a game at Maryvale Baseball Stadium, here's my story.
My mother was given tickets to a game and so myself,  my wife, my daughter and my mom loaded up in our truck for an afternoon of baseball in Arizona.  We easily found parking and were there in time for the National Anthem.  We grabbed  some snacks and headed for our seats. To our amazement we had extremely good seats.  The first roe above the dugout, compliments of my wonderful aunt. We were on the visitors side, which happened to be the Dodgers dugout. It was a great site to see. The batter was so close that the guy next to me had a glove and warned me to watch for line drives.  The game itself was to exciting, just one home run.  It was the atmosphere that made the game fun.  After each inning the Dodger first baseman would run back to the dugout, someone would throw him a ball and he would toss it to a fan.  During the game my wife was one of the lucky fans to get a ball.  I consider myself a fan of baseball so I naturally had fun.  My wife and daughter are not but they too had a blast.  We had great seats, good snacks and "Lemonade Lemonade like grandma made." If you have ever been to a Dbacks game you'll understand. Nonetheless you couldn't ask for a better day,

Suns Making Basketball Fun Again

The Phoenix Suns have been through a tough season so far this season. They made a coaching change earlier this season and are not gonna make the playoffs.  Many people, including myself have criticized the front office for the moves that were made.
The Suns are definitely going in the wromg direction. They are a decent team but lack that go to, superstar player.  When the game is on the line they don't have a player that is going to take over.Many fans have put the once beloved Suns on the backburner becuase of this.

I went to a Suns game last night and if you don't catch at least one game this season you are truly missing out.  The Suns got blown out by the Nuggets, but for me and my family that didn't matter. With all the other things going on we truly enjoyed ourselves. The Suns have managed to make going to a game fun again. The have Suns dancers, giveaways, contest, and music playing duruing the game. They put as many fans ad possible on the jumbo tron and even had a few celebrities in the house. Baltimore Ravens linebacker Terell Suggs and a couple Kansas City Royals enjoyed the game. It was a great time and just when we thought it couldn't get any better the Phoenix Suns Gorilla dazzled us with his funny antics and awesome dunks.

Trade Deadline Comes and Goes

The NBA's trade deadline was Thursday and the big trade was, well nothing.  The trade deadline passed leaving fans to only talk about the what ifs.  Josh Smith stayed with the Hawks, which didn't surprise many people.  He is a great player but is an upcoming free agent who many think isn't worth the big contract he wants.  Elsewhere in the NBA there were some trades but nothing to really talk about.  This posses the question: Did the uneventful trade deadline prepare us for an uneventful post season in the NBA?

How the Title game changes coaching.

The Super Bowl is in the books and it gave us plenty to talk about.  Funny how much of it is not football.  One thing about football that it did give us was the coaching decisions that were made on both sides of the ball.  These decisions definitely left some questions.  Why throw on fourth and goal if you have a QB like Kaepernick?  Why take a safety?  Big games always leave big questions in the fans minds.  This is because in big games especially games where something is on the line, coaches sometimes out think or out coach themselves.
I'll explain.  When you are coaching in a championship game you go in knowing what is a stake.  You start the mind games thinking lets do this, what if they do that, and I should do this because they don't think I will do that.  Coaches know that when the game is that big the outcome is usually decided by a play or decision that was made by one of the coaches.  For example a coach deciding to throw the ball on fourth and one when they have a very good running back that could probably get them that yard.  This is what happened in the Super Bowl.  The Ravens were simply coached better the the 49ers.  John made better decision then Jim did.  If Jim would have given the ball to Frank Gore 30 times he would be the brother with the Super Bowl Trophy.  He also should have at the very least rolled Kaepernick out on fourth down to get the defense thinking shoot this guy might run the ball and that split second of second guessing may have given the 49ers the open receiver they needed.  Where John really outsmarted his brother is when he had his punter run around the back of the end zone for a few seconds and take a safety.  Jim did not see that coming and a play that should have lasted about 4 seconds ended lasting 8 and giving the 49ers no chance for a last second hail mary.

Super Bowl XLVII prediction!

The game is finally here! We are hours away from kickoff and now its time to focus on the football. For the last six days you have heard everything imaginable about the Super Bowl.  Now its time to hear about the actual game.
The 49ers are favored to win. They have not lost a Super Bowl in which they were in. They are a franchise rich with history. The 49ers have very talented offense and a very under ratted defense. On the other side of the ball the Ravens have an awesome D and an under ratted offense.  This game is full of talent.  This game will be a battle for not only both teams but both coaches.
These teams are even matched.  This game will come down to the very end.  The quarterbacks are going to be a big part of the outcome. But look for another player to be the deciding factor in Super Bowl XLVII.  Perhaps Frank Gore or Ray Rice. Maybe Vernon Davis or Anquan Boldin.  The winner of this game is going to be the winner of the turnover battle, they are also going to be the team that wins the time of possession battle.
Both offense's are capable of doing this, so it is going to come down to whichever defense can keep the other offense off the field.  Ray Lewis and the Baltimore defense is more experienced and will prevail in Super Bowl XLVII.

Ravens 27, 49ers 24

Brotherly Love

Sunday is the big game. Of all the 32 teams in the NFL only two remain and take the field Sunday to see who will be crowned Super Bowl Champions.  This games has something the forty six Super Bowls lacked, sibling rivalry.  For the first time in Super Bowl history two brothers lead their teams in the quest to be called the years best.
John and Jim Harbaugh will battle whits come Sunday. Although they have both been very
professional about coaching against each other there is a part of them that wants to beat their brother on Sunday.  They are both too competitive for them not to think that.  For those of you that have a sibling you understand the importance of beating them.  It is in our nature to want to be better than our sibling at what we do.  For John and Jim Harbaugh this is even more so for many reasons.  This is both of their first appearance in a Super Bowl, Both feel a win will propel them from good coach to great coach.  And both want to make their dad proud.  For a man it is the greatest feeling in the world to be able to have your dad accomplish such a great feat.  Their dad, Jack, was a college coach for over thirty years and knows what it feels like to win a championship.  Both of his sons want to bring a Super Bowl ring home to Daddy.  They both don't mind doing it at the expense of their brother.