Do we get respect or not yet? (1 Viewer)

[FFCardsFan]

As a season ticket holder for the past 15+ years this is so gratifying. To get ZERO respect for so many years and to finally come around and make the playoffs and Still get zero respect is one thing. But to knock off a strong Falcons team, as a home underdog, and then to storm into Carolina and just overwhelm them in every category of the game ON THE EAST COAST as a double digit dog is a whole different step. Now, I'm not throwing a pity party, but I still dont expect the Redbirds to get the respect they deserve and thats fine. But they are definitely hitting a great stride right now and whichever team wins tomorrow is going to have to play their ### off to knock this team out. And when next week rolls around, I hope to God everyone keeps picking against us. I'm not sitting here saying that we're goin to win the superbowl and all that gibberish, but actually... I don't know what I'm trying to say. But like I said in another thread, I want be a guy that acts like I have been here before but the truth is... I havent.

I have never been such a big Eagles fan in my life. If they can pull it out tomorrow, Arizona will be chaos this week.

Come'on Cards, keep the dream alive.

 

[Kleck]

Beating Carolina in Carolina... I respect the Cardinals.

 

[bicycle_seat_sniffer]

congrats.

The NFL slogan of any given sunday has never been more true.

Defense has stepped up and Fitz is unstoppable.

IF Ariz plays Philly I fully expect them to win.

 

[Billy Ball Thorton]

I Have been on this wagon all my NFL life.. I'll be flying ti AZ if Philly wins.

 

[-baller]

not from new england fans.

 

[r3t2]

are you serious? 1 win against a playoff team, and the dolphins no less!

ok, they won against a really good team; good job by them. but stop whining, you earn your respect by winning. what, you want people to drop to their knees for a 9-7 squad that beat out the rams, 49ers, and seahawks. jesus, get some perspective!

 

[FFCardsFan]

Little Sisters of the Poor could have beaten Carolina today. This Cardinals team is probably the worst team to ever play in a Conference Championship Game.

Haha. I love it. The Cards play good and shut 2 of the best running games in the league in back to back weeks and go into Carolina and blow them out. Yet, the Cards in no way shape or form played good, the Panthers play bad. Gotta love it.

 

[the Jag Zone]

in most cases Teams are only as good as their last game..

some Media types etc have tried to pick the Cards to win something the last couple of seasons..

and for one reason or another they've not got it done.. and teams get a rep based on consistency or lack there of..

the "Birds appeared to be in collapse mode down the stretch of the regular season and few gave them a chance last week, let alone tonite in Carolina.. but to their credit.. they stepped on the field and got it done.. quality coaches.. hell, quality football people across the board realize that in football, like in life, "respect is earned".. and tonite the Cards went out and earned several slices of "respect"..

now an even larger step for them will be to (regardless of who and where they play the NFC Championship) not fall on their face and/or get that "just glad to be there" syndrome that some teams get when approaching a bigger game than what they are used to...

props to Arizona for stepping up and beating the odds..

 

[azgroover]

Little Sisters of the Poor could have beaten Carolina today. This Cardinals team is probably the worst team to ever play in a Conference Championship Game.

91 lions down?

 

[Ghost Rider]

Little Sisters of the Poor could have beaten Carolina today.

Ever think that the Panthers played so poorly because the Cardinals played so well?

This Cardinals team is probably the worst team to ever play in a Conference Championship Game.

Who cares? They got there, and that is all that matters.

 

[Billy Ball Thorton]

Little Sisters of the Poor could have beaten Carolina today. This Cardinals team is probably the worst team to ever play in a Conference Championship Game.

91 lions down?

Some people are just clueless..I hope the Bronco is for BSU Bronco

 

[FFCardsFan]

are you serious? 1 win against a playoff team, and the dolphins no less!ok, they won against a really good team; good job by them. but stop whining, you earn your respect by winning. what, you want people to drop to their knees for a 9-7 squad that beat out the rams, 49ers, and seahawks. jesus, get some perspective!

There we go! This is what I expected. I was worried why it was taking so long. Like I said, I don't expect the team to get your respect and that is fine. Last time I checked, it doesn't matter who you played in the regular and what your record was. Maybe I am wrong though. .

 

[Ditkaless Wonders]

I see no reason to rain on a parade that has been so long delayed. Enjoy.

 

[brutha]

Defense has stepped up

That is what had made all the diff. we knew the O (OK the passing attack) would be there. If the D continues like this, well I don't expect them to take the SB but ......welllll, then again if the pathetic Colts' D can pull off that miracle D turnaround for the playoffs, anyone can lol

 

[FFCardsFan]

Little Sisters of the Poor could have beaten Carolina today. This Cardinals team is probably the worst team to ever play in a Conference Championship Game.

Haha. I love it. The Cards play good and shut 2 of the best running games in the league in back to back weeks and go into Carolina and blow them out. Yet, the Cards in no way shape or form played good, the Panthers play bad. Gotta love it.

I'm sorry but it's the truth. The Cardinals will be huge underdogs next week no matter who they play.

Is being an underdog a bad thing?

 

[Ghost Rider]

Is being an underdog a bad thing?

Not in these playoffs, where the underdog is 4-2 so far.

 

[FFCardsFan]

Is being an underdog a bad thing?

Not in these playoffs, where the underdog is 4-2 so far.

Exactly. Regardless of who the Cards play, whether its home vs Philly or in NY, being an underdog does not translate to being a lesser team. I don't want to be annoying, but AZ is thriving off playing this underdog role. Every interview you hear one of them say "We werent expected to win, bla bla", and that is what is carrying this team. They are really playing their best ball right now when noone expects them to win, when they, in all honesty, could have lost one of these past 2 games and the season would probably have been considered a success here in town.

 

[dutch]

Respect??? This an organization who this year alone doubled the playoff win total of their entire 89 year existence, a team led by a 37 year old retread qb who may not have any golden years left, a team who got clobbered by multiple teams- especially when they had to travel- during their scintillating 9-7 season on the way to the number 4 seed in the NFC. No, they haven't earned my respect yet.

Let 'em win the Superbowl first and then lets talk. As of now this is just the latest incarnation of the worst run professional franchise in US history in any of the Big 4 sports leagues.

 

[travdogg]

I've been very impressed by Whis and Pendergrast the last 2 weeks. Pendergrast should probably be in the running for a HC job if he can keep this up for another week or two.

That said, they did draw some nice match ups, I don't think they can beat the Giants and they were destroyed earlier by Philly(though I like their chances against them more in Arizona) but either way Cards fans have to be pretty pleased to get this far, especially without Boldin.

One question for Cards fans: How responsible for this championship contending team is Dennis Green? It seems the majority of the roster isn't any different than it was 2 years ago.

 

[FFCardsFan]

Respect??? This an organization who this year alone doubled the playoff win total of their entire 89 year existence, a team led by a 37 year old retread qb who may not have any golden years left, a team who got clobbered by multiple teams- especially when they had to travel- during their scintillating 9-7 season on the way to the number 4 seed in the NFC. No, they haven't earned my respect yet. Let 'em win the Superbowl first and then lets talk. As of now this is just the latest incarnation of the worst run professional franchise in US history in any of the Big 4 sports leagues.

Lol. Again, that is totally fine. But bringing up the regular season couldn't be more pointless in this conversation. I know I'm fighting an uphill battle here and I understand that, but you can't be a crappy pro football team and walk into Carolina and hand them their head.

 

[r3t2]

Respect??? This an organization who this year alone doubled the playoff win total of their entire 89 year existence, a team led by a 37 year old retread qb who may not have any golden years left, a team who got clobbered by multiple teams- especially when they had to travel- during their scintillating 9-7 season on the way to the number 4 seed in the NFC. No, they haven't earned my respect yet. Let 'em win the Superbowl first and then lets talk. As of now this is just the latest incarnation of the worst run professional franchise in US history in any of the Big 4 sports leagues.

Lol. Again, that is totally fine. But bringing up the regular season couldn't be more pointless in this conversation. I know I'm fighting an uphill battle here and I understand that, but you can't be a crappy pro football team and walk into Carolina and hand them their head.

what does respect mean? how are the cards being underestimated exactly? and how is the regular season pointless? youre right. i suppose we should only consider the past 4 hours. so youre betting your house next week, right? maybe your life's savings too.

 

[JSH21]

If the Giants beat Philly, I'm betting NY no matter what the line is. If it's in single digits you can take that to the bank.

 

[Avery]

To a lesser extend this is how the Seahawks are treated every year... East coast bias.

Remind me again how many NFL championships the Seahawks and the Cardinals have combined?Anyway, all respect for the Cardinals. It's not easy to completely shut down the Panthers running and Steve Smith yet somehow Jake Delhomme managed to pull off that difficult task.

 

[FFCardsFan]

Respect??? This an organization who this year alone doubled the playoff win total of their entire 89 year existence, a team led by a 37 year old retread qb who may not have any golden years left, a team who got clobbered by multiple teams- especially when they had to travel- during their scintillating 9-7 season on the way to the number 4 seed in the NFC. No, they haven't earned my respect yet. Let 'em win the Superbowl first and then lets talk. As of now this is just the latest incarnation of the worst run professional franchise in US history in any of the Big 4 sports leagues.

Lol. Again, that is totally fine. But bringing up the regular season couldn't be more pointless in this conversation. I know I'm fighting an uphill battle here and I understand that, but you can't be a crappy pro football team and walk into Carolina and hand them their head.

what does respect mean? how are the cards being underestimated exactly? and how is the regular season pointless? youre right. i suppose we should only consider the past 4 hours. so youre betting your house next week, right? maybe your life's savings too.

I don't really understand what your getting at with "betting my house and my life savings too", but I'll go along with it. If I had bet my house and life savings these past few weeks, I would be pretty happy with myself huh? Adding the regular season to the playoffs, the Cardinals are an 11-7 playoff team, with a 3 game win streak, that has knocked off two very solid teams in arguably "one of the best divisions in the league". As a Cardinal fan, earning respect, would mean that when people see Arizona on their schedule, they no longer think "automatic win". I do not want to get carried away here though, because who knows, if Kurt retires this year then next year we could very easily be back to a 7 win team. But I understand if they do not have your respect yet, you can't just have one solid season and expect to be feared as a top contender on a weekly basis, but in my opinion, AZ is on its way to winning over some more people.

 

[stevegamer]

Honestly, the Cardinals haven't deserved respect for a long time. They've been bad or worse. They've been deservedly an afterthought most of their existence.

Note:

Their last title predates the merger - but not the NFL-AFL merger, the NFL-AAFC merger. They don't have even close to the history of playoff success of even the Lions - think about that for a moment.

Ken Whisenhunt needs 43 wins to become the winningest coach in team history. that's not 43 MORE wins, that's a total of 43 wins.

For the last few seasons, they were supposed to win the NFC West, and they didn't. This year they didn't have as much hype, the Seahawks had a ton of injuries, and the Cards won the division, but backed into it, playing dreadfully in Philly & and had one of the worst excuses for effort I've ever seen from a "professional" sports team in New England - they are lucky the owner doesn't care much.

However, they are playing VERY well right now, and should be getting respect for how they are playing in the playoffs. I'd expect them to be favored over the Eagles, but an underdog to the Giants.

 

[Scotch Rocks]

I do not want to get carried away here though, because who knows, if Kurt retires this year then next year we could very easily be back to a 7 win team.

If Warner retires, you're a 4 win team.

 

[stevegamer]

To a lesser extend this is how the Seahawks are treated every year... East coast bias.

Remind me again how many NFL championships the Seahawks and the Cardinals have combined?Anyway, all respect for the Cardinals. It's not easy to completely shut down the Panthers running and Steve Smith yet somehow Jake Delhomme managed to pull off that difficult task.

2.But the Seahawks have only been around a fraction of the league's history, and had fairly hard exapnsion rules versus what has happened recently. All the teams from 1976 and later have an severe disavantage to totals like that versus older franchises.

 

[Avery]

To a lesser extend this is how the Seahawks are treated every year... East coast bias.

Remind me again how many NFL championships the Seahawks and the Cardinals have combined?Anyway, all respect for the Cardinals. It's not easy to completely shut down the Panthers running and Steve Smith yet somehow Jake Delhomme managed to pull off that difficult task.

2.But the Seahawks have only been around a fraction of the league's history, and had fairly hard exapnsion rules versus what has happened recently. All the teams from 1976 and later have an severe disavantage to totals like that versus older franchises.

33 years1 Superbowl appearance

0 Superbowl wins

That must have been quite the disadvantage they were handed.

 

[stevegamer]

To a lesser extend this is how the Seahawks are treated every year... East coast bias.

Remind me again how many NFL championships the Seahawks and the Cardinals have combined?Anyway, all respect for the Cardinals. It's not easy to completely shut down the Panthers running and Steve Smith yet somehow Jake Delhomme managed to pull off that difficult task.

2.But the Seahawks have only been around a fraction of the league's history, and had fairly hard exapnsion rules versus what has happened recently. All the teams from 1976 and later have an severe disavantage to totals like that versus older franchises.

33 years1 Superbowl appearance

0 Superbowl wins

That must have been quite the disadvantage they were handed.

Take a look at how many teams have 0 or 1 Super Bowl appearances:0: Cardinals/Saints/Lions/Browns/Jaguars/Texans

1: Buccaneers/Seahawks/Chargers/Jets/Falcons/Ravens/Panthers.

Part of the disadvantage is more teams in the league - it's easier to win a division when there are less teams in divsions, and more divisions. It's a lot harder to win a 14-16 team conference that it is to win a 10 team conference.

 

[Tecmo]

I too thought CAR would win, I just couldn't wipe the fact that they lost their way into the playoffs. I'm kinda kicking myself for ignoring D in a playoff game. The Cards do have a more respectable D than Carolina, I would of said that before the game. The ARZ D is hugely underrated. But they will falter against a good D. Philly or the G-men will beat ARZ handily

 

[Desert_Power]

Little Sisters of the Poor could have beaten Carolina today. This Cardinals team is probably the worst team to ever play in a Conference Championship Game.

Haha. I love it. The Cards play good and shut 2 of the best running games in the league in back to back weeks and go into Carolina and blow them out. Yet, the Cards in no way shape or form played good, the Panthers play bad. Gotta love it.

I am sorry but you did not shut down Carolina's running game. Carolina abandoned the running game due to the mistakes of their quarterback play but still averaged five yards a carry.Still has to be a very rewarding day for the Cards, its not easy to turnaround a franchise that has been down for so long.

 

[FFCardsFan]

I do not want to get carried away here though, because who knows, if Kurt retires this year then next year we could very easily be back to a 7 win team.

If Warner retires, you're a 4 win team.

I'll take the over on 4 wins.

 

[Avery]

I do not want to get carried away here though, because who knows, if Kurt retires this year then next year we could very easily be back to a 7 win team.

If Warner retires, you're a 4 win team.

I'll take the over on 4 wins.

Would Lienart be your starter or somebody else?

 

[Desert_Power]

I do not want to get carried away here though, because who knows, if Kurt retires this year then next year we could very easily be back to a 7 win team.

If Warner retires, you're a 4 win team.

I'll take the over on 4 wins.

I would too, I don't think Warner is the key to your success.

 

[FFCardsFan]

I do not want to get carried away here though, because who knows, if Kurt retires this year then next year we could very easily be back to a 7 win team.

If Warner retires, you're a 4 win team.

I'll take the over on 4 wins.

I would too, I don't think Warner is the key to your success.

Im guessing that is sarcasm, I can't tell though. He is definitley the key to the offense, but I do not think that Leinart, or whoever it is at QB, can only grab four wins with all that talent on offense.

 

[QuizGuy66]

Congrats on being the 30th of the 32 NFL franchises to make a conference championship game*.

Seriously, I am glad for the Cardinals and the fans who've suffered through a lot of losing, but while I respect what they've done in the playoffs to this point, it doesn't mean I'm going to regard them as a favorite to continue moving forward (though I'll be pulling for them).

-QG

* Houston and Cleveland #2 are the others. Now, now I know that the NFL has pulled a pravda and has said that the current Browns inherited all of the old Browns history, but that's just silly - that organization became the Ravens. This current Cleveland franchise has yet to play in a conference title game. Houston is almost the perfect complement to this arguement as they were brought in to replace the Oilers but weren't given their records, etc. So if you wanna look at it in terms of fan bases, that would make Arizona #32 out of 32 fan bases to see their team make a conference championship game.

 

[certificate]

They proved that Cardinals defensive line is playing absolutely lights out right now. That, and a resurging Edgerrin James give the Cardinals a really good chance at going to the Superbowl.

They should be the favorites in the NFC.

 

[Ghost Rider]

I am sorry but you did not shut down Carolina's running game. Carolina abandoned the running game due to the mistakes of their quarterback play but still averaged five yards a carry

Yes, they did, AFTER the first possession. After the first possession, the Panthers ran the ball 13 times for 35 yards, much of which was in the first half. They were getting nowhere with the run when the game was still fairly close in the first half.

 

[Doctor Detroit]

I see no reason to rain on a parade that has been so long delayed. Enjoy.

 

[nxmehta]

I see no reason to rain on a parade that has been so long delayed. Enjoy.

Seriously, from the fan of a team that has perennially gotten the #### kicked out of them for my whole lifetime, I wish I was a Cards fan right now. Hope you guys make the big show.

 

[drdgreenlove]

No respect

If the Superbowl is Cardinals vs Chargers, worst SuperBowl ever

Your fans are a joke. (No dispresect to you.. you seem like a good one)

 

[SeniorVBDStudent]

not from new england fans.

Fortunately baller doesn't speak for all patriots fans.I think last night's game was one of the most amazing football games I have ever seen.It wasn't just the nuclear destruction of Jake Delhomme (which I feel bad about), but also included a superhuman performance by Larry Fitzgerald which was trumped by the superhuman performance of the Cardinals defense. Steve Smith was freaking invisible in the first half. Cromartie was ridiculous in coverage. The Carolina running game, which I regard as the best in the league, was made to look just OK.Amazing upset.Cardinals have wiped away the embarassment of earlier east coast performance and shown themselves to be a legitimate playoff team.WOW.

 

[Neil Beaufort Zod]

The Cardinals are a franchise that deserves every bit of scorn and skepticism they've received for being such a perennial joke. First home playoff win in 60 years? First ever trip to a conference championship game? I guess I didn't realize how rotten they've been. I knew they were nobodies, but that's a really poor record.

I guess that makes this success that much sweeter. They didn't do anything too impressive in the regular season and won the division by default. But these last two games have shown some real mettle and they were clearly underestimated by the Panthers. I have to respect what they've accomplished in the playoffs. They deserve to be in the championship round next Sunday. Kudos to them.

If they lose next week, I'll respect their run but they'll have to show more next year to get any long-term respect. Otherwise they're just a 9-7 team that won a couple of playoff games one year. Now, if they show up next year and make the playoffs (even as a wildcard) I'll respect the turnaround there and consider them one of the league's better teams.

You can't wipe away more than a half-century of comical performances with a couple of wins. Win a Super Bowl and it all goes away (ask Tampa Bay). Make the Super Bowl and you have a great story that everyone has to respect. Right now they're done way more than anyone thought and these past two weeks must be respected by any football fan. But for that to translate into the team actually earning some long-term respect... there's more work to do.

I think they can definitely beat the Eagles, so that would be the best path for them imo.

 

[Thunderlips]

After the game they played last night?......No...It's still the Cards. Win next week and then we'll talk.

 

[puckalicious]

To a lesser extend this is how the Seahawks are treated every year... East coast bias.

Uhh, how much respect do 4 win teams usually get?Over the last 3 years every team in the NFC West has a sub .500 record (worst in the NFC btw), although SEA did have a nice little run last year that ended in a drubbing by GB.I guess I'm trying to say it's hard to get respect in such a weak division, so it was a pretty natural reaction for most observers to not give Arizona any respect after the way they finished the regular season. They've earned my respect after these last 2 games but they have yet to face a quality playoff QB. They took advantage of a rookie and an average veteran and got them to make some really bad decisions. If they can do the same to Manning or McNabb I'll have enormous respect for them.I am also in the 'without Warner this team will be much worse' camp. Does anyone believe in Leinert at this point?

 

[mad sweeney]

As a season ticket holder for the past 15+ years this is so gratifying. To get ZERO respect for so many years and to finally come around and make the playoffs and Still get zero respect is one thing. But to knock off a strong Falcons team, as a home underdog, and then to storm into Carolina and just overwhelm them in every category of the game ON THE EAST COAST as a double digit dog is a whole different step. Now, I'm not throwing a pity party, but I still dont expect the Redbirds to get the respect they deserve and thats fine. But they are definitely hitting a great stride right now and whichever team wins tomorrow is going to have to play their ### off to knock this team out. And when next week rolls around, I hope to God everyone keeps picking against us. I'm not sitting here saying that we're goin to win the superbowl and all that gibberish, but actually... I don't know what I'm trying to say. But like I said in another thread, I want be a guy that acts like I have been here before but the truth is... I havent.I have never been such a big Eagles fan in my life. If they can pull it out tomorrow, Arizona will be chaos this week. Come'on Cards, keep the dream alive.

Nope. You'll still get ripped on for being the Cards and everyone will play the "weak division" card even if you make the playoffs (and win) for years in a row while amassing the best record of any NFC team over that 5 years stretch.Sincerely,Seahawks FansPS: Hopefully you guys can sell out a championship game with less than two blackout extensions if you make it.

 

[the Jag Zone]

PS: Hopefully you guys can sell out a championship game with less than two blackout extensions if you make it.

I am not convinced the Cards will have that issue..Seattle has a reputation in a lot of circles for playing some good Football at times over the years..the Cards really don't..in any case I'd look for the Cards to be a huge underdog no matter if they Play Philly or the NYGs..and America loves an underdog.. this could be a very interesting weekend ahead..as a fan of the game.. I love it and think it's very good for the game..Good Luck

 

[PatrickT]

Look, as a Falcon fan, I totally get the inferiority complex. But starting a thread asking the question "do we get some respect now", really doesn't fit with the whole "I don't care if we get respect anyway" line. You obviously care. After being the whipping boys for so long, I guess it must be cathartic to call out a few people, but really, after the way they limped out of the regular season, did you expect to change everyone's minds in two games, no matter how good they were?

Kudos to the Cards. I'm a little torn on this one, as it doesn't help the "NFC is the toughest division" argument, but it does legitimize our loss in Arizona, since Arizona proved they're not just the token NFC West representative. Where the hell has that defense been all year? This team is the epitomy of getting hot at the right time and have a serious shot, IMO.

In either case, I'm on the bandwagon. Since I have no love for the Eagles or Giants, I'll root for David to slay Goliath. Go Cards!

 

[VTjkru]

If the Cardinals brass has any brains at all, they will kept what they have intact even if the team regresses for a bit. Wisenhut has this team turned around.

 

[FFCardsFan]

Look, as a Falcon fan, I totally get the inferiority complex. But starting a thread asking the question "do we get some respect now", really doesn't fit with the whole "I don't care if we get respect anyway" line. You obviously care. After being the whipping boys for so long, I guess it must be cathartic to call out a few people, but really, after the way they limped out of the regular season, did you expect to change everyone's minds in two games, no matter how good they were?

Kudos to the Cards. I'm a little torn on this one, as it doesn't help the "NFC is the toughest division" argument, but it does legitimize our loss in Arizona, since Arizona proved they're not just the token NFC West representative. Where the hell has that defense been all year? This team is the epitomy of getting hot at the right time and have a serious shot, IMO.

In either case, I'm on the bandwagon. Since I have no love for the Eagles or Giants, I'll root for David to slay Goliath. Go Cards!

I see what your saying, and maybe I came off wrong. But the fact is, obviously I would rather have my team be respected than not right? But at the same time, if this run in the playoffs hasn't earned respect yet then thats fine because that is what I expected. I didn't want to come off as some random ### bangwagon fan that talks up their team like no tomorrow, and maybe it was a little early to ask for some respect considering all the years of futility, but I do think we deserve more credit then we will get. But obviously I am going think that and I understand if people still don't want to admit it. And I know this situation isnt the exact same because the Chargers don't have the notoriously bad hisotry following them, but if the Chargers come out today and knock off the Steelers, although they went 8-8 in the regular season, they will have my respect for making a hell of a run this year when noone has expected them too. Thats why I don't agree with the regular season argument, because frankly, it doesn't matter.