I know, our Arizona Cardinals aren’t in this year’s Super Bowl, however it should still be a great match up.  Peyton Manning and the AFC Champion Indianapolis Colts will be looking for their second Super Bowl win in three seasons, facing the NFC Champion New Orleans Saints.

I’m not sure how much defense we’ll see, although Indianapolis, when healthy, is among the best defensively in the NFL.  I hope the game doesn’t have us waiting for the commercials, which of course is one reason we do watch.  I don’t think it will.  It should fun to watch.  Congratulations to both the Colts and Saints.  They both had excellent seasons and one of them will top it all off with a Super Bowl victory.

Saints 38 Colts 28

Scott Allen

Arizona Cardinals assistant coach and former Washington Redskins player Russ Grimm and former Dallas Cowboys and Arizona Cardinals running back Emmitt Smith are among seven individuals elected to the NFL Hall of Fame today.

Also elected were former San Francisco 49ers, Oakland Raiders, and Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jerry Rice, along with Dick Lebeau, Rickey Jackson,  Floyd Little, and John Randle.

Both Smith and Rice were elected on their first ballot.  Smith, who spent the majority of his career with Dallas and finished up in Arizona, finished with 18,355 rushing yards along with 164 touchdowns.  Rice, the NFL’s all-time receiving leader, played most of his career in San Francisco before brief stints with Oakland and Seattle.

Grimm, who is the current offensive line and assistant head coach of the Cardinals, played 11 seasons with the Redskins, on what is my opinion, the best offensive line there ever was.  Grimm has been a candidate for several head coaching positions over the past few years, including the opening in Arizona in 2007 before Ken Whisenhunt took over and brought Grimm with him over from the Pittsburgh Steelers.

It is well deserved for all!  Although they didn’t earn their selections because of their time as Cardinals, I hope everyone joins me in giving congrats to Grimm and Smith, along with the others.

Scott Allen

More than two weeks after the loss to the New Orleans Saints, the Arizona Cardinals are still making headlines and keeping themselves in the public eye this Super Bowl Week.

Cards defensive lineman Darnell Dockett is helping out his friend Chad Ochocinco cover the Super Bowl for the “Ochocinco News Network”.  Why does something tell me I should have seen that one coming?

Larry Fitzgerald talked at the Super Bowl to Houston Sportsradio 610 today about the Texans and the Super Bowl and his experiences from last year’s big trip.

Since his retirement five days ago, Kurt Warner has been on the media circuit as well.  He also included his thoughts on his former coach Mike Martz joining the Chicago Bears and how he will fit with Bears quarterback Jay Cutler.

So, they are keeping busy and the Matt Leinart will he or won’t he be in a Cards uniform next season talk continues.  Stay tuned.

Scott Allen

Well, Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner did it.  He retired on Friday as many suspected he would.  Now you can call him former Arizona Cardinals quarterback.

In an anti-climatic press conference, Warner said he was ready to leave the game after 12 years of service in the NFL, mostly due to the fact he would like to spend more time with his family.  As much as it pains to see him go, he does leave the game on his own terms and although he did not get the Super Bowl win for the Cardinals fans wanted him to get, he ended up bringing respectability and high expectations for the future to a franchise that spent much of its first two decades in Arizona trying to do just that.

He will always be known as a class act and he has the respect of many on and off the field.

“There is no debating the fact that Kurt Warner is one of the most astonishing sports stories we’ve ever seen” – Bob Glauber, Newsday.com

“It’s impossible to write the history of the NFL from 1999 to 2009 without making Warner a featured part of it” – Kent Somers, The Arizona Republic

“He’s been amazing.  Really’s He’s done everything you can do in the game.  He’s been an MVP.  He has been a Super Bowl Champion.  He plays at a high level year in and year out.  He has nothing left to prove and he’s been a great ambassador for the game as well” – Tony Romo, Dallas Cowboys quarterback

“Warner left behind a resume that few in the game now could match over even lengthier careers” – Michael Tunison, The Sporting Blog

“Kurt Warner leaves quite a void, for the Cardinals and the entire NFC” – Tim Kawakami, Bay Area News Group

I simply say now, thank you Kurt Warner.  Thank you for all you did for the Cardinals, their fans, and the people of the Valley and all of Arizona and for the rest of the NFL.  You will be missed and the Cardinals and the NFL will never be the same without you.  Good luck with your future endeavors.

Scott Allen