Success is Earned, Not Asked for

When the Arizona Cardinals defeated the New York Giants last week, all we could talk about was what little acknowledgment the Cards were getting for their great game.  Rather everyone was asking what was wrong with the Giants?  Maybe that’s the way it should have been.

Now, I found several items from national media that was giving the Cards credit and I posted some of those links.  However, when even quarterback Kurt Warner is complaining the national media isn’t giving them due credit, you know you’re dealing with a team that really is asking for success, not earning it.  The Cards proved yesterday in their 34-21 loss to the Carolina Panthers that they just can’t show up and expect to win and win big.  The Cards haven’t earned that kind of success yet to understand what it takes to win games you are supposed to win, especially ones after wins against good teams on the road.  This being all said after this team went to the Super Bowl last year.  You think something would have been learned there.

Now let’s not throw in the towel just yet.  It’s one game, but with the schedule they have in November, you can’t expect a playoff team to do anything less than 4-0 the rest of the way this month with Chicago, Seattle, St. Louis, and Tennessee looming, three of those games on the road, where the Cards are 3-0 so far this season.  3-1 is acceptable if they fight and give an effort in Chicago and come up short this weekend.  Chicago is favored, but that doesn’t mean they are the better team necessarily.

I hope they take a long look at themselves this week and realize any success they come by is going to be earned and once they start stringing games together like the ones they had in Seattle and New York on a consistent basis, then the accolades and the talk will come.  Until then, just shut up and play.

Scott Allen