Kolb Does Not Deserve to be Booed
By Scott Allen
When the Arizona Cardinals saw quarterback Kurt Warner retire after the 2010 season, many fans including myself were wondering what was going to become of the position. Many thought Matt Leinart was not the right man and that turned out to be correct. People wanted someone who they felt was a legitimate NFL quarterback. A lot of people thought that guy was going to be Kevin Kolb. As we know, the Cards gave a lot up to get him and he spent half the season injured in 2011. His record says he went 2-6. He was better than that record, with about two weeks to learn the playbook before taking the field in preseason. So why all the boos?
I understand the frustration with the Cardinals. I get some are jaded thanks to Derek Anderson. No one will be Kurt Warner, not even Kolb, nor should we expect him to be. Yes, Kolb made some boneheaded plays last season. Don’t most quarterbacks?
You cant boo him for getting turf toe. You can’t blame him for getting concussions. You can’t blame him for not getting a complete grasp of the offensive playbook with just about four weeks to understand it prior to the regular season. Yes, he most definitely was frustrating to watch at times when he was healthy. He was a lot better to watch than Anderson, that’s for sure.
Then there’s John Skelton. He went 6-2. You can’t attribute all six wins to Skelton either. Patrick Peterson bailed him out a couple of times. Let’s all remember Skelton was thrown into the fire. He was a project two years ago that wasn’t supposed to see the playing field until 2013-2014 at best. He has played admirably and I feel comfortable enough with him out there if Kolb gets hurt, but if Kolb is healthy and plays even halfway decent, he’s getting the starting job and will deserve it, like it or not.
I think it’s a bit premature to boo Kolb at this point. He is getting a full off-season now. Don’t even judge what happens in preseason. Wait until the regular season to reserve judgement. If he is the starter and goes into October under .500, then boo away – if he is the one that deserves it. They could lose 41-35 and Kolb would throw 5 TD’s and no interceptions and people would find a way to boo him. Make sure it is justified before booing him. Right now, if you can’t say anything nice, just keep your mouth shut. Please.