The Three-Ring Circus that is the Arizona Cardinals
By Scott Allen
Dec. 2, 2012; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; Arizona Cardinals running back Beanie Wells (26) is tackled by New York Jets defensive end Mike DeVito (70) during the first half at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-USA TODAY Sports
Tell me if you’ve heard this one before…an Arizona Cardinal, a Rabbi, and a head coach walk into a bar…yeah, pretty much what it is at this point in Arizona Cardinals land, a complete joke. Infighting, coaches that won’t tell you anything, a quarterback that throws like he’s playing Pee-Wee football, and an offensive that is just offensive. It’s like old times in Tempe, except it’s not. At no point in the Arizona Cardinals 24 year history has it been this bad and you’re probably looking at the best defense they’ve had in their short Arizona history. That is saying a lot.
The infighting. Word got out that Cards defensive end Darnell Dockett spit in Kerry Rhodes face at the end of the game on Sunday against the New York Jets. Rhodes confirms there was an incident. Coach Ken Whisenhunt says there was no incident. Which is it? I’m going with Rhodes on this one.
Speaking of coach Whiz, his days have to be numbered. Yesterday it was rumored there were in-house discussions about replacing him with Cards defensive coordinator Ray Horton. I supported Whiz up until about 3-4 weeks ago. He’s lost this team or at least is close to it. Players not agreeing with his decisions and not being too secretive about it, at least on the field on gameday. At that point, the ride is coming to an end. I’m not a huge fan of replacing a coach mid-season, especially with only four games left. It doesn’t make much sense. Replace him once the season has ended.
Whiz is also getting very testy with the media, much of whom he has always had a love-love relationship with. You can even tell it is starting to irk the media and I can’t say I blame them. Whiz answers questions with not even a denial, usually only with a “I think I already answered that.” Um, no, you didn’t, but thanks for playing along Whiz. Clearly he is losing it on all ends. Cards brass has to be seeing and hearing this, right?
Then you have the quarterback situation, created mostly by previously said head coach. When the Cards failed to replace a very ineffective Ryan Lindley Sunday in the worst offensive output in Arizona Cardinals history with John Skelton, who is the lesser of the two evils, the writing was on the wall. The Cards, at least from at least a coaching standpoint, have given up. It also says Skelton will never take another snap. If Lindley gets injured, well I expect them to run the Wildcat with Patrick Peterson exclusively. We all know Kevin Kolb won’t be returning.
The topper had to be today with the release of tight end Todd Heap, who spent more time on the sidelines instead of between them during his time in Arizona. Three weeks I called for them to release him and even then it was about seven weeks too late. He should have been released 10 weeks ago when he got injured. The Cards never put him on the Injured Reserve list. He was taking up a roster spot that clearly was not going to return this season. At least they did it. I’ll give them that much. Enough was enough.
As far as the Cards go, enough is enough. It has become a three-ring circus and everyone is laughing. Even the die-hards are laughing, except they are crying on the inside. It is so sad a situation, it is laughable. That’s all I could find myself doing last Sunday. My wife looked at me weird but I told her, laughing is better than getting angry. Why should we get upset if the Cards won’t get upset enough to change things? It’s not worth it.