I'm as big a fan of the underdog as anyone.
I'm always rooting for the lowest remaining seed in the NCAA men's basketball tournament. When the Tampa Bay Rays make a run at a World Series title, I'm interested. When the lowly Atlanta Hawks take the Celtics to seven games in the first round of the playoffs, I'm loving every minute.
But the underdog thing has its limits.
Nobody wanted the 2007-08 Hawks to beat the Celtics in the playoffs last season because the 37-45 Hawks didn't really deserve to be in the playoffs. They were terrible in the regular season. The series was fun, but the right team won.
The Arizona Cardinals are like the 2007-08 Atlanta Hawks. Except in this case, the Hawks actually beat the Celtics.
The Cardinals are the worst team to ever make it to a Super Bowl. Ever. And it's not close.
I'm not taking anything away from what they've accomplished in the playoffs. They beat the teams they faced. They overcame the odds. The underdog won.
Whatever.
The Cardinals are like Dante from the Clerks movies, they shouldn't even be here today.
The Cardinals have been the picture of a dysfunctional franchise over the last couple of decades. They don't spend enough money. They let good players go. They sign players on the wrong side of their career. They don't draft well, with the noted exception of Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin.
They're like the warm-weather version of the Detroit Lions.
So did they turn over a new leaf? Did they turn this thing around? Did their new management figure out how to put together a Super Bowl champion?
In a word, no.
The Arizona Cardinals are in the Super Bowl because they play in the worst division in the history of the NFL. The Cardinals went undefeated against NFC West opponents. Against everyone else, they went 3-7.
Even if you factor in their playoff wins, they're still 6-7 against the real NFL.
And yet they're in the Super Bowl.
The Cardinals scored one more point than they allowed in the regular season. They had one of the best offenses in the NFL, and they could only outscore their opponents by one measly point.
And that's while feasting on the NFC West.
There's no nice way to put this. The Arizona Cardinals are in the Super Bowl because the National Football Conference suffered the worst choke job in the history of professional sports.
The entire conference should be ashamed of itself.
The Cardinals are only the second nine win team to make it to the Super Bowl. Statistically, they are the worst defensive team to ever make it to the Super Bowl. No Super Bowl team had ever scored less than 14 points more than they allowed — and that was the other nine-win team that inexplicably made it to the Super Bowl.
Well, 1979 Rams, you can rest easy, because you're no longer the worst team to ever play in the Super Bowl.
The Cardinals could shock the world on Super Bowl Sunday. They could beat the Steelers. They really could. Their offense is good enough that they can, in a perfect storm, beat anyone (unless there is a storm, see their performance against the Patriots in December).
Think about the teams we've considered the worst Super Bowl teams in recent memory. The 1985 Patriots won 11 games. The 2000 Giants won 10 games. The 1996 Patriots win 11 games. The 1989 and 1986 Broncos both won 11 games.
Even the 1994 Chargers won 11 games.
Those teams were terrible in the Super Bowl, but at least they deserved to be there. The Cardinals are a great story, I guess. But they don't deserve to be the story. The people who think they do just started watching them play three weeks ago.
I've had the misfortune of watching them all year long. The fact that they're in the Super Bowl isn't a great story, it's a travesty. Especially when you consider the fact that the Patriots, Jets, Cowboys, Bears, and Buccaneers, all either better than or at least equal to the Cardinals, didn't even make the playoffs.
The NFC is pathetic. The Giants' victory last year was a fluke. The entire conference is filled with choking dogs. Because of them, we're forced to watch one more week of Cardinal football.
Hopefully the Steelers will make the Cardinals pay for having the audacity to pretend to be a Super Bowl team.
Sean Crowe is the New England Patriots Examiner at Examiner.com. He writes a column every other Thursday for Sports Central. You can email him at [email protected].
January 22, 2009
croz:
the Cardinals are hard to grade because they are a very “inconsistant” team. If you want to turn inconsistant into “worst” then fine. The cards have the talent to beat good teams. Its just that sometimes they just mail in performances. And as far as their record against good teams, they did throttle Miami and Buffalo, and beat Dallas in a good game. And they narrowly lost to the Redskins and Panthers on the road, They were in a position to win those games. As far as worst, most undeserving to make it to the super bowl? Good teams play their best in the postseason, when it matters most. The cardinals are doing that. Quit whinin just because ol Kurt Warner and Larry Fitzgerald cant be stopped. Cards may have benefited from a weak division, but they have beaten three good teams when it mattered, and have a decent chance to beat another good team in the Super Bowl. They have a high powered offense that has yet to be stopped. Putting down a team seems like the easiest thing to do when youre angry you cant beat them
January 23, 2009
Go Cards:
My gawd… really dude? So I guess if they win the superbowl, they would be the worst team to win the superbowl? If the win 3 SB in a row, are they the worst dynasty ever? Who let’s people write crap like this?
January 23, 2009
RobertMarshall:
I certainly hope your friends and family keep all sharp objects out of reach. Hopefully, you will get back on your medication and into therapy! You have a short memory with it comes to the Pats bad years. It’s all about change fella. I hope your recovery is successful.
RM
January 23, 2009
elijah74:
you know what,,,,u can say and think all u want,,,,u can never take from these birds what they rightfully earned…..ur just a trash talker who lives in denial,,,,and u dont even give credit where credit is due…..ur not a cardinals fan,,,,,,,in fact,,,,ur just like the rest of those who put us down,,,,,and on the day of the superbowl……win or loose……we birds have done what was neccasarry to get where we are…..sure we never been here before…..but every dog has his day…..good,,,,and bad……its like denying some one who tryes hsrder,,,,and there best isn,t good enough…..telling a kid,,, there aint no santa clause…..telling ur lil girl…there aint no toothfairy,,,,,just let us bee happy..and quit hatin on us……superbowl 43 bolongs to the cards,,,,,,,peaxce.
January 23, 2009
darryld-az:
I got news for you, buddy. The only teams that don’t deserve to go to the Super Bowl are the ones that a) don’t make the playoffs, or b) don’t win after getting to the playoffs. You want a system like the BCS where the champion is chosen instead of proven? Pour all the haterade you want on the Cards, ‘cause back here in AZ we’ve heard it all before (remember when you rooted for the Diamondbacks to beat the stinkin’ Yankees in 2001?) The Bidwells may not be the sharpest tools in the NFL shed, but every once in a while a dumbass does something smart, like hiring Coach Whisenhunt and sitting Matt “Beer Bong” Leinart down for Kurt Warner. I’m making no excuses for them getting whupped by your Pats last month, but the fact is the Cards are preparing for a football game and the Pats are preparing for the draft. Go ahead, root for Pittsburgh. I’ll take rings over respect any day.
January 23, 2009
Shawn Martin:
It’s a wicked bummah sitting on the sidelines isn’t it chowd? I remember when it used to be fun to root for teams from New England. That’s when they were perenial losahs like the Dunkin Donut eating bums in Boston. But, now, much like Yankee fans, you bellyache when you’re team is knocked out. Like New Yorker guy, you sit back and moan about how your team deserves it more than the teams actually playing. That’s okay. Scoreboard, baby. And regardless of the outcome, you’re team won’t even be on it. Please, think before you type. It will save all of us time.
January 26, 2009
paul earle:
you might be the worst sports writer in history.
no wonder your column is buried on some obscure website and no one nationally knows who you are.
youre the az cardinals of sportswriters, except you cant win the super bowl to redeem yourself.
hahaha sucka. to get respect you gotta show some respect.
January 27, 2009
Keith Strawn:
Sean,
You’re absolutely right. People are comparing these guys to the Giants. No way. The Giants went on the road last year and won three games, and then beat the Patriots in the Super Bowl. Because of the flawed NFL policy of favoring teams which “win” their division, we had an 8-8 Charger team host 12-4 Indianapolis, and we had the Cardinals host two games against more accomplished teams. If the Cardinals had gone on the road and won three games, I’d probably be less skeptical. As is the case with the Atlanta Hawks, the question is not whether a professional team is capable of getting hot and rattling off a few wins. The questions is whether they even deserve to be a part of the conversation. This just shows how mediocre the whole league has become. Only a blindly-loyal Cardinal fan could think otherwise.
January 27, 2009
AZSaintsfan:
You cant be serious, can you? The worst SB team ever, hmmm let’s see.
1) 2 of the 3 teams they beat were from the NFC SOuth, tthe best division in football…no look at the recoerds
2) How many teams beat the Panthers in Carolina, umm that would be 1
3) After getting buried early in the season, they march into Philly and dominate the 1st half against the over-rated Donovan “Cant win the big game” McNabb.
Since when does a team’d history talk about how good they are now? I guess this past year’s Yankke team was the best team ever to make the baseball post-season because HISTORY says they have one more World Series than anyone. No doubt the Cardinals have stunk for years, but dude in case you haven’t noticed…the last 4 years have turned this franchise around. Take a look:
1) A new stadium (it looks like a toilet bowl from the top, the Taj Mahal on the inside)
2) Take a look at their last drafts, ever heard of these guys? Yeah well alot of them have some pretty important roles on this NFC Champ team
2008
1 - Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, CB Tennessee State
2 - Calais Campbell, DE Miami (FL)
3 - Early Doucet, WR LSU
4 - Kenny Iwebema, DE Iowa
5 - Timothy Hightower, RB Richmond
2007
1 - Levi Brown, T Penn State
2 - Alan Branch, DT Michigan
5 - Steve Breaston, WR Michigan
7 - Ben Patrick, TE Delaware
2006
1 - Matt Leinart, QB USC
2 - Taitusi (Deuce) Lutui, G USC
3 - Leonard Pope, TE Georgia
4 - Gabriel Watson, DT Michigan
2005
1 - Antrel Rolle, DB Miami (FL)
2 - J.J. Arrington, RB California
2004
1 - Larry Fitzgerald, WR Pittsburgh
2 - Karlos Dansby, LB Auburn
3 - Darnell Dockett, DE Florida State
5 - Antonio Smith, DE Oklahoma State
And most importantly, Michael Bidwill finall started running things from his dad and opened the checkbook. To spens some money, ever hear of this guy Edgerrin James? What about Kurt Warner? Yeah me neither
As we all know they aslo hired Ken Whisenhunt who is a football man and he had paid dividends in 2 years. He not onlu brought a fire and pasiion here, but a history of winning and professionalism from the best run team in the NFL, if not all of pro sports. Kill the worst team ever talk and face the truth…the Cardinals are in the Super Bowl and the franchise is on the way up.
BTW….Saints in ‘09
April 11, 2009
jordan:
Cards rule a dynesty is building
April 11, 2009
jordan:
Guys just watch for the massive improvment in the Cards09 defence now there getting used to each other! They’ll be top 5! And we all know theve got the no 1 offence best QBs and WRs and a great O line! The Cards were very unlucky in the SB and are easily a better team than Pittsburgh! As for all the other crybabies get used to it the Cards will rule the NFC again this year SB 44 belongs to the Cards. Oh and theve got an Aussie Punter! Go Graham legend! Go Cards! Cardinals forever! Jordan Australia.