What to Do During the Offseason pt.2

It really is difficult to choose an activity after a great NFL season. With all the stress that you get from work, it really is important to have an outlet or some sort of escape so that you are kept sane. Working nowadays can be so fast paced that it can get really difficult on the soul. That’s probably one of the reasons why the NFL is so appealling; it let’s you enjoy a great game while you relax on your sofa and sipping an ice cold beer. With the season over, there are a lot of things you can do while waiting for the next season to start.

A great way to alleviate stress for most people is to go on a road trip. If you are able to stumble upon a long weekend, it would be a great time to have a road trip and spend time with you family, friends, and other loved ones. Go wherever you want, after all, there are so many places in the US that you can go to that would surely be great on the soul.

Another good idea would be to try and learn a new skill. If you feel like you want to be like one of those guys you see on UFC, then you have a lot of options and places to go to, so that you can learn how to fight MMA style.

Bye Buddy!

Aside from their slightly improved defense, the run of the Arizona Cardinals last season was largely due to their phenomenal offense. It really is difficult to defend against three 1,000 yard recievers, and a quarterback like Kurt Warner as well. They pushed all the way to the Superbowl, and almost had the game if it weren’t for lapses in defense for the last minute. One of the key players of the Cardinals was Anquan Boldin.

Of course we all remember that petty but heated arguement he had on the sidelines with offensive coordinator Haley. That’s over and we can all agree that it was only an isolated incident, and that Boldin truly is an important part of the Cardinal organization. The problem is that he has two years left on his contract, and says that there is only a slim chance that he will be signing with them again.

Well, a reason for this could be that he’s just saying that so he has more leverage when the renewal of his contract will be negotiated. It probably would be easy if Larry Fitzgerald keeps his word. Fitzgerald says that he will do anything to keep Boldin on the team.

So Near, Yet So Far

The last season was sort of a fairtytale story for both the Arizona Cardinals and Kurt Warner. The Cardinals have been known to be one of the more chaotic franchises in the NFL, and it has always failed to deliver the goods until recently. In a great run, they were able to get upsets during the playoffs, and was even able to reach the Superbowl for the first time in franchise history. For Kurt Warner, it was his chance to prove that he is Hall of Fame Worthy.

He started out the season as a back up for Matt Leinart. For reasons that are good to Warner, he became the starter and would be able to lead the Cardinals to the Superbowl. It has been 10 years since his last Superbowl trip, and it was with the St. Louis Rams that he was able to gain his first ever Superbowl championship.

Last Sunday, he had the chance to get another ring but several things were just beyond his control. One of them was the lack of defense that the Cardinals showed during the last run of the Steelers. They played intense defense throughout the game, but seemed to fail to do so when it mattered the most. The other, was the phenomenal catch of Santonio Holmes. Regardless of the outcome, he still proved that he has the guns to be a great quarterback.

Holmes Tribute to LeBron

The Superbowl was indeed an exciting event as what seemed to be a one sided game, suddenly would become a heart-stopper.  Of course, we all know that Steelers fans would take over any city they know their team is playing in, so it seemed as if it were the Steelers’ home game. After 3 quarters of play, the Cardinals would snatch the lead thanks to the 2 touchdowns of Larry Fitzgerald.

It was when people thought that the Cardinals would get their first Superbowl ever in franchise history that Santonio Holmes would get an amazing catch. There were a few seconds left when he made the miraculous catch and made a rather interesting touchdown celebration dance. He would immitate Lebron James’ chalk throwing ritual with the football.

To some fans of King James, it was a mockery, but according to others it was rather a tribute to James more than anything. The chalk throwing ritual was featured in one of Nike’s television ads and has become quite popular in the world of sports. Holmes doing it would only mean him acknowledging the popularity of the gesture, and it certainly isn’t anything negative.

Number 3

Coming into the Superbowl, we always talk about the threats the team has and how to stop them. It has been the topic of focus by people on how to stop Larry Fitzgerald, or will Hines Ward be able to play. When the Superbowl comes up, its not about which one of these players falls short or dominates, it’s about the ones that we tend to neglect.

We all know that the each opposing team will be focusing on the star players, so it would be a chance for the number 3 recievers to shine. Nate Washington will have a chance to prove that he is just as good as Hines Ward and Santonio Holmes. Steve Breaston will be given a chance to prove himself, especially since it will be likely that the defence will be covering Larry Fitzgerald.

Will they be able to step it up and play heroes? Hopefully for one of these teams, they do get a surprise hero and a victory to come along with it. What to do about it? it will all come down to how much heart and how much they want to prove themselves.

Focusing on the Superbowl

Preparation for any team for the Superbowl is one of the most imporant things that a coach could decide on. He wouldn’t want to over work his team and get them tired or injured before the game itself. He’d also want them in the best condition and let the gameplan be second nature to them and not let them be cold before the game. So it really is tough but preparation for the Superbowl is not limited to this.

The players have had two weeks before the Superbowl. It can be quite difficult for an athlete not to run into distractions and temptations. An athlete with his high profile status and money to spend, will be seeing a lot of opportunities for a lot of the things they want. The thing is that they could run into trouble before the game itself, and it could cost their team the win.

It really is important for the players to stay in focus. After the Superbowl, they can do all that they can but as of now, they have to put their minds on Superbowl Sunday and do everything so that they can come out for the win.

Superbowl vs. the Recession

Ok, so everyone knows how much 2008 sucked. It was indeed a bad year for everyone and hopefully 2009 is a better year. The effects of 2008 are still felt, and a lot of people are losing their jobs and more are expected. It really is a difficult time and this is reflected in a lot of ways; this also includes football.

Superbowl ads are quite expensive but a lot of companies see it as a worthwhile investment. The problem is that this year, companies are feeling the crunch of the recession, and it has become painful to their pockets. A lot of them also feel that it would be unfair to the people they have laid-off, because of the millions spent on a commercial.

Another thing here is that there aren’t much people partying up in Tampa. People are really just trying to save money or are using their time to make money. While the volume of the party goers have minimized, the intensity hasn’t changed. People who are actually out partying still do so that hardest they can. I mean if I decided to party in spite of the financial crisis, I’d party the hardest I could and make the most out of it.

Superbowl in Iraq

War is indeed a terrible thing. People may debate whether it is right or wrong, but the primary concern should always be the troops. Their lives are in danger everyday that they are in Iraq, and they are braving it out in a foreign land where they don’t even know the language. That’s why it’s so important that they know that they have our morale support.

The Superbowl is like war as well, and it is one of the favorite sports of Americans. It’s such a great feeling for our troops that they get to watch the Superbowl even if they are all the way in the middle east (where there is no football probably because men are not allowed to hug). They get a lot of morale support because they get a taste of home, and they get to root for their favorite teams. The troops’ morale is very important in the battle field because it gives them much confidence, and the willingness to survive.

When Superbowl Sunday comes, all the nation whether pro or anti war will come together and watch a very historic match between the Steelers and Cardinals.

Should Kurt Warner Retire?

Indeed it will be a big game for Kurt Warner and the rest of the Arizona Cardinals on Superbowl Sunday, and it is indeed a game that will be defining a lot of careers. Even if they don’t win, they have still proven that they’re not the pushover team that people have always dismissed them as.

With years of professional football under his belt, Kurt Warner wasn’t even sure if this were his last season. He was actually supposed to play back up for Matt Leinart until he proved himself once more with explosive performances this season. Imagine, it’s been 10 years since he won that Superbowl with the Rams. Now he’s back, and he’s a lot older. He may have a lot more experience, but in sports, age comes with a price as well. He’ll be going up against youthful legs that will pull everything just to get a sack.

So regardless of the outcome of Superbowl 43, should he retire? Well, he’s brought the Arizona Cardinals to the Superbowl and that says a lot. He doesn’t have to prove much anymore and he probably has secured a spot for him in the hall of fame.

Let’s Get Physical

American Football has always been known for it’s hard hits and very physical nature. Once you’re on the field, you more or less expect to inflict and recieve pain. It’s an all out war there and everyone knows it.

This was true when the NFL was just starting out. Slowly, The athelete got bigger and bigger contracts, and soon enough they would become prized possessions of the team owners and coaches wouldn’t want them to get injured. Because of this, the NFL has gotten a lot less physical than before. Evidence of this would be that the field is well spread with wide recievers.

Now that the Suerbowl is coming, it’s refreshing that we have two brave wide recievers out there that like the game being very physical. They wouldn’t mind getting tackled, and would love to inflict damage as well. Both Anquan Boldin and Hines Ward are very ballsy players that are just looking for the adrenaline rush of clashing bodies.

This could be the reason why Boldin has a hamstring injury, and Ward having a sprained knee. Still, it doesn’t bother them one bit and they are most likely looking forward to crushing their opponents when the superbowl arrives.

Cardinal Health Looking Good

One of the challenges that the Arizona Cardinals face are their personel losses. Indeed, they still have their key players intact, but they would feel a lot better if they have the whole team readily available for use. After all, the Superbowl is just one game and you never know what will happen, so it’s important that Whisenhunt has a lot of option.

It’s good news to hear that running back JJ Arrington is back, and has finally been able to practice. His pace may have been a bit slower than the others, but that’s just for his safety. He just came back after all. Other players that have suffered injures are linebackers Travis LaBoy and Antonio Smith; both of which were limited in practice as well.

It’s very crucial that these players get to be healthy when Sunday comes, because as the underdogs, the Arizona Cardinals will need to pull all the stops to get a win, or give the Pittsburgh Steelers a real epic fight. It really is difficult to play any game with such limited options, with players getting injured, tired, or ejected.

Will Arrington Miss Superbowl 43

The game of the Cards against the Eagles was indeed a game to remember. The Arizona Cardinals went through all odds to become one of the contenders at Superbowl 43. They were the underdog against Carolina and Philly, and now here they are again at that same spot. It is their first time ever in franchise history to ever reach the Superbowl, and that’s a pretty long time considering that they have been there as long as the NFL itself.

Now all odds are against them, and the chance of them winning is probably slim. They will need all the firepower they need, and it doesn’t help that one of their player’s health is in question. It was during the game against the Eagles that JJ Arrington injured his right knee. When asked whether he could play or not, Cardinals head coach said that he will be on the field when Superbowl Sunday comes.

Is this the right decision? hopefully, everything will be well intact, but so far, things don’t look good since Arrington has missed his second straight practice. If ever he misses more but will be healthy, wil he be in condition to play? and will be have enough practice to execute the plays they will be rehearsing?

Superbowl 43- A Great Story in the Making

Now that the NFC Championships are over, it is time to move on to the Superbowl. Any football fan could tell you that the two teams that will face off during Superbowl 43 are none other than the Arizona Cardinals, and the Pittsburgh Steelers. As with every Superbowl, there is always a great story behind the teams that will be pitted against each other.

One of the stories here is that this will be an attempt on the 6^th Superbowl championships for the Steelers. No other team in the NFL has ever done this, so it will become sports history if ever they were to achieve this goal.

The story of the Cardinals however, is the classic underdog story. The odds have always been up against them as they were the underdogs for both Carolina and Philadelphia. The were the first number 4 seed to ever host an NFC championship game and the odds are against them as well this Superbowl Sunday.

This is a story of David versus Goliath. The only difference is that everyone knows David wins in that story, and no one really has the slightest idea if maybe Goliath would win during the Superbowl. Surely, it will be a game to remember for everyone.

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