Leinart and Young Not Giving Up

Matt Leinart and Vince Young dominated the quarterback position in college.  Now, both are battling to regain their role as a starter in the NFL.

When the Tennessee Titans and Arizona Cardinals drafted Vince Young and Matt Leinart as the 3rd and 10th picks in the 2006 NFL Draft, both were expected to be make immediate impacts to their new teams.  Both had the resume’s to back it up.  Young was coming off a National Championship win (against Leinarts USC team), in which he put up 467 total yards (200 yards rushing) and 3 TDs for the Texas Longhorns.  NFL teams were drooling over his running ability, size (6’5″, 230lbs.), and potential.  Leinart had compilied a ridiculous 37-2 record as the starting QB at USC.  He threw a Pac-10 record 98 TDs and was named the Heisman Trophy winner in 2004. 

Pregame.com: No Respect for Arizona.

This was all over the Radio this morning. Pregame.com has a report claiming that Arizona would be underdogs against 10 different teams in the Superbowl. 

“In addition to the Steelers, the teams that would currently be favored over Arizona on a neutral field are: Eagles, Giants, Panthers, Cowboys, Ravens, Titans, Colts, Patriots, and Chargers.”

This website, who basically believe they are betting experts, claim that Arizona, coming into the Superbowl, is a worse than ten other football teams. Including three teams they just beat in the playoffs, and two teams who didn’t make the playoffs.

At this point, I would definitely pick AZ over the disintegrating Cowboys who failed to put up any fight over the Eagles when their season was on the line. 

After beating Atlanta, stomping Carolina, and bringing a first-half blowout to the Eagles last week, Pregame.com is making the claim that Arizona is a worse team than those teams. W the F? By my reasoning, which isn’t always the best, beating a team in the playoffs demonstrates that you are able to beat that team. 

Was this website watching the Giants last year? The Giants had a rough regular season (10-6), as did the Cardinals (9-7). But 3-0 in the playoff is what matters. Both teams got hot at the right time. It just goes to show that making a strong finish is just as important, maybe even more important, than starting the season off on the right foot. Don’t believe me? Give Mike Shanahan a call. 

I understand that they are underdogs against the Steelers, but this report is just a slap in the face to these Cardinal players who are beginning to change the culture of futility in Arizona. The franchise has had a rough time the last 30 years, but the fact is: not one player on that team will be thinking about the history of the franchise when they come out on the field in Tampa Bay. 

Pregame.com: FAIL. If I were a betting man, your advice would be the last I would take.

Larry Fitzgerald–Best WR in the NFL?

A couple weeks ago, a friend asked me who’d I’d rather have on my team: Larry Fitzgerald, or Brandon Marshall?  0.3 seconds later, I responded, “without a doubt, Fitzgerald!”  That is no diss on Marshall, it just shows how highly I think of the Arizona Cardinals wide receiver.

I’ve been saying it for the last three years, as I reaped the benefits of having him on my fantasy team: Larry Fitzgerald is the best wide receiver in the NFL.  If you’ve been watching the playoffs, you would agree with me.  Week in and week out, the guy makes the most ridiculous catches I’ve ever seen!