- Joined
- Feb 9, 2014
- Messages
- 20,922
- Name
- Peter
It bothers me that he's so into the Arizona Cardinals instead of the Rams but I can hardly blame him.
********************************************************************************************
http://www.azcentral.com/story/spor...rving-arizona-after-all-these-years/97016896/
Bickley: Kurt Warner still serving Arizona after all these years
Dan Bickley , azcentral sports
Justice isn’t always served in the NFL. That must stop with Kurt Warner.
The former Cardinals quarterback belongs in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, a museum that needs his story more than Warner requires a bronze bust. Seven years after his retirement, he remains a classic American underdog, a towering ambassador for the sport and the state of Arizona.
He says he’s honored to be part of the Hall of Fame conversation, no matter how the voting turns out on Feb. 4. He’d love to help redesign the future of Arizona State football, but only if the program can hire him as a consultant. And he remains the conscience of the Cardinals, willing to express hard truths about a football team that missed out on the playoffs in 2016 and might lose their most popular player as a result.
Start with Larry Fitzgerald:
“I think he’s 100 percent content with his career,” Warner said. “I think he’d be 100 percent content walking away tomorrow. I think he’s ready to walk away. But that doesn’t mean he’s going to.
“He’s got things in place. His head is in the right spot. His life is more than football. And I truly believe the only way he comes back is if he believes they have one more run to the Super Bowl. It’s the only thing he has left to accomplish because everything else has been incredible.”
Warner says the decision is complicated because the Cardinals are not as close to a Super Bowl as some might imagine.
“I still have huge concerns,” he said. “I have concerns if they can own the line of scrimmage to be that dynamic team we saw in 2015. I have concerns who is going to step up (at wide receiver) other than Larry. I don’t see that guy.
We all know that David Johnson is going to be great, but he was great last year. He had over 2,000 yards in 2016 and it didn’t make a difference. So they have to have more than that. And, defensively, I think they took a huge step back in terms of their identity, and who they are trying to be.
“What makes (Fitzgerald) irreplaceable is no matter how old he was, no matter the situation or environment, he was always the guy to make a huge play or the big catch when it mattered most. You can find somebody faster and stronger, but very few players have that 'it' factor. Fitz has always been a difference maker, and the Cardinals don’t have that many of those types of players.
“I always said the same things about Q (Anquan Boldin) back in the day, when I’d tell them, ‘I know what you’re looking at, but you’re missing the point.’ We weren’t very good when we made the Super Bowl. But we had a number of those guys who could step up at the most important time. And Fitz is one of those guys.”
Warner said Fitzgerald might be struggling with the idea of disappointing his enormous fan base in the Valley, but that shouldn’t be an overwhelming concern.
“He has given his whole career to this fan base and organization,” he said. “Nobody can ever say he bailed on us. He has given too much. My situation was different. At the end of the day, nobody could see that I would be doing a disservice to everyone had I come back. Nobody really knew what I could or couldn’t give, or where I was at physically at the time. But Fitz … nobody has anything but love for him. I don’t think there will be any animosity at all. He’s been larger than life for this team.”
Warner has found a fruitful career outside of football:
His life story is currently being worked into a Hollywood movie script. He recently made a guest appearance on the CBS sitcom “Life in Pieces,” where the plot involved Warner joining a family tailgating at a Rams game.
During the episode, Warner was instructed to act out of character. He cheated during a game of cornhole, stole a chair and pilfered two children’s toys. He felt so bad about the latter that he actually apologized to the child actress off camera, saying he would never do something like that in real life.
Warner has also served as offensive coordinator at Desert Mountain High School, and would love to continue his coaching career at ASU. The Sun Devils recently lost a top assistant to Auburn (Chip Lindsey), and will unveil their third offensive coordinator in three seasons.
They are also counting on the talents of Blake Barnett, a highly regarded quarterback transfer from Alabama. Warner would bring a lot to the table, especially if ASU wants to forge a new identity as a rare college program that produces NFL-ready quarterbacks.
“If somebody could figure out a way where I could put my kids on a bus, work all day and then be home when they get back from school, I’d definitely be all for it,” Warner said. “I’d love to be a consultant and help design an offense.
That’s my true passion, and I want to find an outlet where I can do that. My son is considering ASU, and I would love to be involved in whatever degree I can. But I’m not willing to give up the family time that it takes to be a full-time coach. I’m too blessed to give that up.”
Either way, Warner is at peace with his career, past and present. The Hall of Fame would a fitting tribute to his impact on the Rams, the Cardinals and the NFL, but he won’t be disappointed if he’s shut out for a third consecutive year.
“My story is more real life than most,” Warner said. “Most Hall of Famers have great careers before they get inducted. I’m not supposed to be part of this conversation.
“There’s a compelling reason why I belong in the Hall of Fame but I understand the argument against me. My career didn’t go like most, and I’m 100 percent fine with that because that’s what resonates with people. How do you define a Hall of Famer?
Can you write the last 30 years of the NFL without the Kurt Warner story? Nobody has ever done it the way I did, and probably won’t again. I’m proud of that, and I wouldn’t change it for anything.”
********************************************************************************************
http://www.azcentral.com/story/spor...rving-arizona-after-all-these-years/97016896/
Bickley: Kurt Warner still serving Arizona after all these years
Dan Bickley , azcentral sports
Justice isn’t always served in the NFL. That must stop with Kurt Warner.
The former Cardinals quarterback belongs in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, a museum that needs his story more than Warner requires a bronze bust. Seven years after his retirement, he remains a classic American underdog, a towering ambassador for the sport and the state of Arizona.
He says he’s honored to be part of the Hall of Fame conversation, no matter how the voting turns out on Feb. 4. He’d love to help redesign the future of Arizona State football, but only if the program can hire him as a consultant. And he remains the conscience of the Cardinals, willing to express hard truths about a football team that missed out on the playoffs in 2016 and might lose their most popular player as a result.
Start with Larry Fitzgerald:
“I think he’s 100 percent content with his career,” Warner said. “I think he’d be 100 percent content walking away tomorrow. I think he’s ready to walk away. But that doesn’t mean he’s going to.
“He’s got things in place. His head is in the right spot. His life is more than football. And I truly believe the only way he comes back is if he believes they have one more run to the Super Bowl. It’s the only thing he has left to accomplish because everything else has been incredible.”
Warner says the decision is complicated because the Cardinals are not as close to a Super Bowl as some might imagine.
“I still have huge concerns,” he said. “I have concerns if they can own the line of scrimmage to be that dynamic team we saw in 2015. I have concerns who is going to step up (at wide receiver) other than Larry. I don’t see that guy.
We all know that David Johnson is going to be great, but he was great last year. He had over 2,000 yards in 2016 and it didn’t make a difference. So they have to have more than that. And, defensively, I think they took a huge step back in terms of their identity, and who they are trying to be.
“What makes (Fitzgerald) irreplaceable is no matter how old he was, no matter the situation or environment, he was always the guy to make a huge play or the big catch when it mattered most. You can find somebody faster and stronger, but very few players have that 'it' factor. Fitz has always been a difference maker, and the Cardinals don’t have that many of those types of players.
“I always said the same things about Q (Anquan Boldin) back in the day, when I’d tell them, ‘I know what you’re looking at, but you’re missing the point.’ We weren’t very good when we made the Super Bowl. But we had a number of those guys who could step up at the most important time. And Fitz is one of those guys.”
Warner said Fitzgerald might be struggling with the idea of disappointing his enormous fan base in the Valley, but that shouldn’t be an overwhelming concern.
“He has given his whole career to this fan base and organization,” he said. “Nobody can ever say he bailed on us. He has given too much. My situation was different. At the end of the day, nobody could see that I would be doing a disservice to everyone had I come back. Nobody really knew what I could or couldn’t give, or where I was at physically at the time. But Fitz … nobody has anything but love for him. I don’t think there will be any animosity at all. He’s been larger than life for this team.”
Warner has found a fruitful career outside of football:
His life story is currently being worked into a Hollywood movie script. He recently made a guest appearance on the CBS sitcom “Life in Pieces,” where the plot involved Warner joining a family tailgating at a Rams game.
During the episode, Warner was instructed to act out of character. He cheated during a game of cornhole, stole a chair and pilfered two children’s toys. He felt so bad about the latter that he actually apologized to the child actress off camera, saying he would never do something like that in real life.
Warner has also served as offensive coordinator at Desert Mountain High School, and would love to continue his coaching career at ASU. The Sun Devils recently lost a top assistant to Auburn (Chip Lindsey), and will unveil their third offensive coordinator in three seasons.
They are also counting on the talents of Blake Barnett, a highly regarded quarterback transfer from Alabama. Warner would bring a lot to the table, especially if ASU wants to forge a new identity as a rare college program that produces NFL-ready quarterbacks.
“If somebody could figure out a way where I could put my kids on a bus, work all day and then be home when they get back from school, I’d definitely be all for it,” Warner said. “I’d love to be a consultant and help design an offense.
That’s my true passion, and I want to find an outlet where I can do that. My son is considering ASU, and I would love to be involved in whatever degree I can. But I’m not willing to give up the family time that it takes to be a full-time coach. I’m too blessed to give that up.”
Either way, Warner is at peace with his career, past and present. The Hall of Fame would a fitting tribute to his impact on the Rams, the Cardinals and the NFL, but he won’t be disappointed if he’s shut out for a third consecutive year.
“My story is more real life than most,” Warner said. “Most Hall of Famers have great careers before they get inducted. I’m not supposed to be part of this conversation.
“There’s a compelling reason why I belong in the Hall of Fame but I understand the argument against me. My career didn’t go like most, and I’m 100 percent fine with that because that’s what resonates with people. How do you define a Hall of Famer?
Can you write the last 30 years of the NFL without the Kurt Warner story? Nobody has ever done it the way I did, and probably won’t again. I’m proud of that, and I wouldn’t change it for anything.”
