Arizona Cardinals

What’s a five-syllable word to describe the Cardinals in their loss to Carolina yesterday? Well, “megahorrific” comes to mind, “futiliciouslike.” But those are just words I made up. How about “ignominious?” Or maybe another neologism—“ugnominous,” with the “ug” a shortening of “ugly.” What we had was another embarrassing display on national television for an Arizona team, like ASU’s loss to UCLA 62-27, or AU’s loss to Oregon in the Pac 12 championship game, 51-13. And then this Cardinals’ loss to the Panthers, 27-16. That score doesn’t indicate just how bad the Cardinals got beaten into submission. Just look at the stats for this game—78 yards of total offense (a new record low for futility in an NFL playoff game), a punter who averaged just under 35 yards on nine (NINE!) punts, a time-of-possession of only 23 minutes, one sack of Cam Newton for a tiny one yard. And the entire nation got to see it; even the skies wept at the sight of this embarrassing effort. And it wasn’t as though Carolina played a really good game. They didn’t. And next week against either the Packers or the Seahawks, they will look like pussycats instead of Panthers. The saddest aspect of this game for Cardinals fans? We’ll probably have seen the last of Larry Fitzgerald in a Cardinals red uniform. For eleven years he’s been the epitome of class. Can you imagine how great his receiving numbers would have been if he’d been playing for a team with a real quarterback, like Aaron Rogers or Tom Brady or Peyton Manning? Granted, he had Kurt Warner for two years, but he also had a parade of also-rans or never-beens in that position. Good luck, Larry, wherever you go. We’ll miss you big-time.