Former NFL Scout Dave Razzano has been quoted as saying; that he had been told by Kurt Warners people that Warner wanted to play in the 2010 season but opted to retire after being ‘lowballed’ by the Cardinals.
Just when you thought they had let go of the old and grabbed onto the new. One thing is for sure human beings are a resilient bunch, we fall down, we get back up, we make a mistake we found out what went wrong, correct it and move forward. Sometimes finding what went wrong and correcting it can be a time consuming and challenging task as in the case of trying to establish a formidable NFL Team in the Arizona desert. The Patriarch of the Cardinals has long been perceived a miser and many times I find it difficult to admit and most often dismiss it as meaningless jargon. My belief was Bidwill was not in trenches run blocking, pass protecting and playing defense. The retort was always; and he never paid the ones that do? Then I would counter;’ how is a 6’4 250lbs Linebacker any different from any other 6’4 250lbs linebacker or a 6’5 320lbs lineman any different from a 6’5 320lbs lineman- If they run just as fast, jump just as high where is the difference? There are kids that are projected to do great things at the next level they get there and flame out. He don’t pay the ones that do is a cop out in my book. You’re paid to do a job, if you accept the terms of a deal, you honor it and you play the game to the best of your ability. When I look back at the big push to get a stadium built, I was all for it, not because the normally reserve Bill professed a new stadium would make a winning team but because I felt like it was bad karma, this was the most futile team in the league so it was only natural to be alienate from your peers and banished to the likes of a 40 year old college stadium with metal bleachers to which you have to share with the said college team. Well a stroke of good luck found Mr. B. The stadium was built and in the first three seasons they achieved the unthinkable. Back to back Division Championships and one Conference Championship. A most incredible feat achieved through the simple notion of Build it and we will win! I’m still a little concerned, I know William is not a prophet, he got lucky with that one as it does not explain the teams 1998 fortunes when the Sun Devil stadium Cardinals took a stroll into Dallas for their first post-season appearance since when the world was believed to be flat and properly disposed of the Cowboys in their own back yard. That was a moment to believe this team had turned the corner and they did, unfortunately it was U turn. I thought Kurt’s retirement had something to do with that hit he took in New Orleans, apparently not. If this is true and the Cardinals did lowball Kurt Warner then I guess all there is left for me to do is to hang my head in disgust and shame. After all that is what I was told to do in 1989.
Welcome back to the Bidwill Business model.
Update; June 12. (NOT TRUE) Apparently Dave Razzano had caught the attention of Kurt Warner himself as Kurt had posted on his twitter ’2Set the record straight’ He retired because he was done and not because he was ‘lowballed’ as previously exclaimed. . Knowing the team history made it an easy story to run with. It’s a good thing Kurt came out to save face for the organization.
