Cardinals make Grand Opening statement

By: Larry Fitzgerald
Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder
Originally posted 8/17/2006
 

Glendale, Arizona — The Arizona Cardinals made an impressive preseason debut before 64,000 standing-room-only fans in their new state-of-the-art  stadium in Glendale, Arizona. They beat the defending Super Bowl Champion Pittsburgh Steelers 21-13 in the first game ever played in the NFL’s newest stadium.

 

Former Super Bowl MVP quarterback Kurt Warner threw two first-half touchdown passes to lead the way. The new 63,400-seat Cardinals Stadium is already regarded as “One of the World’s 10 Most Impressive Sports Structures” according to Business Week. The ultramodern facility, equipped with a retractable dome and field, is the new home to the Cardinals coached by former Vikings head coach Dennis Green.

 

Ironically, Green correctly predicted in his 1997 autobiography No Room for Crybabies, in chapter 16 titled “NFL Issues,” that an indoor domed stadium would one day feature a grass field inside. “The Portable Assembled Grass Football Field is an innovative concept I’m proposing, and I think it’s the idea for the future,” Green wrote.

 

And who gets to coach the first-ever NFL game on natural grass inside a dome stadium? It’s Green and Bill Cowher.

 

In this his third season as head coach with the Cardinals, Green has carefully put together a solid team that many expect could be one of the league’s best. Last year, the Cardinals were the only NFL team ranked in the top 10 in both offense (eighth) and defense.

 

Since Green left Minnesota after four division titles and eight trips to the playoffs in 10 years, the Vikings have struggled after the 2001 season. They are now on their second head coach and have missed the playoffs three of the last four years.

 

Green took the high road and followed it to Arizona. The Cardinals also feature one of the NFL’s most notable off-season player acquisitions in Pro Bowl running back Edgerrin James, who helped the Indianapolis Colts go 14-2 last year.

 

When Green was in Minnesota, he had two great receivers in Randy Moss and Cris Carter. The Cardinals feature their own version of a dynamic duo with two Pro-Bowl receivers: the NFL’s co-leading receiver Larry Fitzgerald, Jr. named to the 2006 Pro Bowl, who last year set a new franchise record with 103 receptions for 1,409 yards and 10 TDs, and Anquan Bolden, who grabbed 102 passes for 1,402 yards. The duo is only the second pair of teammates in NFL history to finish a season with more than 100 receptions and 1,400 yards respectively.

 

After watching the Cardinals beat the Steelers and seeing them in training camp during the week, I’m impressed. They still have not signed former Heisman Trophy-winner quarterback Matt Lienart, who won two national championships at USC.

 

Lienart is the man expected to eventually replace Warner, the two-time NFL MVP at quarterback. Lienart was drafted number 10 overall in the first round by the Cardinals and is represented by one of the NFL’s top agents, Tom Condon.

 

Lienart’s decision to stay and graduate from USC instead of coming out early after winning the Heisman Trophy his junior year and a second-straight national title clearly was a decision that has been drawn into question now. He was expected to be picked in the top three but dropped to 10 after nine NFL teams passed on him. He’s missing valuable time with his holdout.

 

Rod Graves, vice president of football operations, and the Cardinals have put a very good deal on the table that Lienart has so far refused to sign. It’s important, however, that he signs soon and starts working on his future career in the NFL.