The Cardinals are who we thought they were
By: Larry Fitzgerald
Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder
Originally posted 11/11/2009
CHICAGO — Yes, to paraphrase their former head coach Dennis Green, the Arizona Cardinals are who we thought they were — a very good football team!
My personal on-the-road-again tour of the NFC North is now complete. Last weekend I was in Green Bay for the historic Brett Favre family reunion, and the legend Favre was the star of the show, throwing four touchdown passes. This past weekend I was in my hometown of Chicago, where I was born and raised by parents Robert and Sally Fitzgerald.
I met my wife Carol at Chicago’s Fenger High School and was a two time All-American football star dreaming of one day playing for the Bears. I played defensive and offensive tackle.
Four years in a row I played and started for the Titans. Three times Fenger played for the Public League Championship at historic Soldier’s Field. Three times Fenger won the semifinal game and then lost the Public League Championship.
My team’s record at Soldier’s Field was 3-3; Sunday was payback time, thanks to my son Larry Fitzgerald, Jr. and his team, the Arizona Cardinals, who matched up with the Bears on a spectacular sun-splashed, 65-degree day on the banks of Lake Michigan.
Cardinals and Bears: It’s the oldest rivalry in the history of the National Football League. The Bears and Cardinals have been playing since 1920 and are two of the 11 charter members of this league. Sunday was the 90th clash between these two bitter rivals.
In fact, both teams once shared this great historic city nicknamed the Windy City and known for gangsters (Al Capone), murder, crooked politics, Oprah, Mayor Richard J. Daley, Ebony, Michael Jordan, and Michelle and Barack Obama.
Shortly after the Bears’ best defensive player, Tommie Harris, was ejected in the first minutes of the game for slu gging a Cardinals player, Kurt Warner, another veteran star quarterback, delivered a knockout performance by throwing five touchdown passes, two of them to Larry Fitzgerald, Jr.
The Cardinals dominated 41-21 and improved to 5-3, while the Bears (4-4) slipped three games behind the Minnesota Vikings (7-1) in the NFC North.
Warner last week had a nightmarish performance with six turnovers, including throwing five interceptions, in a 34-21 humiliating home loss to Carolina. Warner, a devout Christian, received a personal apology on Saturday night before the game from Fitzgerald’s younger brother Marcus for Marcus’ ill-fated twitter a few weeks ago, when he made disparaging remarks about Warner’s performance and age.
“I really enjoy coming back here [to Chicago],” said Fitzgerald. “I spent a lot of summers here growing up as a child, and to be able to play in front of my family, I know they were pulling for me. They caught a lot of flack in the stadium, they were telling me, from all the Bears fans.”
Cardinals General Manager Rod Graves once worked for the Bears. He drafted Fitzgerald and has built this Cardinals team that last year came within 30 seconds of winning the Super Bowl. Fitzgerald gave the Bears more than flack with nine receptions for 123 yards and two touchdowns.
Four years ago, during the Bears’ run to Super Bowl XLI, was the last time these rivals played. The Cardinals blew a 20-point first-half lead at home on Monday Night Football; the Bears won 24-23. Fitzgerald was injured and did not play in that game. After the game, former Cardinals head coach Dennis Green was so upset that he slammed his hand on a microphone stand during the post-game news conference and uttered the now-famous line, “They [the Bears] are who we thought they were, and we let ’em off the hook.” Green was fired after the season.
Warner, Fitzgerald and the Cardinals finished off the Bears this time. Green’s daughter Pattie was in attendance Sunday and enjoyed a bit of family revenge. And thanks to that, Fitzgerald wins the rubber match at historic Soldier’s Field — it’s now 4-3 Fitzgerald.
Larry Fitzgerald can be heard weekday mornings on KMOJ Radio 89.9 FM at 8:20 am, and on WDGY-AM 740 Monday & Saturday mornings at 7:50 am and Fridays at 3:50 pm; he also commentates on sports 7-8 pm on Almanac (TPT channel 2). Larry welcomes reader responses to lfitzgerald@spokesman-recorder.com , or visit www.Larry-Fitzgerald.com .
