NFL: Bird Watching

Best wishes and farewell to Valley fans…till we meet again

Mike Tulumello — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 22:11:17 +0000

In the next couple of days, I’ll be wrapping up 30 years covering sports and news.

I worked as the Suns’ beat writer for 16 seasons, longer than anybody, I think. I spent the past two seasons following these Cardinals, plus I spent one season covering ASU basketball.

I couldn’t have been bad luck.

Of these 19 teams, 14 teams had winning seasons, while two went .500.

Only three had losing seasons.

Of the 18 big-league teams I covered, 15 made the playoffs. So I’ve been lucky that way.

One, the 1992-93 Suns, made a dramatic run to the NBA Finals.

No team, before or since, has generated as much enthusiasm in Arizona.

I served as a backup on Diamondbacks’ coverage for five seasons, though not in 2001, when they won the World Series.

I was never much for X’s and O’s; I was always pondering what to write, what story to tell, rather than following whether the Suns were in a motion offense, whether the Cardinals were playing cover-2 defense.

I was the last person you’d want to hear from on the technical aspects of sports.

As a result, I seldom second-guessed game strategy. So, in turn, I got along well enough with most coaches.

On the other hand, I always could tell who could play.

I don’t know why. I don’t claim any credit. I just could tell, regardless of the sport.

I knew who would be the stars, who would be the role players, who would be the busts.

Whenever I disagreed with scouts and general managers, people usually making big-time salaries, I was usually right.

I knew the Suns should have drafted Tayshaun Prince, not Casey Jacobsen.

I knew Dustin Pedroia was a big-time player when he was a runt of a freshman shortstop at ASU in 2002, the year the Sun Devils played at HoKoKam Park in Mesa.

(I’m sure many fans feel the same way. And they’re right. I’m sure many knowledgeable fans, armed with a cell phone, access to the Internet, a couple scouts’ phone numbers and a few draft guidebooks probably could run a team better than, say, the Lions, Timberwolves and Royals.)

I knew the Cardinals (just before I came on the beat) should have drafted Adrian Peterson, not Levi Brown.

I even knew USC’s Reggie Bush, lionized as one of the greatest college football players ever, should have been a second-round pick.

Yes, the Cardinals should have paid me $1 million to run their 2007 draft.

I would have picked Peterson. The Cardinals would have been perennial Super Bowl contenders.

More important, I would have had $1 million.

Cards get another extension on tickets

Mike Tulumello — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 21:58:24 +0000

The Cardinals have another 24 hours to sell out the stadium so the game can be shown on local television. This is the second such extension from the normal 72-hour deadline.
The team has 3,700 tickets remaining. Prices start at $54.75.
Fans can also purchase tickets in person at the Cardinals Tempe Training Facility box office (open 8:30 AM – 5:00 PM) and at the University of Phoenix Stadium box office (open 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM).
Both locations are open today (New Year’s)
The stadium box office will also be open on game day starting at 10:00 AM.
They also are available through Ticketmaster by phone at (800) 745–3000 or on-line at www.ticketmaster.com. ..
I’m not surprised the Cardinals are slow to sell out.
If there’s anything I’ve learned about Valley sports it’s that this isn’t a walk-up buying town.
Teams rely on selling tickets mostly on a season basis. With the economy spiraling down, a lot of people weren’t prepared to renew their season tickets (and get first crack at playoff tickets).
And fans are used to watching playoff games on TV. They’re waiting for somebody ELSE to pay to see the game. By the way, the same thing is happening in Minnesota.
But somehow, some way, the Cardinals’ game will sell out.
Linebacker/defensive end Travis LaBoy practiced in limited fashion Thursday, as did receiver Anquan Boldin and tight end Leonard Pope.
For the Falcons, defensive ends John Abraham and Jamaal Anderson did not practice. Tackle Todd Weiner and defensive tackle Grady Jackson practiced in limited fashion.
The final injury report won’t come out until Friday.

Cards have off-season decisions to make

Mike Tulumello — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 20:25:33 +0000

As with any off-season, the Cardinals will have loads of decisions to make in the next few months.
One seems to have been made already: Don’t expect Edgerrin James back. They’ll save his $5 million salary and hope to get a running back in the draft.
Judging by the way Eric Green’s stock has declined, the cornerback likely won’t be back, unless both sides agree to some sort of minimum deal.
Green is unrestricted, as is defensive end Antonio Smith; the Cardinals will try to sign Smith. They’ll also likely re-sign the much improved J.J. Arrington, who has shown he can return kicks, serve as a backup running back and catch passes out of the backfield.
But the biggest decisions will come between this quartet of players, all of whom want big money deals: Kurt Warner, Karlos Dansby (who has the franchise tag and could get it one more year), Anquan Boldin and Adrian Wilson.
Warner wants to play two more years; he’ll likely get his wish. But with his late-season fade, his deal-making power has declined.
The biggest question is Boldin. Do you put another huge salary among the receivers? Boldin is at the mid-point of his career. So a huge deal likely would end up as a reward for what he’s done in the past. And even discounting the unfortunate head injury he sustained this season, and his courageous comeback, he tends to miss games.
Maybe this decision won’t be so tough.
Then again, if the Cardinals win two playoff games, maybe they bring everybody back.
Darnell Dockett also wants a new deal, but with three years left on his current contract, he won’t get one…

My guess is the Cardinals will sell out, but somebody probably will have to purchase a couple thousand tickets to assure Saturday’s game won’t be blacked out.

Valley sports scene changes forever

Mike Tulumello — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 20:23:37 +0000

The Valley sports scene changed forever on Monday night for a game that seemed of little note: ASU’s men’s basketball team hosting Central Connecticut.
This was the first game where people used the light-rail rail system to attend a sports event here.
I took the train from McClintock and Apache to the basketball arena, a ride of 10 minutes.
At least 100 people got off the train and headed to the basketball arena. Considering the trains run in both directions every 10 minutes, it’s fair to guess at least 500 people attended the game using light rail.
They were the first of millions who eventually will ride the rails to sports events at ASU and for the Suns and Diamondbacks…
As expected, Anquan Boldin and Travis LaBoy returned to practice on Tuesday. The Cardinals held Gabe Watson, who has a sore knee, out of practice. Linebacker Gerald Hayes was excused for personal reasons.

Cards should be healthy for playoff game

Mike Tulumello — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 18:44:08 +0000

Anquan Boldin and Travis LaBoy should be ready to go when the Cardinals host the Atlanta Falcons on Saturday afternoon, coach Ken Whisenhunt indicated at his Monday morning news conference.

The Cardinals held the two starters out of Sunday’s game vs. Seattle.

The Cardinals also came out of Sunday’s game with no significant injuries, so they should be ready to go…

The game matches the two biggest surprises in the NFC, maybe of all 12 playoff teams. But surprise teams don’t necessarily make for great national TV ratings. So it’s not surprising that the matchup got the relatively low profile Saturday afternoon slot.

Cards playoff opponent, time set

Mike Tulumello — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 01:36:27 +0000

The Cardinals will host the Atlanta Falcons at 2:30 p.m. Saturday.

This will be the first home playoff game for the franchise in 61 years

Boldin, LaBoy out

Mike Tulumello — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 21:23:37 +0000

Anquan Boldin and Travis LaBoy, both with lingering injuries, are inactive for today’s game with the Seahawks. So is defensive tackle Gabe Watson, who missed Friday’s practice; the Cardinals called this a team decision. Backup safety Matt Ware also is out.

My picks look good so far. I’m 9-1 in the morning games.

LaBoy actually…

Mike Tulumello — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 22:02:59 +0000

…listed as doubtful, not questionable, as Cardinals had indicated earlier.

Final injury report…likely playoff time

Mike Tulumello — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 19:58:35 +0000

Anquan Boldin and Travis LaBoy are questionable for Sunday’s game vs. the Seahawks.
Coach Ken Whisenhunt said the two will work out before the game before a determination is made on their status. He reiterated he’d like to see them play, even if just for a few snaps, so they don’t come in cold for the playoff game in a week…
…Expect the Cardinals to play at home on Saturday, probably against the Falcons or Panthers….
The Cardinals have the chance to go undefeated within their division for the first time in franchise history with a win Sunday…
Whisenhunt said Thursday’s practice in the cold rain amounts to some of the most “miserable practice conditions I’ve ever been in.”
Ha! Ha! Whisenhunt maybe is joking. Or maybe he’s getting soft, like the rest of us living in the desert.
After all, his experience is in places like New York, Washington and Pittsburgh.

Merry Christmas…Still no Boldin

Mike Tulumello — Thu, 25 Dec 2008 23:27:47 +0000

The Cardinals got the rare rain practice on Christmas Day. Too bad they didn’t get it last week, heading into that bad weather debacle at New England…

Anquan Boldin did not practice. Unless he practices on Friday, I wouldn’t count on him playing Sunday, in the regular-season closer vs. Seattle. And just by the way he was talking on Wednesday, I’m guessing he won’t play. And that means Steve Breaston, Jerheme Urban and Early Doucet need to get going…

This game will be interesting in that the Seahawks can play loose, with nothing to lose. The Cardinals don’t have much tangible on the line except a winning record. What’s intangible is more important: the credibility they’ve lost with the public and media through their recent slide. They don’t want to lose the fans heading into the franchise’s first home playoff game in 61 years.