Cardinals - Cowboys

I am a long suffering Arizona Cardinals fan. I started rooting for them in 1974 when they were in St Louis and stayed with them after the move. They had really good teams then with Jim Hart, Mel Gray, Jim Otis, Terry Metcalf, Dan Dierdorf, Roger Wehrli, and my favorite Jim Bakken. When they failed to make the playoffs in 1976, I never dreamed they'd only make the playoffs exactly twice (and one of those in a strike season scenario) in the 30 plus years to follow.

I hardly ever get to see them on TV. Therefore, I was glad to see them in the Sunday afternoon nationally televised game on FOX. They were playing the Cowboys an old rival from their NFC East days. Troy Aikman was doing the game though and he (in my mind) is a severe Cowboy "homer".

I've always detested the Dallas Cowboys. The Cardinals used to beat them with some regularity when I was young. Sometimes though, Dallas would pull off wins with the help of bizarre calls. For example, I remember Roger Staubach having been put down on a tackle and sticking his legs up into a Cardinals player trying to jump over him to get a "Late Hit" penalty. Jonathan (being a Giants fan) of course shares my deep dislike of the Cowboys. I get tired of hearing "America's Team". I've found that most NFL fans either love or detest the Cowboys. There is no middle ground.

This is a good slideshow about "Why we love to hate the Cowboys".

The game started out great. JJ Arrington ran the opening kickoff back for a touchdown. Then, it turned into a struggle. Tony Romo fumbled three times but only one was ruled a fumble. Once he was ruled down "by forward progress" on a sack. The second time, the infamous Brady "tuck" rule was wheeled out. That one cost the Cardinals a touchdown since it happened in the end zone. Romo was already whining and saying and motioning "tuck" before the ball was even recovered. I even had several Dallas fans tell me after the game that they thought these were fumbles.

"I just told the D-line, 'That's America's team, don't expect no calls,' " said defensive lineman Darnell Dockett, who caused both those fumbles.



Dallas tied it up and it was 7-7. The Cardinals fumbled the ensuing pooch kickoff. However, Nick Folk ended up clanging a field goal attempt of the upright (it was the loudest clang I've ever heard on a game) so it was 7-7 at the half.

The Cowboys promptly scored to start the 2nd half. They held the Cardinals and I was starting to worry. But finally, the Cardinals scored to tie the game. I left for church with it 14-14.

I followed the game on my Blackberry and it was 21-14 Cardinals at start of services. I handed my Blackberry to Donna (to avoid temptation).

When worship was over, I checked and the Cardinals had won 30-24! It was an eventful 4th quarter as I later found out. The Cardinals kicked a field goal to go up 24-14. With three minutes left, Romo throws a short pass to Marion Barber which he takes 70 yards to make it 24-21. The Cardinals go three and out and Dallas drives to the Cardinals 40 with 4 seconds left. The Cardinals have a lineman trying to limp off of the field with an injury so Dallas snaps the ball and the refs call him for being offsides! I guess he should have just fallen down and started screaming instead..

Dallas lines up for the field goal and it's blocked. But alas, the refs spotted the Cardinal coach calling a timeout so it must be rekicked. The field goal barely makes it through from 52 yards out and to overtime we go.

Dallas wins the toss and goes nowhere. They line up to punt and the Cardinals Sean Morey raced in untouched and almost took the ball right off of the punter's foot. Monty Beisel recovered and ran three yards for the winning touchdown. It was the first overtime game ever won on the return of a blocked punt for a touchdown.

The Cardinals could have folded up but didn't. I hate to get my hopes up for winning the division and making the playoffs, but I am optimistic for the first time in years.