College Football Preview

51 days, 21 hours, 42 minutes, and 45, wait, 44 seconds until the moment I’ve been waiting for ever since the World Cup ended.

The moment when those gold helmets and blue jerseys will burst out of a tunnel in Atlanta, GA signaling the end of the dog days of summer and the commencement of the best 4 months of the year, college football season.

Now, I’m not going to say that my life revolves around sports… but counting down to this moment might have been the only thing that kept me going through the last few weeks of summer. The great thing about Notre Dame, though, is that I know I’m not the only one.

The only who’s dreaming of that perfect fall morning when I can stroll along the sun baked quad eating my brat with nothing to worry about other than how many touchdowns Brady’s going to throw against an overmatched Penn State secondary.

The only one who’s yearning for the return of College Gameday when Lee Corso will be on his hands and knees begging for the pardon of the Notre Dame faithful.

The only one who’s picturing the pandemonium erupting throughout the student section following the 4^th quarter touchdown against Michigan.

No my friends, this countdown is about more than the game itself. This is about the atmosphere that surrounds a fall Saturday in South Bend, both during the game and building up to it. The Notre Dame atmosphere is one of the most special things in the world of sport, and it’s what keeps students, alumni, and subway Domers alike coming back even during the 7-5 seasons.

Of course, the product Notre Dame will put on the field this year could alone put people in the seats. The offense figures only to improve with their second year of tutelage under Weis, and this is an offense coming off a season in which it averaged 36.7 points per game and 477 yards of total offense.

The defense has been the focal point of the off-season, and we all saw what Weis did with the offense after one year of focus.

And special teams… well, they’re not that important anyway.

To say that Irish fans don’t raise their expectations quickly would be equivalent to saying USC runs a clean program. This year, though, expectations appear to be justified.

It seems the only thing that can get me more excited for the 2006 season would be a preseason poll. So without further ado, I present to you the pre-season edition of Greg Arbogast’s completely biased, largely un-researched, and partially credible College Football Top 10 Plus 1 Rankings.

1) Notre Dame – Did you honestly expect me to put somebody else in the top spot? This isn’t even a biased ranking. Quinn, D-walk, Samardzija, Rhema. Opposing defensive coordinators will be having very sleepless nights this fall.

2) Florida – There’s a good vibe going through this state. Florida won the NCAA tournament, the Dolphins are primed to be serious contenders this year, and Florida hasn’t even been hit by a hurricane, yet…

3) Oklahoma – Adrian Peterson is the best college football player everyone completely forgot about. After rushing for 1,925 yards and making a serious run for the Heisman his freshman year, Peterson succumbed to injury and obscurity last season. Expect Adrian to reappear this year.

4) West Virginia – Steve Slaton ran for 1,128 yards and 17 touchdowns. Pat White finished with combined totals of 1,780 yards and 15 touchdowns. Both led their school to its first BCS victory in school history. What did you do your freshman year?

5) French “Football” Team – After Zidane’s headbutt against Italy, the French proved they might have learned a little something about American football. Who says France is anti-globalization?

6) Ohio State – They would be higher, but I just can’t stand that pompous little vest that Jim Tressel wears. I’m already praying for a Fiesta Bowl rematch.

7) Texas – Back up just one second, Vince Young wasn’t the only player on the Longhorns? And you’re saying that he won’t be on the team this year?

8) Auburn – How could I leave them out of my top 10 when a certain ‘qualified’ source has informed me that quarterback Brandon Cox is a more accurate passer than Brady Quinn.

9) Louisville – Brian Brohm is the best quarterback you’ve never heard of. Michael Bush (no relation to Reggie) is the best running back you’ve never heard of. They play in the Big East. Any more questions?

10) South Carolina – My surprise pick for the Top 10. Steve Spurrier was a disaster in the NFL, but boy can he ever coach college football.

119) USC – On the plus side for Trojan, USC is leading the nation in sexual assaults.

Must See TV (Sidenote)

One interesting side note to the Italy game and article I wrote. Myself, my dad, and Jeff all decided that Italy would be much better off trying to assemble a team composed solely of players whose last names are a type of pasta. Just imagine the possibilities…

“Rigatoni with the ball. He looks up and finds Fettuccine on the wing who crosses it, and… OH, IT’S RAVIOLI… GOOOOOOOOOAL! What a marvelous goal for Ravioli.”

Admit it, how sweet did that last paragraph sound. Way better than the current Italian players who have weak names like Toni and Buffon.

And since we all know that Italy will never quite be able to match up with Brazil skill wise, at least they’ll be able to match up with them name wise. If Brazil has Ronaldo and Ronaldinho, Italy would have Spaghetti and Spaghettini. There wouldn’t be enough sauce in all of Italy to cover that team.

Must See TV

I’m not sure which to be more excited about: the USA’s inspirational performance against Italy on Saturday or the fact that soccer is actually starting to register on the American sporting radar.

We’ll start with the former. Hands down, this was the most inspired performance in American soccer history. Throw aside the fact that the only thing that falls faster than a member of the Italian soccer team is a division of the Italian army. Throw aside the fact that if that ref had given 2 questionable red cards to England or Germany, there would be a $1 million bounty on his head.

The US overcame it all to prove they very much belong on the same field as the Italys and Englands of the world. They outplayed the Italians when it was 11 vs. 11, 11 vs. 10, 10 vs. 10, and even 9 vs. 10. Even more impressive, they didn’t let an early goal, 2 dubious red cards within the span of 5 minutes, or even a disallowed goal (albeit it was the correct call) get in the way of their collective goal.

Was this even the same team that took the field 5 days earlier against the Czech Republic? Everything the team lacked in their first game: energy, passion, aggressiveness, a pulse, they possessed in spades on Saturday.

From the very first minute of the game, you could tell this game would be different. The team was tackling, pushing players forward, and just looked like they wanted the game more (cliché but apt to describe this game). Against the Czechs, I was waiting for something to go wrong. Against Italy, I was waiting for something to go right. Even when we were down to 9 men, I still felt the team could win the game, and they nearly did.

Surprisingly, or maybe not so surprisingly given the team’s performance on Saturday, America actually tuned in to watch their team’s performance against Italy. Soccer, a sport that some have gone as far as to say that ‘hating soccer is as American as apple pie’ (Tom Weir, USA Today, December 1993), was the center of the American sporting world for at least a day. Don’t believe me? Hah! Read and weep…

“Sorry, had my head in my hands. An incomparable performance by the national team in the modern era. And listen to those fans. Football just arrived in America I think, the players and fans played and cheered with the true passion of a footballing superpower. The U.S. may not win this World Cup, they may not even qualify for the next round, but this performance continues to lay the groundwork for the future. In fact, watching the performance of those players lifted in communion with their fans, I think they just completed the basement and the first five floors. – Michael Davies (currently blogging the World Cup for ESPN.com)

Even more impressive may be the fact that on a recent ESPN.com poll which asked what was the most interesting sporting event out of the World Cup, the NBA finals, and the US Open, the World Cup won with 47% of the vote.

How bout the fact that Sportscenter, traditionally one of the most blatant of anti-soccer representatives in America (watch the anchors try and do soccer highlights - comedy of the highest level), led its Saturday night show off with ‘the biggest story of the day’, the American tie with Italy.

Or the fact that the US-Italy game drew a 5.2 overnight rating on Saturday, the highest rating for a soccer game televised in America since the 1998 World Cup final between France and Brazil. To put that rating in perspective, the NHL finals have been averaging an overnight rating of around 1.5 (sorry Joe, nobody cares about the NHL right now), and the NBA finals have been around 8.0.

Plain and simply put, soccer is arriving in America. And that’s all the more reason why this Thursday’s match against Ghana can NOT be missed. While the US team was in danger of losing every shred of credibility they had earned from their impressive 2002 performance after the Czech Republic game, they earned every bit of it back if not more with their inspired effort against Italy.

Hence, we arrive at the ever pivotal third match of the group. While the US has already made a sufficient point at the 2006 World Cup along with showing the growth of soccer in the country, it has a chance to make the leap forward this Thursday. A win versus Ghana coupled with an Italian defeat of the Czechs allows the US to emerge from ‘the’ Group of Death. More importantly, it forces even the most anti-American Europeans (of which there are many) to begrudgingly admit that American soccer has taken the next step.

Even more importantly, it makes a statement back home while setting up an even greater opportunity. Getting to the second round would grab the attention of even the common American sports fan. As if that wouldn’t be enough, the USA’s second round opponent would be, you guessed it, Brazil.

That game would be a free chance for American soccer to do something that simply can’t be ignored. Beat Brazil and American soccer has the moment to point to showing when American soccer arrived. Lose to Brazil and America still has proven that they belong among the world’s best.

Still, none of that happens unless the Americans can get past Ghana, and that makes the game must see TV.

World Cup Preview (continued…)

3) Brazil

What’s that you say? They don’t score enough in soccer, it’s too long, too boring. Well, obviously, nobody who’s made any of these ridiculous claims has watched the Brazilian national team.

There’s a reason this team is compared to playing in a samba orchestra. When Brazil graces the field, they don’t just play, they make music. There’s a telepathy in their passing, a uniqueness in their dribbling, a creativity that is unmatched by any team in any other sport.

If you still don’t believe me, go to youtube.com and search Ronaldinho. The ensuing 4 minute video should make a believer out of even the most ADD American. While not every player on the Brazilian team is Ronaldinho, they’re cut from the same mold, and the end result is pure pleasure to watch.

The funny thing is that just looking at their results, Brazil should be the most hated team in soccer. They’re the New York Yankees of international football (I will occasionally refer to soccer as football due to the fact that football is the correct term). They’ve won 5 World Cups (next closest is Italy and Germany with 3), and they’re a threat to reach the finals in every single tournament. The truth is just the opposite, though. Everybody LOVES Brazil. Go to your nearest convenience store and ask the clerk who he’s rooting for in the World Cup. Assuming he’s not American or from a country that qualified for the World Cup, he’ll say Brazil. I guarantee it or you get your money back.

They all root for Brazil because the boys from Rio de Janeiro are just so damn fun to watch. If you’re willing to give soccer a try, watch Brazil. You won’t be disappointed.

2) African nations

Lets start with the fact that their names are just so freaking sweet. Antonio Lebo-Lebo, Arsenio Love, Joao Jamba. Smoothie flavors, or names of players on Angola. Honestly, I couldn’t make this stuff up.

On a much more serious and somber note, the African sides who qualified for the 2006 World Cup show the true global uniting power that football has. The Ivory Coast, in the midst of a vicious civil war for multiple years, finally called a cease-fire about a month ago… because their team qualified for the World Cup. The team, comprised of players from both the northern and southern regions of the country (the two feuding factions), have given a divided country something to rally upon as the entire country has stopped solely so they can support their team in this month’s World Cup.

More importantly, the team has set an example for their country to follow. If this team can survive with players from both the feuding regions, maybe the rest of the country can follow suit. A successful run by the Ivory Coast (and believe me, they have the talent to do it) can only help their country’s attempts at peace.

It’s not only the Ivory Coast that is using football as an attempt to improve things at home. Angola was torn apart by civil war for 3 decades until an unsteady peace was reached a few years ago. The team is trying to use this month’s World Cup as a step towards rebuilding their country by giving their people something to actually be proud of and, just maybe, earn a little bit of respect on the global scale. Their captain has been quoted as saying something to the extent of ‘we want the world to know that Angola is more than just war and oil’.

If you can’t root for countries like Angola and Ivory Coast, what can you root for?

1) United States

The other day, I read something that compared America’s soccer team to Gonzaga, but that comparison is clearly lacking in multiple ways. First off, at least to my knowledge, the US is clearly lacking the top shelf porn star edge that Adam Morrison brought to the Zags. More importantly though, America hasn’t earned the right to be compared to Gonzaga, yet…

I’m going to switch sports for a second, but I would say that the US soccer team is more closely paralleled to Connecticut football. First off, Connecticut football is practically irrelevant. When you think of Connecticut athletics, you immediately think of their basketball team with the football team more likely to be the punch line of a joke. It’s the same thing with US soccer. Nations around the world have scoffed at American soccer saying we only know how to play the other kind of football.

In 2003, however, football took a major step forward posting an impressive record of 9-3. A statement that, just maybe, Connecticut could build a respectable football program. Just one year earlier, the US soccer team made their historic quarterfinal run at the 2002 World Cup in South Korea/Japan. Both were impressive steps forward, but neither was enough to convince the skeptics that either Connecticut football or United States soccer had become a power to be taken seriously, permanently.

Starting just over 11 hours from when I write this, the US will have the chance to take that permanent step forward by proving that 2002 was no fluke. Emerging from a group with the Czech Republic and Italy will force even the most scornful foreigners (of which there are many) that US soccer has reached the next level.

After their promising 2003 campaign, Connecticut made a real mess of their chance culminating with a disastrous 5-6 finish last season supporting the claim that 2003 was a fluke. Will the US waste their chance like Connecticut with 2002 fading into obscurity? Or will they seize the moment and accomplish something that simply can’t be ignored? Something that gets even the common American sports fans attention. Something that puts soccer on the American sports map. If they do, even the comparison to Gonzaga won’t do them justice.

World Cup Preview

Wait a second. Let me get this straight. America is actually starting to care about the World Cup? No, I’m not talking about the minivan-driving suburbia-hailing soccer moms and their families. I’m referring to mainstream America.

In a market already saturated with everything from the interesting (NFL, MLB) to the irrelevant (no, people watch the WNBA… I swear), Americans are beginning to find a little time to let the beautiful game into their life. If there’s one thing America is built upon, it is democracy, and I suppose that Americans have decided that several billion people can’t be wrong.

A couple of tell-tale signs that the World Cup will, at the very least, draw more American viewers than Rome Is Burning:

1) The morning after the USA's historic 3-2 victory over Portugal in their opening game of the 2002 World Cup, I was worried that it wouldn't achieve top headline status on ESPN.com because the NHL playoffs were going on. THE NHL PLAYOFFS. Seriously, can you even name the 2 teams that are playing in the Stanley Cup finals right now. Now, ESPN.com is running regular stories leading up to the World Cup even deeming the tournament worthy of the vaulted status of a section on the “spotlight” portion of the webpage.

2) Every important “American” publication has given significant preview coverage of the World Cup - Sports Illustrated, ESPN the Magazine, the Houston Chronicle… all went into great detail to provide their loyal readers with in-depth coverage of the World Cup. ESPN gave it a full 15 pages worth of coverage. No, seriously. That’s 15 pages that could have been devoted to Albert Pujols’ torrid start to the season or Shaq’s resurgence in the NBA playoffs. I guess America is curious if Ronaldinho will lead Brazil to an unprecedented 6^th World Cup title.

3) Sportscenter televised the unveiling of the US World Cup roster live (yes, it

was on the 6 p.m. show, and yes, it was 30 minutes into the program… but that’s beside the point). The point is that even 4 years ago, the thought of Dan Patrick interviewing Bruce Arena (the US Head Coach) as the roster was revealed was implausible if not downright absurd.

As if I needed any more reason to be excited about the World Cup. But for those of you out there who remain skeptical about devoting your precious television viewing time this summer towards the World Cup (what else are you going to be watching, Room Raiders…), I’ll give you 5 reasons to watch.

5) England

The entire country suffers from an acute case of extreme pessimism every time the World Cup rolls around. And not without good reason. I mean, England has only won 1 World Cup in their entire history (1966 – the World Cup was held in England which gave them a significant advantage), and they’re the people that invented the game of soccer. Imagine for a second that the World Baseball Classic actually meant something, and then imagine if the US only won it 1 time over the next 80 years.

Every 4 years, the English side is loaded with talent, yet they always seem to fall short. Combine this with the fact that England has the mast passionate obsessive fans in the world, and, all of a sudden, Alex Rodriguez playing in New York is a cakewalk compared to the pressure that the England players face each World Cup. 2006 is no different as the team is considered to be one of the favorites despite the fact that the playing status of their star wunderkind forward Wayne Rooney (think a slightly lesser version of Lebron) is up in the air due to a broken metatarsal bone.

Will Rooney be fit to play? Will England be able to compete with the best if he can’t? Will the Queen’s men finally bring the trophy home to their starved fans? Undoubtedly one of the most intriguing teams to follow throughout the World Cup.

4) Germany

Perhaps the most boring style amongst the traditional soccer powers. Think soccer’s version of the 2000 Baltimore Ravens – fantastic defense, offense good enough to get by. Why then does Germany crack the top 5? Because they’re vulnerable.

No host country (the World Cup is in Germany this year) has ever failed to make it out of the group stage. Think about that for a second. In all 19 World Cups, every single host country has at least made the second round, even the United States made it in 1994. Some would conclude that the host team must have an advantage, and this is true to some extent. The host team has the comfort of playing in familiar surroundings and in front of thousands of passionate supporters. They also tend to be the beneficiary of some ‘questionable’ officiating (I’m looking at you South Korea).

There is, however, a flip side. No team is under more pressure to perform than the host country. Partly because they’re playing in front of all their fans and partly due to the success that host countries have enjoyed in past World Cups, the host country is always expected to show well. In Germany’s case, one of the most respected soccer nations in the world, they’re expected to show very well. Anything less than a quarterfinal appearance will be considered a national embarrassment that ranks somewhere between the Berlin Wall and World War II. That’s only a slight exaggeration.

If this vulnerable German ties or loses to Costa Rica in their opening game (first game of the World Cup, 11 a.m. June 9^th), I don’t know of any adjective other than uber to describe the pressure that this team will be under. Do I think that scenario will arise. No. But if it does, Germany vaults to #1 on this top 5 list.

Due to the deadly combination of laziness, work, and watching season 1 of 24 (damn you Jack Bauer), the final 3 reasons to watch the World Cup were unable to be completed before the start of the first game. Have no fear, though, reasons 3 through 1 will be up within the next day or two.

Astros Ready for Takeoff

You can’t spell playoffs without R-O-C-K-E-T. Ok, maybe you can. But only if you throw in letters like P-U-J-O-L-S or T-I-G-E-R-S P-I-T-C-H-I-N-G S-T-A-F-F. In the Houston Astro’s case, though, the playoffs were fading out of the realm of possibility, until 11 a.m. central time when Roger Clemens agreed to play one more year for the Astros.

In today’s era of ASTROnomical (haha, get it) gas prices, Rocket fuel will cost Houston a pretty penny. Something to the tune of $14 or $15 million for the rest of the 2006 season. Clemens, however, will be worth every penny.

Clemens’ impact will extend far beyond every fifth day when he takes the mound to pitch. That’s not to say the Astros don’t need him to pitch every fifth day because they do. Badly. No team is going to the playoffs, much less the World Series, if 3 of their 5 starting pitchers have a combined 20 wins over their respective careers.

But it’s precisely with these 3 young starting pitchers, Wandy Rodriguez, Fernando Nieve, and Taylor Buchholz, that the full impact of Clemens’ presence will begin to be felt. How would you feel if you got a full year to learn from the greatest living practitioner of your respective craft? Just being around Clemens, seeing his manic competitive drive and work ethic, and receiving his advice will be invaluable to all 3 young pitchers.

Beyond that, with these 3 young pitchers, Clemens has something extremely promising to work with. All 3 have major league talent. Rodriguez, with his 6-2 record and 3.95 ERA, is already having a breakthrough season. Buchholz, while erratic, has shown flashes or brilliance throwing a complete game shutout against the Rangers on May 21^st and coming within one out of a complete game shutout against the Pirates on April 22^nd. Nieve, the least polished of the group, has pitched well given that he was slated to be a middle reliever at the beginning of the season.

Clemens may be just what these young pitchers need to take their games to the next level.

It’s not just the young pitchers who will benefit from Clemens return. ‘Um, Mr. Pettite? This is the doctor’s office calling. We’ve found a cure for what’s ailed you so far this season. It cost us $15 million, so you better start pitching like your old self.’

Clemens and Pettite have been best friends ever since they played together in New York, and it’s no secret that the two have fed off each other in the past. Except for mistakes on back to back pitches Tuesday night against the Cardinals, Pettite looked much more like the old Andy Pettite going 6 innings while only giving up 3 runs. He did that knowing only that Clemens was rumored to return to the Astros. Clemens’ will hopefully be the injection that helps Pettite fully return to form.

Without Clemens, the Astros rotation consisted of Roy Oswalt, a struggling Andy Pettite, and 3 inconsistent young pitchers. With Clemens, they have Oswalt, a possibly resurgent Pettite, the greatest pitcher alive, and the final 2 roster spots will be filled by the 2 most consistent of the 3 young pitchers. Not too shabby.

But Clemens’s impact goes beyond the pitching staff. As Bob Uecker so aptly once stated, “Cerrano’s gonna need a rocket up his ass to catch that baby”. Well, the Astros needed a rocket up their ass if they were going to make the playoffs, and what do you know, they got one.

Clemens will provide the team with energy, with hope, with a sense that this team has what it takes to make it back to the World Series and win the damn thing. Don’t forget, with Clemens, this is essentially the same team that made the Fall Classic last year except they’ve added Preston Wilson to the middle to the line-up.

Does signing Clemens guarantee that the Astros will make the play-offs? Absolutely not. They still have significant questions regarding their bullpen, a non-existent bottom of the order, and if either of Berkman’s knee or Oswalt’s hamstring becomes a major problem, the Astros are done.

However, as of 11:01 a.m. central time on Wednesday May 31^st, new hope has been injected back into the Astros’ season. I’m not sure if you can spell playoffs with Clemens, but you sure can’t spell playoffs without him.

Lucky Leinart

I wrote this column after the NFL draft, but I didn’t get a chance to put in the Observer. Still, it seems relevant with NFL mini-camps just finishing. Besides, proving how big of a tool Matt Leinart is, is always a worthy of an article.

I don’t get it. Matt Leinart does not deserve this. How does this whiny douchebag (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/draft06/news/story?id=2441017) walk from one of the greatest offenses in college history to the most promising young offense in the National Football League?

Not only did Leinart land with the suddenly juggernaut-esque Cardinals offense, he avoided being drafted by both the Jets and the Titans. For all we know, Leinart may be a completely average quarterback, but, unfortunately, he’s always played behind talent capable of masking his deficiencies.

Throughout his 3 years as starting quarterback for the Trojans, Leinart was surrounded by more talent than the cast of 24, and by the cast of 24, I mean Jack Bauer because that’s all you really need. While at USC, Leinart got to throw to Mike Williams, Dwayne Jarrett, and Steve Smith who consistently burned the defensive backs. Arm strength isn’t much of an issue when your receiver has 10 yards of separation. When he got tired of throwing to open receivers, Leinart could hand the ball off to Reggie Bush and LenDale White. He was also protected by the best offensive line in college football. Tough life.

Taking all this into account, there’s serious doubt over whether Leinart is a legit NFL quarterback or a product of the immense talent accumulated by USC during their rebirth as a college football powerhouse. Come draft day, I awaited to see which inept offense Leinart would go to, the Titans or the Jets (I was desperately hoping the Jets wouldn’t draft Leinart, but the thought that the Jets offense would ruin his career gave me some consolation).

When neither the Titans nor the Jets selected Leinart, the look on poor Matt’s face has to go down as one of the top 5 or 10 greatest sports faces of all time. I didn’t think the moment could get any better, but then ESPN kept zooming the camera right in on his face after the next 5 teams subsequently opted not to select Leinart.

But life sometimes has a way of throwing you a cruel twist, and it came for me this time with three words that I never thought could conceivably go together: ‘good’ and ‘Arizona Cardinals’. My initial delight that Leinart fell all the way to the #10 pick was immediately trumped by the realization that he had just fallen into the best possible situation imaginable for him.

With Kurt Warner as the sacrificial lamb starter for next season, Leinart will have a chance to sit and learn while Warner suffers his 22^nd concussion behind the Cardinals rebuilding offensive line. When Leinart finally does take over the offense, offensive line intact, Leinart will be throwing to two of the best young receivers in the league in Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin, and he will have one of the best running backs in the NFL, Edgerrin James, preventing defenses from focusing solely on the passing game.

Not only did Leinart get drafted by the best young offense in the NFL, he avoided getting drafted by two of the worst offenses in the league. Quick, name more than one offensive starter on either the Jets or the Titans. Takes you a while, huh. To do a quick comparison, if Leinart had been selected by the Titans, he would be throwing to Drew Bennett and Tyrone Calico with Chris Brown as his starting running back. With the Jets, his receivers would be Laverneous Coles and Justin Mccareins with the aging Curtis Martin as his running back. Just breathtaking the offensive weapons at the disposal of the Titans and Jets (I can’t tell you how much it pains me to say this).

If this were a Monopoly game, Leinart would be the guy already with the most money who then misses the hotels on Marvin Gardens AND Pennsylvania Avenue only to land on Boardwalk when he already was in possession of Park Place. He’d also be the guy complaining that he had to pay so much money when he landed on Income Tax (seriously, read the link I put up at the beginning of the article).

Well, I guess I can take consolation in one thing. Although Leinart lucked into being drafted by the Cardinals, he did get drafted by the Cardinals. The franchise that has won exactly one playoff game since 1980 while making the playoffs only twice. The franchise that has never won a Super Bowl despite existing since the NFL’s inception. The franchise that repeatedly has not empty seats, but empty sections at their home games year after year. I mean, they have to be doing something wrong, don’t they?

Leinart can’t change all that. At least, that’s what I’m telling myself.