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AP: 603e0fb5-1fb0-4e04-8014-b8c59543d3cd
Arizona Cardinals running back Beanie Wells, center in red, is tackled by a host of New York Jets players during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 2, 2012, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)
"When the Cardinals are ashes, then you have my permission to cry."

That isn't really what Bane said in the film The Dark Knight Rises, but it sure seems to be how Cardinals fans feel head coach Ken Whisenhunt is treating them. That, or I just saw way too many commercials for the movie's Blu Ray release during the Cards game Sunday.

It's not to say Whisenhunt is a bad guy, because he's not. By all accounts he has done plenty to help the community during his time in the Valley. But like Batman's main foil in the latest film, he's very stubborn and set in his ways.

That attitude has caused much success including two division titles -- their first since coming to Arizona -- a Super Bowl appearance -- the first in franchise history -- and the emergence of one of the most prolific quarterback and wide receiver combos in franchise and league history in Kurt Warner and Larry Fitzgerald.

That same attitude, however, has led to a former Heisman winner and first round pick losing his mojo and becoming no more effective than Stoney Case (look it up if you aren't old enough to remember him, Cards fans). He took the same receiver he helped make a star and turned him into a guy with really cool dreads and very few touchdowns. He's the reason we wondered what was so funny to Derek Anderson, how moxy qualified Max Hall to be anything other than a short guy with a good attitude, made John Skelton a bigger joke than Red Skelton ever had in his act (maybe that was what Anderson was laughing about) and proved to be "Lindsane" thinking a sixth-round rookie could be the answer under center.

He's provided the one thing that Cardinals fans have longed for over the years, hope, and has taken it away just as fast. A theme the Gotham City villain had thoughts on as well.

"I learned here that there can be no true despair without hope... I will feed its people hope to poison their souls. I will let them believe they can survive so that you can watch them clamoring over each other to 'stay in the sun.'"

Whisenhunt obviously isn't doing this consciously. As a matter of fact, it has been an unfortunate byproduct of his inability to adapt to certain situations and make necessary changes. But the bottom line is, for fans, the effect is the same.

Franchise-record winning streaks followed by franchise-defining losing streaks give fans hope and then teach them great despair in the span of a calendar year. (Although, thanks to many Sundays spent at Sun Devil Stadium, they fight to stay out of the sun now.)

While the answer in the film was to rid the city of the man causing this phenomenon, for the Cardinals franchise, there seems to be a few different paths to salvation.

The first would be to set up a structure in which Whisenhunt can change his ways. One where his "guys" on the coaching staff (Russ Grimm and Mike Miller to name a couple) are asked to leave. Replacing them with experienced or creative coaches (paging Kurt Warner) more capable of shaping and molding the positions they oversee.

One where Ray Horton is handsomely rewarded for turning the team's defense, once a joke, into its strength. And finally one where deciding on who the team's quarterback of the future will be is more than a gut feeling that changes every four weeks. It would also require focusing on an offensive line that has been more neglected than the city of Detroit in the draft and free agency and finding an offensive identity.

The other option is starting completely over with a new staff and vision. Something that could be just as difficult as the first option.

What it comes down to is if the franchise and its fans don't want to see their beloved Cardinals who had finally found a way to be successful in Arizona reduced to ashes, something has to change.

The question is, what will it be?

24 Comments   |   Join the conversation »
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  • Abuse
    redbread wrote...
    WHIZ has to go.
    I don't believe he's worried about losing his job and without Warner, Fitz, and Boldin "all brought here by Dennis Green", Whisenhunt may not have ever won more than four games. I'm sick of his bs.
  • Abuse
    FitzIsMyHero wrote...
    Not a Head Coach
    Whiz doesnt offer anything special as a HC. In fact he offers the exact opposite (too stubborn to adjust his pass first attack and misjudges offensive talent). Offering that someone else hire a whole new Offensive Coaching Staff for him, because he cant do it himself, is very concerning because if he cant get his Coaching Staff, Personell, and Coaching Decisions right on his own and he needs someone else to do it for him, what purpose is he serving us as a HC?
  • Abuse
    FitzIsMyHero wrote...
    The weak rest on their reputation
    The strong adapt and figure out how to keep on. The Steelers fired Arians because they wanted to go in a new direction and get back to running the football first. Bruce Arians was the OC when they won AZ in the SB. And we've seen PIT RBs; Mendenhall, Redman, and Dwyer play extremely well this year. I think that is the change we also need. We need a change in Philosophy. If Horton will accept more money to stay in his DC role, great! If he wants to leave to become a HC, then match make him HC here and let him have input of who to bring in for the offense. Get back to run 1st football.
  • Abuse
    theuglytruth wrote...
    Turning point...
    ..this may just be a glimpse of how mis-managed this organization is under Whisenhunt, and may explain why this team...with a dominating playoff caliber defense, has performed sooo poorly. It makes me think of all of the decisions he has made to date, and wonder if they were correct. I was a staunch supporter before yesterday...today I cannot say the same.
  • Abuse
    OpinionH8d wrote...
    Stubborn and Stupid
    Two perfect descriptions of the soon to be ex-coach of the Cardinals. Thought he could live off Warner's brilliance indefinitely. Thought he could build a team around a WR without addressing the line becuz they won 7 of 9 down the stretch last year. Countless examples of guys passed up in the drafts and FA periods that could have saved him if he would have been smart enuf to know he needed them. Mismgmt of QBs has been the norm even when Warner and Leinart were competing.
  • Abuse
    MikeWins wrote...
    Name me one coach...
    who has won without a franchise quarterback... None. Now, name some coaches that have gone to a superbowl as a coordinator AND as a head coach with two different quarterbacks. Whiz is on that list and the others are considered some of the best coaches of all time. Get Whiz a franchise quarterback and then judge him. Doesn't matter how you slice it, you can't win without a quarterback. No point in getting rid of THE ONLY GOOD COACH WE'VE EVER HAD because Graves and Keim can't find a solid QB...
  • Abuse
    stejbrown37 wrote...
    RE: Name me one coach.
    John Gruden: Super bowl 37: QB Brad Johnson Brian Billick: Super bowl 35: QB Trent Dilfer Joe Gibbs: Super bowl 26: QB Mark Rypien Only Brad Johnson has a career QB Rating of over 80. Now few and far between can win consistently without a Franchise QB. That being said, Whiz has had QB controversies in 4 of his 6 years. He has had 7 different QB start a game. I agree that Graves needs to go, but at some point a coach hold responsibility in talent evaluation and development. A previous comment gave dues to Dennis Green let us not forget what Todd Haley did for Kurt and this offense.
  • Abuse
    Patrick Peterson's Talent wrote...
    I'm sick of this
    Honestly, the Cardinals have some of the worst fans in all of football. MikeWins is apparently the only true fan from the pre-Warner years. Whiz is the only coach to take us to the SuperBowl - stop handing it to Kurt - he wouldn't have even been playing had WHIZ not taken a chance on him. For those calling for his head - NAME THE NEXT COACH. Because I guarantee you're getting 50 cents on the dollar. Fitz, the Steelers backs have been garbage this year. Hell, 2 weeks ago they all fumble the ball.
  • Abuse
    Patrick Peterson's Talent wrote...
    I'm sick of this Part II
    Can't you guys see the forest from the trees? We have had bad injuries and a terrible line. All you guys were jockin him last year for going 6-2 down the stretch, now you've all turned your backs? Fitz, if we make Horton HC, how does that improve our OFFENSE? You tell me. the ugly truth, do you really think we have a "dominating, playoff caliber defense"?? You mean the one that gave up 250+ yards to BRIAN HARTLINE and rookie Tannehill? If we had a dominating D, we wouldn't have lost 8 in a row.
  • Abuse
    Patrick Peterson's Talent wrote...
    I'm sick of this Part III
    stejbrown37f, you named 3 teams out of 40+ that have gone to the Superbowl. Your point is null and void. You need a QB to win in this league, and we simply don't have one right now. We need to build the line and see what we have in Kolb. There is no QB in the draft worth taking this year, so get an elite pass rusher, ditch Willie Gay, fire Grimm and spend the rest of the picks on lineman. Then let's see what our running backs can do. I'm seriously done with this. From now on, if you call for Whiz's job, step up and name the new head coach. God you guys are such bandwagon fans.
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