Yahoo!'s Siver Ranks Bidwills 26th in ownership out of 32

[LoyaltyisaCurse]

This is a pathetically weak argument in favor of his position:


26. Arizona Cardinals – Bill Bidwill (Michael Bidwill): As big a fan as I am of Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt and some of the team’s front-office employees, I still shudder to think that such a cheap, short-sighted ownership group was rewarded with an NFC title in January. Think about it: If ever a franchise owed its near-championship to one man, it was Arizona to Kurt Warner(notes). The formerly discarded quarterback elevated a middling team to uncharted heights throughout the playoffs, and re-signing him to a fair-market deal should have been as eventful as an extra point. Not when the Bidwills are in charge: Though Warner made it clear he wanted to stay with the Cardinals rather than test free agency, he ultimately got on a plane to the Bay Area and was wined and dined by the rival 49ers who, if nothing else, got the satisfaction of leveraging a rival and picking its quarterback’s brain before Arizona finally gave him a legitimate offer. I used to be pumped up about Michael Bidwill’s aggressive mentality and potential to reshape the franchise after taking over day-to-day operations from his flailing father, but my enthusiasm is waning. As one owner says, “Mike Bidwill is not as impressive as I thought he was three years ago. He’s got some goober in him.”

 

[Totally_Red]

Actually wasn't it because Michael got involved that the Warner deal DID finally get done? If anything ownership deserves some credit for that instead of a backhand.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

Oh boy.....

I see this one getting ugly.

 

[SuperSpck]

Silver's a players-perspective writer who's spent a lot of time with Warner. He's also the guy who penned the infamous "Gatorade" piece with Robert Griffith.

Don't be surprised to see him think so badly of the ownership.

Micheal has a lot of positive momentum, but he's got 50 years of ineptitude (not a judge of character, I hear Bill's a swell person, but he's proven to have zero football acumen) to overcome.

 

[RugbyMuffin]

The fact we are not at 32 is an improvement, IMO.

Especially from this leg humper.

 

[joeshmo]

I dont have any issue with the piece.

Your not going to get people to take something they usually rank in the 30's and push it into the top half that easily.

 

[Dan H]

Did Silver ever write a retraction of the Robert Griffith story?

 

[MadCardDisease]

LOL - Moving on up!

Did someone really call Mike a 'Goober'? Sounds like someone is stuck in the 80s.

 

[Perfectionist]

I must admit I have always the thought the Cards would never do anything until new owners would take over from the Bidwills. But with the new stadium putting the team on a more level playing field, and Michael taking over the day to day operations, things seem to be turning around. It is going to take more than one season to change most peoples ideas about the Bidwills and the organization, and with a few more successful seasons those feelings and ideas will change.

 

[Renz]

Yeah, Silver is literally one of Kurt's buddies. I guess he took it as a slap in the face to Kurt that the Cardinals didn't just cave to every one of Warner's contract demands last spring.

 

[Renz]

was wined and dined by the rival 49ers who, if nothing else, got the satisfaction of leveraging a rival and picking its quarterback’s brain before Arizona finally gave him a legitimate offer.

LOL! What's he implying here? That Kurt gave SF the Cardinals playbook while he was in town?

 

[Cardsfanstl]

I have gone through 35+ years of Cardinals football. Through the good times and bad. For the past few years since the son has taken over I have see a drastic change in the direction of the franchise. They are more competitive and have a will to win. To me it is still an ongoing process and will take a few years of competitive winning football to change the league perception of the Cardinals but it will happen.

 

[joeshmo]

Something to keep in mind. There are a ton of committee's in the league ones that none of you have probably ever even heard of before. Stuff like competition commitee's for an example. Its why they hae owners meetings a few times a year so they can all get together and see each other face to face for these meetings and vote on new items. A lot of owners may not have a high standing of our owners becuase our owners and GM - Graves are in the most committee's compared to any other team. Its sort of like that kid in high school who was the school vice president and was in every single club and event on campus, that kid was annoying.

 

[Mitch]

While I think Silver is overstating his case here more than a tad, there is some merit to his claims. The Warner situation was a debacle of sorts. And, having just had a taste of the Super Bowl for the first time, one has to question the lack of moves the FO made this off-season.

The Good:

1. Re-signing Adrian Wilson

2. Finally re-signing Kurt Warner.

3. The FA signing of CB Bryant McFadden...but this comes with a caveat in that what was more important, improving the secondary or the pass rush? Or both?

The Questionable:

1. Not addressing the #1 priority (improving the pass rush) nearly as concertedly or urgently as needed. Which was the Achilles' heel of the defense last year, especially when the team leader in sacks was an aging vet, BB, with a mere five.

2. Allowing the contract situations with Dansby and Boldin to remain status quo.

3. Failing to even make an effort to offer Whiz a contract extension.

Sometimes bold moves need to made...ones with a real direction...and it wouldn't seem the taste of success has made the Bidwills especially hungry for more...

This year, the hope has to be that because of an exceptionally focused and driven head coach and a QB who has shown he can carry a team all the way to the biggest stage in football, that somehow this combination draws aces once again...but, one really has to question how much assistance the Cardinals' FO has given to these two stalwarts.

 

[AntSports Steve]

3. Failing to even make an effort to offer Whiz a contract extension.

I see things from more of the business side. Why make Whiz an offer now, when he has 2 years left and (I think) an option for a 3rd year?

If you make an offer now, it's like Buying High (coming off the Superbowl).

Why not wait until after 2009. Maybe they make the playoffs and are 1 and done. Back to Back playoffs would prove he is a good coach and be cheaper than coming off the Superbowl.

 

[Gaddabout]

Michael Bidwill's strength is he isn't a football guy -- not even sure he *likes* football -- but he doesn't pretend to. He knows his job is to run the money, and even understands they need to field a decent product to do that.

I the "goober" comment pretty much reflects MB's lack of football acumen.

 

[Perfectionist]

3. Failing to even make an effort to offer Whiz a contract extension. Sometimes bold moves need to made...ones with a real direction...and it wouldn't seem the taste of success has made the Bidwills especially hungry for more...

How would it have looked for Whiz to get a contract extension, when the club is trying to set precedent of when contracts will be addressed. I don't think Whiz was even looking or expecting this to happen. I will stick behind the FO on this.

 

[40yearfan]

I still shudder to think that such a cheap, short-sighted ownership group was rewarded with an NFC title in January

Anyone who insists on still calling this team "cheap" hasn't been paying much attention to what's been happening around here. On top of that, I think some credit should be given to the fans for that NFC title. Wiz certainly seems to think crowd noise was a big help.

I resent the fact that Silver thinks only the ownership was rewarded with that title. What about the players and the fans?

 

[lauraw]

I think Michael Bidwill is a class act and I am falling off the chair laughing at the leg humper...

 

[Unsterblich856]

26? Bidwill is rocketing up the charts!

 

[Renz]

A lot of owners may not have a high standing of our owners because our owners and GM - Graves are in the most committees compared to any other team. It's sort of like that kid in high school who was the school vice president and was in every single club and event on campus, that kid was annoying.

Everything I've ever heard says the other owners hold Bill Bidwill in the highest regard. It's the media that dislikes him.

 

[TJ]

The Bidwills have been at the bottom of this list before. Last season, I believe they were #27, so the Superbowl appearance did not have much impact. Mr. B does still have the purse strings a little too tight. He also refuses to hire a GM with some cojones to get deals done in a swift, orderly fashion. Seems like the most competent person is Michael B. Once he has full controll of this team (which contrary to popular belief he doesn't) the ownership group won't look so bad. Heck, Charles Bidwill, Bill's dad, was known as a players' owner and regarded as one of the tops in the NFL back in the day. All is not lost.

The Warner example is a primary reason as to why you cannot completely disregard this FO as completely, to coin a popular phrase in these parts "off the hook.". It should have been a slam dunk deal for this team. The only way they would have saved money on the signing would have been to extend his contract during the middle of the season, which they had an opportunity to do so. Graves and co. took a firm stance to wait til after the season to negotiate and paid the price, literally and figuartively for it. Warner wasn't looking to screw over the Cards, he wanted to stay here but get fair market value. In the end, he signed for exactly what he wanted; however, by then, the FO already had egg on their face. Not only that, they took a team with $41 mil in cap space and had already nuked it to zilch by the middle of free agency. Mitch brought up the point that we needed to adress the pass rush and that did not happen; thus, we are crossing our fingers that one-time good veterans, like Haggans, Okeafor, and Berry, can return to respectable form.

I'm not going to completely bash the FO right now as they are doing a good enough job holding off Boldin and Dockett from getting extensions too early in the game. By signing a true leader (Wilson) who negotiates behind the scenes as opposed to using media outlets, it shows players the best maneuver to use to get what they want.

In summary, 26 is a fair slot for this ownership group to be in. Just be fortunate that we don't bave the likes of Al Davis and some of the other owners running the ship.

 

[freebyrd]

I have gone through 35+ years of Cardinals football. Through the good times and bad. For the past few years since the son has taken over I have see a drastic change in the direction of the franchise. They are more competitive and have a will to win. To me it is still an ongoing process and will take a few years of competitive winning football to change the league perception of the Cardinals but it will happen.

plus1 on this

 

[joeshmo]

1. Not addressing the #1 priority (improving the pass rush) nearly as concertedly or urgently as needed. Which was the Achilles' heel of the defense last year, especially when the team leader in sacks was an aging vet, BB, with a mere five.

There are only two ways to improve your pass rush. One, hope that you can scam the Cheifs again for a Jarod Allen Clone, or Two draft one. Because it is a slim to none chance of improving it through free agency.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

Yeah, Silver is literally one of Kurt's buddies. I guess he took it as a slap in the face to Kurt that the Cardinals didn't just cave to every one of Warner's contract demands last spring.

Didn't they?