ADN

This last NFC championship will go down as one of the best of the past 20 years, easily.

There were exactly two sides of that contest:
- Vikings field domination, where they were able to march up and down the field at will, seemingly, but with New Orleans defenders occassionally getting their licks in on Favre, and...
- Vikings drive implosion, where they fumbled the ball an astonsihing six times (2 by Harvin, 2 by Peterson, 1 by Berrian, 1 by Favre, though the fumble was mostly Peterson's fault) having lost 3 of them, and an additional two head-pounding miscues by Favre, which resulted in two KILLER interceptions.

In all, this was the "Big Purple Show", with intermittent cameos by Drew Brees & Co.--it was the best and worst of a longstanding tradition in Vikings' history to at times look like the most dominant team in the league of the past several seasons, but can never, ever get over some sort of hump that the NFC Championship and the Super Bowl hold over this franchise.

The Saints were just efficient enough to hang in there with the Vikings throughout the entire game. They never looked as world-beating, nor as error-prone, as the Vikes were able to accomplish in the span of one 60-minute championship performance. In fact, it's not even that Minnesota "fumbled away the victory", or that the Saints outright won: it is something else altogether that is the spectacle of Favre.

He was brilliant and nearly flawless all throughout the game, and even got rocked several times on very questionable defensive hits. But it is that exuberant play of favre, that "gunslinger" mentality, and the fact that he had taken so much punishment, that led to his awful, drive-killing (and eventually, game-clinching) intercepted pass.

It is immensely hard to describe, who in actuality, "won" this game, but thoughout all those lost balls, in the last 30 seconds of the game, Brett Favre and the Vikes were but a ~50 boot from Ryan Longwell away from heading to the SuperBowl. The Saints, I think, were channeling all the luck from that 2006 season (where, I think they should have been destined to play against Indy's Colts, but because of bad weather and a superbly-dominat Bears D, they got their destiny re-written) and made it so they were born to go against Peyton this time around.

It was an amazing game.

before anything else, I want to say that the amazing journey and spectacular play of Kurt Warner over the past decade of NFL action has been one of the most inspiring stories ever to be graced into the action that is professional football.
that said, and still considering that Kurt is one of my all-time favorite NFLers, I understand his weighted decision to retire at this time.
(but I still think he should have come back for "just 1 more season", if only to see if he can get that "super feeling" back once more, (if he stays healthy, veritable lock he leads the Cards to another SB berth) and for the fact that he'll have retired after 13 long NFL seasons. (the same # as his jersey)


Onto the retrospective:
Kurt Warner brings end to stirring 12-year NFL career
TEMPE, Arizona (AP)

The 38-year-old quarterback announced his retirement from the game on Friday
after a dozen years in a league that at first rejected him, then revered him,
as he came from nowhere to lead the lowly St. Louis Rams to two Super Bowls,
winning the first of them. Written off as a has-been, he rose again to lead
the long-suffering Arizona Cardinals to the Super Bowl a year ago.
...


Kurt Warner & Larry Fitzgerald, NFL Playoffs (NFC Championship v. Philadelphia Eagles)



Coach Ken Whisenhunt and wideout Larry Fitzgerald pump fists in agreement that Kurt Warner's grey beard
makes him look old more than wise, at the Kurt Warner Foundation's Night With Champions fundraiser
to benefit the building of a new Warner's Corner at St. Joseph's Hospital. --Photographed by: Bruce Yeung/Yeung Photography


(click to watch)

Cover image: Bob Rosato | Feature Article: Michael Silver



Kurt Warner, family quarterback

Yep it was a great ride with Kurt. Saw the ups and the downs, the coming out of nowhere and going out on top gracefully (attention Brett Favre...although I suppose that ship passed looooong ago). He's a good man that I hope will get some kind of studio job now. Dear CBS, bounce Shannon Sharpe and hire this guy!

Got some studs in the combine this year, especially at the RB position...

I think Tebow in particular helped himself out a great deal, he's a damn good athlete...I mean, helped him in the sense that he'll probably get picked up, even if can't play QB...

I think he'll be looked at as a tight end possibility. Great athlete but kinda like Vick he just can't throw the ball and his first instinct is to run....oh but without the dog killing abilities.. nyuck nyuck nyuck

How do you figure Tebow helped himself a great deal?

He messed up before the combine, proving he isn't really comfortable taking snaps from directly under center and his throwing motion was so bad he is now re-working it. I mean, given that...I guess you can make the case that he's improved just because he doesn't look as worthless as a QB at the NFL level...but everyone in the league can jump high, run fast, and pump iron. The fact that he may have jumped higher or ran faster than a lot of other QB's doesn't really change the fact that pretty much every other potential QB is going to be drafted higher than him and has more value. I don't think anyone really puts a whole lot of stock in combine workouts if the guy isn't comfortable taking snaps lol.

That being said, and I figure you're going with the whole "well...at least we may be able to work with an athlete of his caliber" thought behind his combine, but still...I don't think he has a whole lot of value and we all know what really matters is what folks can do on the football field at the position they're playing....all those numbers don't mean anything if you can't get the job done.

Either way... if you're the Rams: who are you taking number 1? or do you even keep that pick? What say all you monday morning gm's out there (myself included)