Tagged As: Cardinals, Sports, Steelers, Super Bowl, NFL

The most debilitating factor coming into the Super Bowl might be the Arizona Cardinals own organization rather than the suppressing Steelers defense. At the end of the game Cards offensive coordinator Todd Haley was seen in a shouting match with Anquan Boldin after leaving him on the bench for nine of the final 14 plays against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday.

This single moment of frustration brought the reality of the Arizona Cardinals world back into focus. The organization is returning to a championship for the first time in six decades and there might be a good reason why. The little-more than casual football fan will note that Boldin had a hamstring injury in the divisional playoff round and that it was needless to put his health in danger with the lead. They might also note that Haley also engaged in a verbal confrontation with Kurt Warner despite being very good friends.

Haley passed the sideline shows off as a mere explosion of high emotions at the time and Boldin said he left early, missing the celebration, to avoid making the very public argument the focus of the post game show. Still this is the same organization that has been unable to keep key pieces to turn promising seasons into proud periods in fans memories. Boldin accused the team of lying and not presenting him with a new deal after fellow Pro Bowl receiver received a very lucrative one himself.

These may be the cracks that will turn a potentially great Super Bowl of two rather one-sided teams into a laugher similar to the Atlanta Falcons pitiful performance in 1999 against the Broncos or the San Diego Chargers 49-26 loss to the 49ers in 1995.

I hope that if the Cardinals lose, that it is a crushing blow from Pittsburgh Steelers safety Troy Polamalu rather than a poorly run route by a receiver giving a lack luster performance. I hope that if the Cardinals lose it is the end of a postseason full of profound upsets by a truly superior opponent and not an implosion of a team fighting a franchise history reveling in mediocrity. I hope that this Super Bowl builds to a crescendo of crushing blows and amazing catches that overfill a highlight reel. I hope these Super Bowl tickets are not in vain.