Tagged As: NFL, Kurt Warner, Cardinals, Cowboys, football, Sports, Steelers, Terrell Owens

Not too long ago the Dallas Cowboys were beginning another promising era that could have brought yet another Super Bowl win to their storied history. The Arizona Cardinals were looking like they were going to be collecting veterans looking for a rest stop before officially retiring (their M.O. for the past decade). Now, after the Cardinals managed to get into the Super Bowl and play half way decently, everything is turned around in the Southwest.

The Cardinals realized that their franchise history has been a woeful and disgraceful and resigned quarterback Kurt Warner. Football teams are built for the short term and by signing Warner they started piecing things together again. They also franchised key linebacker Karlos Dansby.

Meanwhile, a two states over in Texas, the Dallas Cowboys released wide receiver Terrell Owens and safety Roy Williams, two high profile players whose weaknesses helped lead to another disappointing season. America’s team is now down a high profile receiver and a safety whose hitting power almost made up for his pass coverage snafus.

It may seem arbitrary to compare these two teams from different divisions, but these teams have long developed a rivalry. A rivalry in which the Cowboys beat down the Cardinals like a little brother. It is also worth noting because of the remarkable difference felt in the message from the locker rooms.

The Cowboys were unraveling, sinking quickly in a competitive division that houses the New York Giants, the Washington Redskins and the Philadelphia Eagles. The Boys and their fans were growing weary of the inconsistent Tony Romo and his choke-artist antics. The morale had sunk so low that Owens turned the entire depth chart of wide receivers against Romo. In the end the Cowboys lost the final game of the season to the Philadelphia Eagles 44-6. The loss kept them out of the postseason and owner Jerry Jones knew something had to change, no matter how drastic the move.

The Cardinals may have lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Super Bowl, but the loss could hardly be called a disappointment. Arizona was favored to win the NFC West simply because of the disrepair throughout the division. Nobody thought the Cardinals would find a rallying cry with Warner and a superb collection of receivers.

Warner played like an MVP for most of the season and his willingness to comeback at a discounted price is a sign that this last season may not have been a tease. The front office still has to work out the bad blood with receiver Anquan Boldin, but Warner is willing to give another million just to get him back. Boldin is not upset over the number of passes thrown his way like Owens. He simply wants to get paid for his ability on the field like his teammate Larry Fitzgerald.

While the Cowboys are going to spend this offseason trying to start over and find that missing spark, the Cardinals are going to keep their fire going. There are still plenty of issues on both sides, mainly defense, but it looks like the Cardinals will at least have a few seasons they can lord over Cowboys fans.

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