Madden '04 Empty Cupboard

[Abe Sargent]

Can Marc Bulger Handle the Load?

Len Pasquarelli
ESPN.com


Earlier this year the Cardinals decided to pass on two possible franchise quarterbakcs in the draft in order to sign Marc Bulger to be their starting quarterback.

Marc appeared to lose a step last season, and never played as well as he did two years ago. If he can regain that form, then Marc will have been worth it, but can he?

In St. Louis Marc had a pari of stellar wide receivers who both had gone to Pro Bowls. Torry Holt was entering his prime and Isaac Bruce was leaving it. Yet both contributed mightily to the passing game.

In Arizona, Marc has two older wide receivers who, despite their age, both had 1000+ seasons last yera. That was with a patchwork team with the quintessential journeyman quarterback as the starter. If Antonio Freeman and Qadry Ismail can keep gas in the tank, then both could really help Marc, but there is very little help after that. The other wide receivers are a makeshift, ragged group.

The Rams had depth, at tight end, and at receiver. Marc has no depth here, and their new tight end Cam Cleeland, may not even be that great.

Marc had a pretty poor offensive line two years ago as the Rams suffered a rash of injuries. He promises to have a slightly better line here. Old age and verile youth both will start on the offensive line, and it will be rather poor in the NFL, but better than what Marc suffered.

However, Marc Bulger had an X Factor in St. Louis that he does not have now. Marshall Faulk. No matter the hype, rookie halfback Shawn Johnson is not Marshall Faulk - no one is. Although the Cardinals rededicate themselves to running the ball, the simple fact is that they will never have a Marshall Faulk to bail them out of situations.

On the playcalling side, we have no idea what Monte Kiffin and Abe Sargent will cook up, but it can't be as bad as Mike Martz's indefensible playcalling.

Marc in Arizona or Marc in St. Louis. How do they Stack up?

           St.  Louis                          Arizona

WR            +
O-Line                                              +
RB              +
Playcalling                                        +
TE              +

Overall.......

St. Louis. Marc Bulger, therefore, should not expect to have the kind of year that he had two years ago.

[tucker342]

Great stuff so far!

[Abe Sargent]

Originally posted by tucker342
Great stuff so far!

Thanks a bunch! I'll keep trying to push the envelope and not get bogged down in Typical Dynasty Droll.


-Anxiety

[Abe Sargent]

From the FootballRatings.com Website:


Your 2004 Arizona Cardinals:


QB Marc Bulger, 78 Ovr
Jamie Martin, 72 Ovr
Danny Wuerffel, 65 Ovr

RB Shawn Johnson, 79 Ovr *
Terrell Davis, 67 Ovr
Doug Chapman, 59 Ovr

FB James Hodgins, 80 Ovr

WR Antonio Freeman, 77 Overall
Qadry Ismail, 74 Ovr
Michael Lewis, 63 Ovr
Dedric Ward, 58 Ovr
Andre King, 56 Ovr

TE Cam Cleeland, 71 Ovr
Herman Miller, 62 Ovr *
Damon Jones, 55 Ovr

LT Richmond Webb, 78 Ovr
Jeremy McKinney, 60 Ovr

LG Wally Williams, 79 Ovr
Floyd Wedderburn, 58 Ovr

C Dedric Arrington, 71 Ovr *
Cris Forrest, 52 Ovr *

RG Leon Searcy, 77 Ovr
Victor Allotey, 59 Ovr

RT Jon Johnson, 74 Ovr *
John St. Clair, 59 Ovr

LE Chidi Ahanotu, 75 Ovr
Joey Williams, 53 Ovr *

RE Kendrick Office, 73 Ovr
Dre Fisk, 57 Ovr *

DT Steve Martin, 81 Ovr
Monsanto Pope, 76 Ovr
Reggie Fryar, 66 Ovr *
Sean Nelson, 63 Ovr *

LOLB Canute Curtis, 75 Ovr
Eddie Shakur, 61 Ovr *

MLB Bryan Cox, 79 Ovr
Colby Solomon, 65 Ovr *

ROLB John Thierry, 75 Ovr
Darnay Hill, 61 Ovr *

CB Doug Bronson, 77 Ovr, *
Ike Charlton, 68 Ovr
Tyrone Carter, 66 Ovr
Terry Fair, 65 Ovr
Chuck Carter, 59 Ovr *

FS Marcus Robertson, 83 Ovr
Drew Copeland, 62 Ovr *

SS Blaine Bishop, 81 Ovr
William Kinney, 64 Ovr

K Delvin Krause, 65 Ovr *

P Matt Turk, 86 Ovr


* = Rookies

[Abe Sargent]

Scouting Memo from Training Camp:


MEMO


The following players were focused on during camp in certain drills. The results follow:

Pocket Passing - QB Jamie Martin +1% Throwing Accuracy

Chase and Tackle - LOLB Canute Curtis - No Change

Swat Ball - CB Doug Bronson +1% Catching

Trench Fighting - RT Jon Johnson - No Change

Clutch Kicking - K Delvin Karuse +3% Kick Accuracy

Corner Punting - P Matt Turk +2% Kick Accuracy

Precision Passing - QB Marc Bulger +2% Throwing Accuracy, +1% Throwing Power

Ground Attack - HB Shawn Johnson +4% Break Tackle

Catching - TE Herman Miller +2% Acceleration


-Mike Ackerly

[Abe Sargent]

Cardinals Mull Over Name Change

Elizabeth Satterly
Flagstaff Daily Mail

Earlier today the Arizona Cardinals released a list of new mascot names they are considering. Owner Abe Sargent, entering his sophomore year at the helm, has asked for feedback.

"We want to know what the public likes," Mr. Sargent was quoted as saying at a press conference earlier today.

In an ever growing attempt to sever all ties to the past, Abe Sargent has purged the roster, the staff, and now, the team mascot itself. "No longer will we be known as those bumbling Cardinals. The name is stained. We need a new identity."

Fans are invited to share their responses by e-mailing their opinions to [email protected]. A list of the proposed names is below.

Bandits
Comets
Copperheads
Cyclones
Dynamos
Enforcers
Generals
Highlanders
Legends
Marauders
Marshalls
Monarchs
Railsplitters
Rattlers
Ravagers
Sandcrabs
Sandstorm
Scorpions
SkyChiefs
Starfire
Timber Rattlers
Timberwolves
Thunderwolves
Trailblazers
Warhawks
Zephyrs

[JeeberD]

Sandcrabs

[General Mike]

Copperheads

[Buzzbee]

I posted this in the other thread, but thought I would post it here as well.

Originally posted by Buzzbee
What about the Arizona Phoenix? Rise from the ashes of suckitude. A franchise reborn. Plus it's a good play on Phoenix Arizona.

[Abe Sargent]

The Following is an Interview between Abe Sargent and Total Pro Football


Randy Gallegos, Total Pro Football: Alright, Abe Sargent, thanks for agreeing to this interview.

Abe: Thanks for asking. I am always available for you guys.

Randy: Alright let's start. How does rookie halfback Shawn Johnson look in training camp?

Abe: Amazing. Our scouts have informed us that, you're going to love this, that Shawn Johnson appears to be the second best rookie at his position in the NFL. Only fullback Tiki Mann appears to know his position better. We were working on some ground attack drills with Johnson and he exploded past all of our defenders from the first run into the endzone. He is simply incredible.

Randy: What about other rookies?

Abe: Doug Bronson, Jon Johnson and Dedric Arrington are our starting players at their positions. As you know, we have a lot of rookies on our team this year, but most are for depth.

Randy: Undrafted rookie kicker Delvin Krause was supposed to be very inaccurate. Have you seen that yet in camp?

Abe: He's rough, that's for sure. But we hope he'll come along rather nicely.

Randy: The big question, of course, is Marc Bulger. Can he be the starting quarterback in the league?

Abe: Absolutely. He was a significant upgrade over Jamie Martin from last year.

Randy: Jamie will continue to be your backup?

Abe: Possibly.

Randy: We have heard rumors that he is on the trading block for a receiver or a corner.

Abe: One of the basic facts about general managers is that they have to always be in constant contact with over personnel managers. You have to talk about what you want, what you have, price, draft picks, and the like. It's how you keep current as a GM.

Randy: Some sources say Marc Bulger lost a step last year, yet you still paid him the big bucks in free agency.

Abe: We never had any doubts about Marc's ability to play. During my six years at WVU, I only saw two quarterbacks from play in person that I thought would be good in the NFL. Donovan McNabb and Marc Bulger. I have no doubts about either.

Randy: Now, about the renaming of the team logo, I hear that you have an update for us?

Abe: Sure do. We have eliminated 16 names off the list, but have added two more, to bring us to an even dozen. Here are the remaining names:

Bandits
Comets
Copperheads
Legends
Marshalls
Ravagers
Sandcrabs
Sandstorm
Sandtwisters
Scorpions
Thunderbirds
Warhawks

Randy: Interesting stuff there. Any clue on which direction you'll go?

Abe: None.

Randy: We've heard that you've bene posting on various Internet message boards asking for people's opinions?

Abe: We sure have. In fact, Thunderbirds was added as a suggestion. I also typed Sandtwisters without thinking then went back and realized that it was a pretty good name.

Randy: Wow, so it sounds like there is a lot going on. Will the team have the new colors, uniforms, and helmets ready?

Abe: We have all of the uniforms and helmets ready in a shop next door. All of the numbers, names, and everything is on. All we need to do is add the colors and logo. We are preparing logos for the 12 choices as we speak. So, we'll be ready to roll no matter what.

Randy: Sounds like you are prepared then. And busy. We thank you again for your interview.

Abe: Sure thing!

[Abe Sargent]

ARIZONA CARDINALS PRESS RELEASE


Arizona Reduces List of Mascot Hopefuls to Five.


After weeks of deliberation and correspondance with a variety of Internet forums and fans, the Arizona Cardinals have narrowed the selection down to five choices.

After starting with 26 mascots possibilities, the team narrowed the selections down to 12, and now to 5.

"We want to bring a brand new look to the franchise," owner Abe Sargent was quoted as saying.

The Finalists are:

Copperheads
Legends
Marshalls
Sandtwisters
Thunderbirds


Public comments, although always welcome, will no longer have any bearing on the final results. The final selection will be announced tomorrow.

[General Mike]

Go Copperheads!

[JeeberD]

The sandcrabs of Arizona are sad about this decision...

[Abe Sargent]

Arizona Changes Name

John Clayton
ESPN.com


Earlier today, Arizona confirmed that they had changed their name to the Arizona Copperheads with a press release. Later today there will be a press conference to that effect.

Arizona had been considering many new names after the decision was made to change the name and team colors in a further effort to distance the new team under new ownership from the woeful history of the past team.

The Cardinals sported one of the league oldest logos and mascots. Indeed, many thought that both had become antiquated by today's game. And today they are gone.

Some may not know that one of the finalist names back when Bud Adams was renaming the Oilers was the "Copperheads." New Arizona owner remembers, "I was very disappointed when the name 'Copperheads' wasn't chosen. I think I always remembered that ever since."

A press conference will be held later today to present the new helmets, uniforms, and logo. It should be an exciting year for the Copperheads.

[Abe Sargent]

Bill Bidwell Attacks New Arizona Owner

Molly Tristendale
AP Sports


Early this afternoon, Minnesota Vikings owner Bill Bidwell was witnessed leaving the facility for lunch. Several reporters approached Mr. Bidwell for questions and he decided to stop and answer them.

Even earlier in the day, it was reported that the Arizona Cardinals, Bidwell's old family team, had changed their name to the Arizona Copperheads. The media wanted to get his reaction, and it was quite emotiional.

With anger blazing beneath his eyes, Bidwell claimed that he and his family were lied to. "He was intentionally deceptive," Bidwell said of new owner Abe Sargent.

"If he had told us that he was going to spoil everything my father worked for by changing the team's name, then we would never have sold him the team, no matter the price," Bill Bidwell continued.

His comments also included personal attacks on Abe Sargent. "He's a con artist of the highest degree. A flim flam man. A shady character. And he screwed us and me in the process."

Later today, owner Abe Sargent has promised a new conference. It should be interesting to see what his retorts are.

[Buzzbee]

Announcing the new Theme Song of the Arizona Copperheads:

Well my name's John Lee Pettimore
Same as my daddy and his daddy before
You hardly ever saw Grandaddy down here
He only came to town about twice a year
He'd buy a hundred pounds of yeast and some copper line
Everybody knew that he made moonshine
Now the revenue man wanted Grandaddy bad
He headed up the holler with everything he had
It's before my time but I've been told
He never came back from Copperhead Road

Now Daddy ran the whiskey in a big block Dodge
Bought it at an auction at the Mason's Lodge
Johnson County Sheriff painted on the side
Just shot a coat of primer then he looked inside
Well him and my uncle tore that engine down
I still remember that rumblin' sound
Well the sheriff came around in the middle of the night
Heard mama cryin', knew something wasn't right
He was headed down to Knoxville with the weekly load
You could smell the whiskey burnin' down Copperhead Road

I volunteered for the Army on my birthday
They draft the white trash first,'round here anyway
I done two tours of duty in Vietnam
And I came home with a brand new plan
I take the seed from Colombia and Mexico
I plant it up the holler down Copperhead Road
Well the D.E.A.'s got a chopper in the air
I wake up screaming like I'm back over there
I learned a thing or two from ol' Charlie don't you know
You better stay away from Copperhead Road

[Abe Sargent]

Press Conference from Sun Devil Stadium, 6:17 pm


Abe Sargent: Good evening folks. You are all here to witness the unveiling of the new mascot, logo, helmets, color schemes, and uniforms. Behind me, I'm sure that you've seen the new logo - a Copperhead Snake. Really, only the head of the snake is seen, in copper and outlined in turquoise. These are our new colors - copper and turquoise.

The logo can be found on helmets, uniforms, and on the field.

Here is a helmet. We are using the same helmet in home and away games. As you can see, the helmet has a black facemask, copper sheen, and a turquoise triple stripe up the middle, plus, of course, the logo. We seriously toyed with leaving the helmet completely logo-free since we are the Copperheads, and that would be classic. However, we ultimately went withthe snake logo.

Here is recent draft pick Shawn Johnson modelling the new home uniform. Obviously the jersey is turquoise with copper accents. The number and name are both in copper and outlined in black. Our jersey has a horizontal copper stripe across the shoulders where the logo can be found on both of the sleeves. The pants are a sleek copper with a black belt and aqua trim, both with the sock and the stripe down the side. We look forward to playing in these.

Here is recent draft choice Doug Benson in the new away outfit. The jersey is white with the horizontal shoulder stripe being turquoise. The numbers and names are still in copper, outlined in black. This jersey features the logo prominantly on the sleeves as well. The pants are turquoise with a black belt, copper accents like stripes down the sides, and copper socks. Both uniforms feature black shoes.

The new mascot is Coppie, the Cuddly Snake. Coppie will be seen at ballgames and make appearances at schools and such. As part of our community investment program, Coppie will educate children about snakes.

And with that, the floor is open to questions.


Jamar Jenkins, Freelance Sportswriter: Where did you get the idea for the color scheme?

Abe: From an internet post on a forum by a gentleman named RendeR.

Astra Horvaling, ESPN Correspondant: Have you heard of Bill Bidwell's comments from earlier today regarding your name change?

Abe: I sure have.

Nesmit McCall, 1080 AM Sports Talk Radio: Is he right? Did you deceive him?

Abe: I did not tell him specifically that we would change names, but I did mention to him that my plans were to change everything in order to distance the new team from the old.

Sandy Alderman, Channel 7 News: How do you feel changing the name of such a classic organization?

Abe: When Bill Bidwell took over this team from his father, it was not the Arizona Cardinals. It was the St. Louis Cardinals. Bill didn't seem to have a problem changing daddy dearest's team name then, did he? I think we have a far nobler purpose in mind with this name change than he did when he moved out of St. Louis.

Sy Rosenberg, The Sporting News: What's your opinion of Bill?

Abe: What was the Cardinals record under him? That's my opinion.

Harvey Weistein, Channel 4 Sports: Are you saying that Bill is a loser?

Abe: Wasn't that obvious? He's a loser. So am I, by the way. Our cumulative record is 4-12, and ergo, I am a loser. But I haven't had the time Bidwell had. He had decades and just spun the team in circles.

Shalonda Harlest, Sports Illustrated: But Bill Bidwell said that....

Abe: Alright, here is the final word on Bill from me. If Bill Bidwell is so upset at me changing the mascot and name of my own freakin' team, then he can change the name of his team to the Minnesota Cardinals. Or the Minnesota Crybabies. Whichever you think is more fitting.

You folks have a good night.

[Abe Sargent]

Preseason Schedule:

Week 1 - JAGUARS
Week 2 - at Raiders
Week 3 - at Ravens
Week 4 - COWBOYS



Monte Kiffin will call the preseason games

[Abe Sargent]

Interior Scouting Memo

Preseason Progression of Players after going 1-3.

No QBs changed

HB Shawn Johnson +1% overall

No FB or WR progression

TE Herman Miller, +2%

No LT or LG progression

C Dedric Arrington, +1%
Cris Forrest, +2%

No RG change

RT Jon Johnson, +2%

No LE progression

RE Dre Fisk, +1%

DT Monsanto Pope, +1%

LOLB Eddie Shakur, +1%

MLB Colby Solomon, +2% - Also injured for 8 weeks

ROLB Darnay Hill, +2%

CB Doug Bronson, +2%

FS Drew Copeland, +2%

SS William Kinney, +1%

K Dexter Krause, +2%


-Mike Ackerly

[Abe Sargent]

Bidwell Sues Copperheads Owner

Len Pasquarelli
ESPN.com


Earlier today, papers were filed with the Arizona Secretary of State's office giving notice of suit against the Arizona Copperheads. The complainant?

Bill Bidwell, former owner of the Arizona franchise and current owner of the Minnesota Vikings. After the Arizona franchise announced a name change, Bidwell was quoted as saying that new owner, Abe Sargent, was "intentionally deceptive" and "a con artist."

The papers allege that Abe Sargent misled the Bidwells by not stating that he was considering changing the team name. Sargent's press conference defense was that he told Bidwell he was going to change everything. "Bill never asked about the team name," he explained.

The plaintiffs are asking for an expedited hearing as the season opening date arrives. A notice to cease and desist has been requested for the Copperheads, which would force them to remain Cardinals until the suit is settled one way or the other.

Bill Bidwell has normally been one of the more quiet owners. But even Al Davis doesn't go around suing his peers. Suing the NFL, suing cities, or states, and rival leagues are one thing. Suing a fellow owner outright is just something that is not done. Many owners we talked to were very surprised at this turn of events.

"For it to be done alone is shocking. But to come from Bill? That's crazy," one owner was quoted as saying earlier today. The court's initial hearing is set for one week.

[JeeberD]

Originally posted by Anxiety
The new mascot is Coppie, the Cuddly Snake. Coppie will be seen at ballgames and make appearances at schools and such. As part of our community investment program, Coppie will educate children about snakes.

So...how is the mascot going to get around? Is he going to be Coppie, the Cuddly, Legged Snake?

[General Mike]

Originally posted by Celeval
Sweet! I'll do my best to make sure we're not sued.

Bidwell sues Copperheads Owner

That sure worked well, now didn't it?

[KevinNU7]

This thread is great. Can't wait to see what happens to the Copperheads

[Esquared1]

On the behalf of Mr Bidwell, I would like to make the following statement.

Since Mr. Bidwell chooses to ruffle the feathers of few, I tend to believe Mr. Bidwell. Though Mr. Sargeant's actions seem noble, he is really nothing more than a snake-oil salesman. Mr. Sargeant will be showing his true colors,and I'm not talking about copper or blue either.

Public Relations Director- Frank Rizzo

[Abe Sargent]

Originally posted by Esquared1
On the behalf of Mr Bidwell, I would like to make the following statement.

Since Mr. Bidwell chooses to ruffle the feathers of few, I tend to believe Mr. Bidwell. Though Mr. Sargeant's actions seem noble, he is really nothing more than a snake-oil salesman. Mr. Sargeant will be showing his true colors,and I'm not talking about copper or blue either.

Public Relations Director- Frank Rizzo

I wouldn't listen to anybody who can't even spell the defendant's simple last name correctly....

-Anxiety

[Abe Sargent]

Conversation with Monte Kiffin after Week One's Loss to the Bucs:


Abe Sargent: I picked up a backup middle linebacker for the season named Kalen Miller. He's a rookie.

Monte Kiffin: We'll beat 'em next time.

Abe: Hey, your old team is good, right? And a lot of that is you. We lost, we move on.

Monte: Yeah.

Abe: I'm calling the game this week, we'll see how I do at it.

Monte: Good luck.

Abe: I'm sure that it'll be worse than you. Much worse. 27-3 may look bad, but I think that my record will be nasty bad.

Monte: I doubt it.

Abe: Your faith, although welcome, is obviously misplaced.

Monte: (chuckles)

[tucker342]

great stuff as always!

That bastard Bidwell is going down!

[Abe Sargent]

Journal Entry, Abe Sargent, After Week 2


"Seahawks on opening drive get four first downs before being sacked and forced to kick a field goal. 3-0.

I run five consecutive plays up the middle by Shawn Johnson. 2 first downs and its 2nd and inches. Johnson is out with cramps for a few plays. Bulger steps back and tosses a pick. The read was decent but the coverage linebacker made a very agile move for the ball.

Seahawks drive. Charlton is beat on bump and run coverage and its 10-0 Seahawks.

I spread the field and call Johnson up the middle with four wides.. Defense is caught unawares and he busts it for 16 yards. Two more carries by Shawn and its 3rd and 4 End of quarter.

I call a FBGo play out of the Pro Form 3WR set. 10 yard completion for a first down!

2nd and 9 after a Johnson run gets only a yard after the hole closes. I call a TE Streak out of the Singleback formation but Cleeland is covered tight. Bulger rolls and sees single coverage on Freeman down field. Tosses it up in the air. Freeman makes the adjustment and catches, tackled at the 2.

I call a run up the gut but there are too many defenders. I call a QB sneak off a 4 WR set and motion Johnson as a receiver. Bulger dives in and scores a rushing TD. 10-7 Seahawks.

The Seahawks drive the length of the field again and pound it in. 17-7 Seahawks and our defense isn't stopping anything. They are really passing heavily to the man Charlton is covering.

Johnson pounds it for two. Bulger's pass hit sthe back of the receiver to bring up 3rd and 8. I call a Singleback Big ACE Streaks play. They pass rush and 2nd TE Herman Miller is wide open. Bulger just gets off the pass and Miller catches it 8 yards downfield, rumbling for 4 more yards before a safety brings him down.

3 runs later, two by Johnson and one by Hodgins and we have another first down. I call a 4 wide HB dive on 2nd and 9 but the defense is still looking run. I audible to a pass play, send Freeman on a wheel hot route and 17 yards later Bulger has another completion. Two minute warning.

Freeman drops 2nd and 12 for about 10 yards on a curl after Johnson was stopped behind the line on a blitz. 3rd and 12, but we are in FG position. Bulger has Cleeland open and passes the ball - Cleeland tips it up instead of catching it and its Intercepted!!!! Oh no!

We force Seattle to punt though - first time today we've done that. Michael Lewis calls for a Fair catch at the 34. 66 yards and 51 seconds. Time to open this pass playbook.

Freeman is jacked as he grabs the ball and can't hold on. Would have been a 35 yard play. Two more incompletes and we punt. Seattle grabs the ball and...breaks it free! Tackled at the 30 with :06 to go. They try a FG and.......just inside the uprights. 20-7.

We start on the 26. I call Johnson up the middle - 8 yards. I call another Johnson run up the gut, nothing so so he bounces outside and let's his speed carry him 16 yards upfield.

3rd and 6 and Cleeland just absolutely drops a pass in his hands. Cleeland is losing me this game.

3rd and 3 and Seattle tosses a ball to a fairly open TE Mili. Mili breaks tackles from both safeties and scores. 27-7 Seattle.

3rd and 6 and Dedric Ward is told to hot route to a wheel from the 3rd spot on a Pro From 3 wr pass. Bulger his Ward who is running behind Freeman who takes the Zone coverage and its 8 yards and a first.

3rd and 5 and I call a PA pass. My backs are covered and the heat is on. Bulger lobs it deep to Ismail in signle coverage. The D-Back picks it off, but it was essentially a punt anyways. And if he had gotten it.....

Seattle's ball on the 12. They drive and....


Bah, I'm bored reporting this game. Final score 41-10. Seattle scores on a Punt Ret. Johnson has 106 yards."

[Abe Sargent]

Copperheads Win in New England

Sarah O'Brien
Phoenix Sun


In the upset of the week, the Copperheads travel to Gilette Stadium and defeat the New England Patriots to go to 1-2 on the season.

The Copperheads defense held the Patriots to only 14 points despite not appearing able to stop the Seahawks all game the previous week. Their 20 points on offense was enough to win the game.

Shawn Johnson continued to survive on the ground as Bulger still hasn't scored an aerial touchdown. Defensive tackle Steve Martin has three sacks on the seaon, two recorded in theis last game.

Arizona's next game is on the road against the winless Jets. The Copperheads may very well be favorites next week for the first time this season.

[Abe Sargent]

To: [email protected]
From: Abe Sargent
Re: Game at Jets


Obviously we are happy with our win this week in New York. It was a rather poor game however.

Although Shawn Johnson ran for 203 yards on the day, over 100 of those yards came in the fourth quarter as we grounded down the clock and 63 of those yards were on one play. During the first three quarters we managed only 30 yards per quarter on the ground.

We turned the ball over 4 times. The only thing that saved us was that the Jets turned it over 6 times, including two fumbles off sacks in when they were in the red zone and an interception in the end zone by Blaine Bishop.

We were lucky.

Still, we were also unlucky. Dedric Ward dropped a crucial TD pass in the endzone on 3rd and goal from the 2. Bulger hit Ward for a TD later in the game.

I'll take it. My first win coaching and we are .500 after two wins on the road. Our defense allowed a total of 16 points on the road against two tough AFC East teams. That's not shabby.

Let's see what happen next week when we host the Lions.


-Anxiety

[Abe Sargent]

Copperheads Owner Settles With Former Owner


Ralph Eaton
AP Wire


Earlier today papers were filed with the Arizona Secretary of State's office informing that the suit between Bill Bidwell and Abe Sargent has been settled.

Abe Sargent purchased the then Arizona Cardinals from Bill Bidwell last July and recently changed the name of the team to the Copperheads. Bill Bidwell, the new owner of the Minnesota Vikings, sued Abe Sargent for fraud by changing the team's name.

The two agreed to arbitration with the NFL regarding this issue. The papers filed today certify the rulings.

Bill Bidwell is changing the name of the Minnesota Vikings to the Minnesota Cardinals after this year. Additionally, the old Arizona Cardinals stats will move to the new Minnesota Cardinals stats. It will be like the team moved, and as if the Copperheads were a brand new team in their first year.

The Minnesota Vikings records will no longer carry with any team. In fact, rumor has it that Bidwell is interested in moving the Vikings/Cardinals to another market, which would open up the possibility of an expansion team in Minnesota named the Vikings that could take the identity and stats of the previous incarnation much like the Browns did.

No money will exchange hands, just the name change and statistics moving to the Minnesota franchise.

[Abe Sargent]

From a Copperhead Chatroom:

"Came close to being 3-2."

"Can't believe we lost to the Lions. At home."

"28-25 is not a bad loss"

"Who's the worse coach - Kiffin or Sargent?"

"Sargent"

"Sargent"

"Whoever's coaching that week"

"Heh, yeah."

"Left Guard Wally Williams is out for 8 weeks."

"Damn!"

"Weren't we 2-3 last year before collapsing?"

"Can't have high expectations too soon, now."

"Sure we can. Jax and Carolina were in the Championship games in year 2. It's our year two and where are we?"

"It's really our year one. Last year was a bunch of free agent scraps, this year was actual building."

"I think we should be winning by season 4 or it's the same old same old."

"Fourth year of Abe Sargent as owner or fourth year as Copperheads?"

"4th with Abe"

"In Abe We Trust"

"They've already signed Scott Rehberg to start or backup for now."

"What will that do to Shawn's game?"

"Maybe less running up the gut."

"They do that a lot"

"Abe calls that a lot. Kiffin runs less."

"He's number 3 in the NFL in rushing after 5 games. I'd run him a lot too."

"He has 50 more rrushing attempts than the other backs at the top. He just gets less per carry"

"Bad line"

"And it got worse"

"True"

"I'm off to bed"

"Dreams of Shawn Johnson running over defenses will be in my head"

"Dreams of a winng season will be in mine"

"We may be close"

"Or we may be farther than we've ever been befpre"

"Heh."

"LOL"

"Funny boy, eh?"

"Night all"

"TTYL"

[Esquared1]

Originally posted by Anxiety
I wouldn't listen to anybody who can't even spell the defendant's simple last name correctly....

-Anxiety

Yeah, I know. I hope you did not mind me doing that. I guess I was hoping you were going to attack the spelling AND the massive use of puns.

Not that you needed the material. . .

E

[Abe Sargent]

Copperheads Reach 3-3 After Come From Behind Victory


Steve Winter
Pro Football Weekly


After a dismal season last year, the Cardinals/Copperheads were not expected to do much better this season. Yet, with last Sunday's victory against the 49ers, they have beaten three quality opponents. All on the road.

Earlier this season the Copperheads dropped all three of their home games. However, they have won every away game - at New England, at New York, and now at San Francisco.

And this game was as dramatic as it was unpredictable. Down 20-0 at the half, most teams would scrap their gameplan and pass a lot. In fact, Bulger only passed for 125 yards on the day. Instead, owner Abe Sargent called the game the exact opposite.

He ran more.

By the end of the day, halfback Shawn Johnson had rushed for 217 yards on 29 carries for 3 TDs. Twice he broke long yards by running up the gut. A 61 yard scamper saw Shawn outrun the secondary last in the third. And then on Arizona's first possession of the fourth quarter a 44 yard bust through the middle gave Shawn his second score. On Arizona's final drive, started on the 20 with 4:39 in the game, Johnson ran 5 times for 49 yards and an 11 yard TD.

The Copperheads won 24-20, shutting out the amazing 49ers passing game in the second half.

Arizona kick returner Michael Lewis fumbled the ball on a kickoff return late in the second half which was recovered and returned for a TD. Special Teams errors continue to plague the Copperheads, who also missed two field goal attempts.

However, at the end of the day, Shawn Johnson was enough to defeat the 49ers. Shawn and a Arizona defense that bent all day but never broke, yielding only 13 points defensively.

[Abe Sargent]

Interview with Quarterbacks Weekly, 1090 AM

Dave Attel: Our next guest is the owner of the Arizona Copperheads, Abe Sargent. Abe was on the program last year and we talked about Jamie Martin and possibly benching him for Wuerffel. Now, the questions are about Marc Bulger and benching him for Martin.

Abe Sargent: Interesting, eh?

Dave: Very. Halfback Shawn Johnson has exploded and is near the top of the NFL. Has he saved your team from Bulger?

Abe: Of course not. Like last year, we have a new team with practically no returners, including a new QB. You have to expect growing pains. But I have no reason to expect that Bulger won't be a great QB in this league.

Dave: And that's true. Qadry Ismail has been missing in this offense after getting 1000+ yards last year.

Abe: Just the aberration of statistics, but we'll probably look for a new receiver next offseason. Ismail is a great receiver, but he is also a bit long in the tooth.

Dave: Why have you put the passing game in the back seat this year?

Abe: We are running behind Shawn Johnson this year. That's our strength right now.

Dave: And Bulger turns the ball over a lot.

Abe: Right now he does. But when we have a better TE, a better receiver across from Freeman, and thus move Ismail to the 3rd spot, Bulger will shine, mark my words about that.

Dave: You lost last week at home against the Saints 38-10. That makes you 3-4 on the season, 3-0 on the road and 0-4 at home. To what do you attribute that?

Abe: Happenstance. If we continue that trend, we'll be 8-8 on the season, and that'd be a 4 game improvement.

Dave: Heh, true. Alright, heading into week 9 of the NFL, the Arizona Copperheads, one of the more intriguing teams in the league. Thanks for your time. I like the new name, by the way.

Abe: Thanks.

Dave: Coming up after the break is....

[Abe Sargent]

Two weeks:

Arizona at home against Dolphins. Lose 31-6
Arizona at Dallas. Lose 28-3

[Abe Sargent]

Shawn Johnson Obliterates Single Game Rushing Record

John Clayton
ESPN.com


Earlier today the Arizona Copperheads took on the Seattle Seahawks in Seattle. The day was a wet, rainy affair with both teams slogging through the muck.

Owner Abe Sargent was the playcaller today. This was his first rainy game.

After last week, preliminary Pro Bowl standings did not even have rookie sensation Shawn Johnson in the running for an NFC spot despite being tied with Michael Bennett for the most yards in the league.

Maybe today will add a few votes.

In the first quarter, Shawn Johnson knocked off a 61 yard scamper for a TD. Overall, Shawn Johnson had over 100 yards rushing in the first quarter alone.

In the second quarter, Johnson broke another yard 47 yards for a touchdown. By halftime, Johnson had almost 200 yards.

In the third quarter, Johnson only had around 50 yards. Good stats for normal backs on a normal day, but this was no normal day.

Then, in the fourth, Seattle tied the game at 24-24 with 3:30 left. Arizona went with four consecutive runs. Johnson scored on a 33 yard dash around the left end after his holes closed up in the middle.

Seattle went four and out after going for it on fourth down. And Arizona had to keep running to grind out the clock. Johnson added three runs for double digits and broke Corey Dillon's old record of 287 yards inside of the Two Minute Warning.

For the day, Shawn Johnson registered 324 rushing yards - the first back to ever record over 300 yards in one game. The Seattle defense was stymied, often slipping and Johnson easily broke many tackles and evaded others.

Maybe a few more Pro Bowl votes will go his way now.

[Abe Sargent]

From ESPNNews


....so the Cardinals can't stop the Rams today losing another home game. This time, the Rams are simply too much for the Cardinals, winning 24-13. Rookie back Free Safety Drew Copeland will be out for several weeks with an abdominal strain during the game. Johnson followed up his record setting performance last week by recording another 100 yard game.

The Bills took on the Jets.....

[Abe Sargent]

To: [email protected]
From: Abe Sargent
Re: Loss at Carolina

We lost this week. And Johnson's running game was absent.

I called the game, so I can;t but help feel that we let it slip away, 24-17. However, we had a lot of luck. Stephen Davis's fumble into the endzone and out of bounds was a touchback for us. Another red zone fumlbe we recovered. The score could have been much worse.

Still, most of their damage was done in the second quarter when Bulger was out for the half with a jammed wrist. Jamie tossed two picks. Bulger tossed no picks and 2 TDs.

People who were calling for Bulger's pink slip are quiet this week. Heh.

Anyways, we are out of playoff contention. So, I'll turn over playcalling duties to Monte for the remainder of the season.


-Abe Sargent

[Abe Sargent]

Poster Hung on a Dorm Room Door


Arizona Copperheads Schedule:

.....

Week 14 - 49ERS - L (31-9)
Week 15 - at Falcons L (7-23)
Week 16 - BILLS L (37-6)
Week 17 - at Rams W (27-22)

Final Standings - 5-11.

[Abe Sargent]

Playoffs:


Wild Card Round:


Patriots at Broncos - Pats 45-7
Vikings at Cowboys - Boys 22-17
Bills at Texans - Texans - 37-13
Saints at 49ers - 49ers 24-10

Divisional Round:

Texans at Dolphins - Phins 24-17
49ers at Buccaneers - Bucs 30-10
Patriots at Bengals - Bengals 23-15
Cowboys at Packers - Pack 35-14


Conference Championships -

Bengals at Dolphins

Packers at Buccaneers


Bengals 27, Dolphins 0

Packers 28, Buccaneers 13


Super Bowl -

Cincinnati Bengals

vs.

Green Bay Packers


Bengals 41
Green Bay 20


So, apparently, Marvin Lewis created a revolution.

[Abe Sargent]

Stats from this year:


QB Marc Bulger - 2212 yards, 8 TDs, 20 Ints, 1 Rush TD

RB Shawn Johnson - 1761 yards on 378 carries for 10 TDs, 48 catches for 252 yards and 2 TDs

WR Qadry Ismail - 54 catches for 706 yards, 2 TDs
WR Antonio Freeman - 41 catches for 574 yards and 2 TD

RG Leon Searcy, 69 Pancakes, 9 Sacks Allowed
LT Richmond Webb, 65 Panackes, 1 Sack Allowed

ROLB John Thierry - 92 tackles, 9 sacks, 3 FF, 2 FumRec
DT Steve Martin - 46 Tackles, 8 sacks, 1 FumRec
LE Chidi Ahanotu - 54 Tackles, 8 sacks, 2 FF

CB Doug Bronson - 61 Tacks, 5 Ints, 3 FF, 3 FumRec

KR Michael Lewis, 1 KR TD, 1 PR TD

K Dexter Krause, 23 of 29

[Abe Sargent]

Awards:


HB Shawn Johnson -

NFL Offensive Player of Week 6, Week 11
NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year
NFC Best RB (4th Place)

CB Doug Bronson -

NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year



Pro Bowl -

LT Richmond Webb (highest votes of any tackle in the NFC)
RG Leon Searcy

[Abe Sargent]

Copperheads Have Several Pro Bowl Snubs

Steve Satterfield
Copperheads.com

Although Arizona received two Pro Bowl berths for offensive linemen Richmond Webb and Leon Searcy, otherwise, the Shawn Johnson express did not stop at the Pro Bowl.

Honestly, what does a running back have to do to get in the Pro Bowl? Lead the NFL in rushing? Shawn led by 150 yards over #2 back Deuce McAllister. Get a lot of rushing TDs? Johnson registered 10, more than Ahman Green and Deuce McAllister did, when Green and the Deuce made it to the Pro Bowl for the NFC.

How about set an all time game record for rushing yards that beats the previous record by almost 50 yards?!? Surely, that should warrant conclusion.

But no. No Pro Bowl berth for the Rookie out of Florida State.

The biggest knack against Johnson is that his team went 5-11. But that should not matter, and it obviously didn't in the case of Richmond Webb, Left Tackle for the Copperheads who was the top vote getter in the NFC of all tackles.

Some people have said that often a palyers needs a one year apprenticeship before getting voted into the Pro Bowl. But should that apply here? Certainly not. No back was more vital to his team, no runner better this year than Shawn Johnson. And instead of Copperhead fans celebrating that fact watching him celebrate in Hawaii, we are disappointed with the whole system.

Copperhead fans have something to cheer about, and the league robs us of that.

Yeah, we still got both NFL awards for best offensive and defensive rookies. That was nice.

Switching gears, where was John Thierry this Saturday when the Pro Bowl was played? Watching. Fishing. Definatily not in Hawaii despite notching 9 sacks and leading the team in tackles.

Doug Bronson, as a corner, led the team in both picks and forced fumbles. When does a corner do that? But instead of the league celebrating a new corner with strength too, he wins a rookie award, and watches the Pro Bowl from a TV set.

We had a lot to celebrate this year. And we have a lot more to look forward to next year. Too bad the NFL missed it.

[Abe Sargent]

2004 Balance Sheet:

Income -

Ticket Sales - 27.1 Mill
Concessions - 3.2 Mill
Parking - 1.3 Mill
Merchandising - 2.6 Mill
Shared Revenue - 67.6 Mill

Total Income - 101.75 Mill

Expenses -

Player Salaries - 93.3 Mill
Staff Salaries - 5.6 Mill
Stadium Maintenance - 16.1 Mill

Total Expenses - 115.00 Mill


Yearly Total - -13.2 Million

Total Assets - -3.05 Million


-Franklinnoble
VP of Administration

[Abe Sargent]

Scouting Memo


Progression of Players This Year:


QB Marc Bulger, -1%
Danny Wuerffel, -7%

HB Shawn Johnson, +4%
Doug Chapman, -4%

FB James Hodgins, +1%

WR Antonio Freeman, -2%
Andre King, -4%

LT Richmond Webb, +2%
Jeremy McKinney, -9%

LG Wally Williams, -6%
Scott Rehberg, +1%
Floyd Wedderburn, -7%

C Dedric Arrington, +5%

RE Leon Searcy, +1%

RT Jon Johnson, +3%
John St. Clair, -1%

LE Chidi Ahanotu, +3%
Joey Williams, +2%

RE Kendrick Office, +1%
Dre Fisk, +3%

DT Monsanto Pope, +3%
Sean Nelson, -1%

LOLB Canute Curtis, +2%
Eddie Shakur, +3%

MLB Bryan Cox, +2%
Colby Solomon, +3%
Kalen Miller, +5%

ROLB John Thierry, +3%
Darnay Hill, +4%

CB Doug Bronson, +4%
Ike Charlton, +3%
Terry Fair, +2%
Tyrone Carter, +2%

FS Marcus Robertson, +2%
Drew Copeland, +4%

SS William Kinney, +3%

K Dexter Krause, +4%

P Matt Turk, +2%


-Mike Ackerly

[Abe Sargent]

Copperheads Again Lead League in Retirements


Sonny Blackshear
Arizona Daily News

For the second straight year, the Arizona Cardinals/Copperheads have led the league in retirements.

Two years ago, new owner Abe Sargent cut the current players and hired all new players from the free agent market. As a result, many older, aging players were selected for the team. Therefore, over the past two years, the Arizona franchise has led the league in the number of retirements it has.

This year, the Copperheads has six players retire. The next highest number was Miami with five, and no other team had more than three players retire.

The six Arizona players to retire are:

WR Qadry Ismail - After getting over 1000 receiving yards two years ago, Qadry again led the team in receptions and yards despite registering 300 less yards.

SS Blaine Bishop - A former Pro Bowl safety, Blaine has had a strong career with a number of high profile franchises such as Tennessee and Philadelphia.

QB Jamie Martin - A vertern jouneyman, Jamie hadn't started more than 6 games before being tagged as the starting quarterback for the Cardinals in Abe Sargent's inaugural season as owner. In his only season as a starter, in 15 games, Jamie threw almost 3000 yards, thus proving he was a good quarterback.

WR/KR Michael Lewis - Michael registered two touchdowns on returns this year for the Copperheads, his only year with the franchise.

HB Terrell Davis - The primary backup for Shawn Johnson, any hopes for a comeback were defeated by Johnson's running game.

TE Damon Jones - Buried on the depth chart at the age of 30, Jones was brought in as a #2 option with good receiving skills, but he couldn't even crack the lineup despite problems at the tight end position.

[Abe Sargent]

Scouting Memo:

The following players are holding out:

CB Ike Charlton
FB James Hodgins


Position by Position Analysis of Roster:

Quarterback - Marc Bulger is under contract for three more years and is our starting quarterback for good or ill. Danny Wuerffel has lost any edge he had and is not under contract as of right now. Recommendation - Find two new quarterbacks, preferably at least on young one who can be groomed for the future.

Running Back - Shawn Johnson is amazing but no other tailbacks are under contract. At fullback, James Hodgins is a horse of a player with 2 years left on his contract. But he's not that special and he's holding out for more money. Recommendation - Find more backups for Shawn, make a decision on James.

Wide Receiver - Only Antonio Freeman is currently under contract. This team's passing game was anemic last year. Bringing in a top receiver is vital. Recommendation - Find several backups, a starter, and preferably a project.

Tight End - Despite Cameron's supposed skills, the Tight End position was horrible last year. 6th round draft pick and rookie Herman Miller is no solution. Recommendation - Find a starting Tight End of higher quality.

Offensive Tackle - Rookie Jon Johnson has progressed very well and should start long term. Left Tackle Richmond Webb, although 38, had an amazing Pro Bowl season last year. We need a player at the LT position, and until someone better comes along, Webb is our best option. John St. Clair is still under contract and a decent enough backup. Recommendation - Resign Webb to a short contract, find a backup.

Offensive Guard - LG Wally Williams' injury caused significant decline in his ability last year. Now, Williams is nothing more than a spot starter, although we have him under contract for the upcoming year. Leon Searcy, with two years left, was our other overachiever on the offensive line last year. He is aging quickly, however. Recommendation - Find two backups, one who can eventually start.

Center - Rookies Dedric Arrington and Cris Forrest have no problems and should be on our team for two more years together as a center tandem.

Defensive End - Chidi Ahanotu and Kendrick Office are both without a contract. They both have 32 starts under their wings with us. Chidi is the better player, and Kendrick is easily replaceable. We have backups for both end positions. Recommendation - Resign Ahanotu, find a new RE.

Defensive Tackle - Our two starters are both under contract as are two backups. Recommendation - If possible, find a new young backup for depth.

Outside Linebacker - Starters Canute Curtis and John Thierry are both free agents. And both are older. Neither really has great skills, but both have something important to offer. Thierry is more important than Curtis. We have backups at both positions. Recommendation - Resign Thierry. Choose to either keep or replace Curtis. Either way, find a new player to groom for the starting position.

Middle Linebacker - Bryan Cox has grown into our best linebacker despite his age. We have a backup at middle linebacker. Recommendation - Resign Cox to a short term contract.

Cornerback - Doug Bronson had a great rookie year. We still need a shutdown corner. We currently have five corners under contract, although Ike is holding out after starting last year. He is not a starter in this league, however. Recommendation - Find a new starter, cut Ike lose if he is too much of a problem.

Safeties - We have backups in place. Marcus Robertson is solidfied at the starting position - he's a lot better than most of our starters. But Blaine's retirement creates a hole at strong safety. Recommendation - Find a new starting strong safety.

Kickers - K Delvin Krause is coming along nicely for an undrafted kicker. P Matt Turk is still the best player on our team at thier position. No recommendations here since both are under contract.


-Mike Ackerly

[Abe Sargent]

ARIZONA COPPERHEADS PRESS RELEASE


Copperheads resign five


After a week of long deliberations with five veteran free agents, all starters from last year, the Arizona Copperheads have announced the resigning of each.

A small ceremony was held earlier today with each of the five veterans - all players who started both years of the Arizona rebuilding phase, signing their new contracts simultaneously. The five veterans are:

Left Tackle Richmond Webb, 1 year deal for 2.8 million including a 440 thousand signing bonus.

Middle Linebacker Bryan Cox, 1 year deal for 2.35 million and a 370k bonus.

Outside Linebackers John Thierry and Canute Curtis. Canute for 1 year, 1.85 million and Thierry for 2 years and 4 million

Left Defensive End Chidi Ahanotu, 2 year deal for 3.5 million with a 570k bonus.


The Copperheads hopes that each player will continue to bring excellence to the team both on and off the field.

[Abe Sargent]

Administration Note:

Before Resigning Players:

Money Tied in Contracts: 34.66 Mill
Available Cap Money: 56.09 Mill


After Resigning Five Players:

Money in Contracts: 45.08 Mill
Available: 45.67 Mill


-Franklinnoble
VP of Administration