God vs. Fans: The Battle for Kurt Warner

Originally posted on Phoenix.Fanster.com

“It means I pray that God takes away the desire in me to play this game,” he says. “I’ve loved it for so long. I need Him to take that away from me, so that I can be comfortable with this decision.”

That’s was Kurt Warner’s response to ESPN’s Rick Reilly during an interview about the Cardinals quarterback's possible retirement.

Not exactly a ringing endorsement by Kurt for another season under center for the Cardinals.

Fans vs. God. Sounds like a bad Spike network reality show. It also sounds like a bad proposition for fans wanting to see the signal caller spend another season in Cardinal red.

While most people in America ask some higher power to either find them a new job or help them out of their current misery, Warner prays that God will make him like his job less.

I don’t know about you, but I think his prayers may have been answered in the form of a 6-foot-6 260 pound defensive end.

If having his bell rung by the Saints’ Bobby McCray was the sign that changes Warner’s love of football, who can blame him? I mean, everyone knows that “every time a quarterback’s bell rings, an angel gets its wings”, and a backup QB gets his chance.

As much as I’d love to sit here and list why Warner should return, it would be about as effective as telling Arizona drivers to stay out of low lying areas during a thunderstorm.

Warner has accomplished everything a man could dream of. He’s lived the American Dream. He’s gone from grocery bags to riches. He traveled through Europe, NFL Europe that is. He got to be the “hometown hero” as a member of the Iowa Barnstormers and was the savior of two wayward franchises in the NFL. Not to mention he’s made millions of dollars and made a strong case to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Say what you will about leaving millions of dollars on the table or leaving the game as a “winner.”

Leaving the game being able to be a fully-functioning father and husband seems to be enough of a “win” as Warner would ever need.

Kurt Warner’s accomplished everything he can in the NFL and did it despite the fact that the game and those who run it deemed him unworthy on two different occasions.

Claiming he owes the fans or the game anything is like claiming Jack Bauer owes the government vacation time. Both have given everything they had despite resistance they met along the way.

If the end is here for Kurt Warner so be it. I’ll miss him on Sunday’s but be eternally grateful for the hours he saved me from the “Same Old Cardinals”.

That said, if he still has the desire to play the game, we’ll know that the prayers of the Cardinals’ fans have been answered.