Arizona Cardinals in the Super Bowl: A Win for Losers Everywhere

I remember as a spindly 15-year-old teenager living in Atlanta in 1991 there was a sign near Fulton County Stadium that said, "Atlanta will never be a baseball town." There was a tomahawk right in the middle of the sign. 

As I watched first baseman Brian Hunter tag first base in Game Seven of the NLCS that year, my dream had finally become reality. (No, not the one in which my voice was finally cracking.)

The Atlanta Braves were going to the World Series!

Yes, they did go on to get cheated, err, beaten by another worst-to-first team in the Minnesota Twins, but the stigma of being known as losers had finally begun to fade away. 

Until '91, the only memorable things about the Braves were Ted Turner managing the team one night, Pascual Perez getting lost on I-85 on the way to a start, and watching Dale Murphy striking out in those awful blue uniforms.

What does this have to do with the Arizona Cardinals winning yesterday in the NFC Championship?

Plenty!

For years this franchise was known as the place where careers went to die.

(I'm sure Emmitt Smith wishes he had some Just for Men to let the memory of his years in 'Zona go away as fast as his gray hair.)

When Jake "The Fake" Plummer is considered the most successful player in franchise history, you know there's a culture of losing. They also have an owner in Bill Bidwill, who is considered so cheap Scrooge would've looked generous next to him.

Until Sunday, no one could've picked out at least five Cardinals players. For that matter, until this year, many of those players would not want to be identified as playing for the Cardinals.

And put it this way: The last time this franchise had a home game in the playoffs, my grandparents weren't even married!

However, I tend to think Sunday's victory meant more than just the turnaround of a woebegone franchise. It meant that teams everywhere can say to themselves, "Hey, if we just catch a few breaks, even we can strike gold."

Sure, they may get crushed by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Super Bowl, but why let facts get in the way of a good story?  This could spark a revolution of losers finding hope everywhere.

In a year in which we are a day away from celebrating the ultimate underdog victory with President Barack Obama's inauguration, people everywhere will begin to think, "Yes We Can!"

Guys may get the nerve to finally start asking out those girls they know are out of their league.  Employees who are underappreciated may grow the grapefruits to ask for that promotion. 

Even franchises like the Pittsburgh Pirates may...ok, that's a bit much.

Anyway, I can speak from experience to how much a surprise season can spark a resurgence in a franchise, changing their prospects for years to come. 

The Braves ran off a 14-year streak of division titles after 1991.

Remember how in the late 1980s and '90s the New England Patriots were considered the worst franchise in NFL history? Sorry, fans of Dick McPherson. That feels like ancient history now, with the Pats consistently winning big.

The Cardinals' victory Sunday may convince Bidwill that it's okay to expose his wallet to the sunshine and keep guys like QB Kurt Warner. 

(On a side note, how would you like to be backup QB and former first-rounder Matt Leinart right about now? Well, at least he may be interesting during Super Bowl week and give buddy Nick Lachey a reason to be relevant again.)

Who knows? We could be looking at the next great dynasty. Free agents wanting to come to Phoenix? Perish the thought!

So for all of those fans of the Detroit Lions, Golden State Warriors, and Washington Nationals, this could be you someday. 

Cubs fans, keep dreaming!