WHAT A DAY!

The second lowliest sports franchise in America, the Chicago/St. Louis/Arizona Cardinals are going to the Super Bowl. And our town is going nuts.

Only at the last minute just a few short weeks ago, literally, did the Cardinals sell out their first home playoff game since 1947. Otherwise, a tv blackout would have occurred bringing a big embarrassment to the team and organization.

After an upset win against the Falcons and another at powerful Carolina, the Cardinals had no trouble selling out for the NFC Championship game played yesterday. The poor old bandwagon is tilting after a stunning win over the Eagles.

But you know what? A fan is a fan is a fan, or something like that. It's great to see the city pumped up. Cardinal red everywhere. Cardinal jerseys selling like hotcakes.

A town that once got excited about the Phoenix Symphony and Dale Chuhuli's art exhibit at the Botanical Gardens. A city who once embraced the FBR golf tournament, the Caviglia horse show, the P.F. Chang's rocking marathon, the Barret Jackson car auction. Now Phoenix has its sights set firmly on the Cardinals, and that's nice. It's feel good.

Especially since Kurt Warner, a terrific Christian is the leader, followed by, yes, I'll anoint him as the best wide receiver in football, Larry Fitzgerald. Throw in another aged creature, The Edge, and a newbie with a long name--Dominic Rogers-Cromartie; top it off with a great coach, The Wiz, and Offensive Coordinator, Todd Healy, and yes, you have a Super Bowl team. Who'd a thunk it.

Oh, yeah the Suns and the Diamondbacks both play here, too. But they should have been mentioned in the Chuhuli paragraph. That's right: taking a back seat to Your Arizona Cardinals.