Thursday Super Quotations: Cardinals

Thursday is the final day where the media can get at the players. On Friday, only the head coaches will speak and no one will hear from the players until after Sunday’s game.

Here are some of the better comments coming out of the Cardinals session with the media on Thursday morning.

CARDINALS PRESIDENT MICHAEL BIDWELL, on what it means to him and his father, team owner Bill Bidwell, for the Cardinals to be in the Super Bowl:

“A year ago, we felt like we had a good team, and we hosted the game in Arizona. Dad and I had many conversations about how we feel like we’ve got the talent on the field that if we can keep everybody performing at the high level that they’re capable of, we have the chance to win any game. So if we do that, we stay focused, we get it done. So throughout this year, we had a great draft, we felt like we filled some holes in free agency, the players got their second year in the offseason training program. We felt we could really build on the 8-8 season that we had in 2007.

“Coming into training camp, Coach (Ken Whisenhunt) made some difficult decisions, including the decision to start Kurt Warner and other decisions including benching Edgerrin James. Those decisions turned out to be the right decisions. What we really did was made sure that the players knew they were going to be accountable to perform and to put in the work throughout the week and not make mistakes. He wasn’t afraid to bench somebody, and they understand that. That helps motivate them to play at a high level. And throughout the season, I realized that we had a chance to be a playoff team. I think everybody did. The question was how far we were going to go. I knew Coach wasn’t going to let us down. In the locker room after we were defeated in New England in Week 15 by a pretty large margin, he told me that he wouldn’t let this happen again, and we haven’t lost a game since then. He’s been really focused on keeping the players focused and keeping their foot to the metal.”

QB KURT WARNER, on the heaviness of his leadership responsibilities on the team:

“Pressure can be a big responsibility. There is no question in this position in the game of football, you are called upon to lead and a lot of pressure is formed. I think because of the way that I have carried my life and the things that I have stood for, there comes a little pressure and responsibility that come with that. The way I always look at it is I embrace it. I embrace the opportunity to have pressure. Somebody just told me about a week about, talking about the playoffs and getting to this point, and told me a story. The quote came across that pressure is a privilege, to understand that pressure is a privilege. I think that it is a great way to put it. It is great to be in this position. Now, things can go against you and you don’t perform and you don’t do something, there is a lot of the truth being in that position, but at the same time, you embrace the idea that ‘Hey, I am in a position to make a difference for my football team and I am in a position to change the world around me because of the platform I have been given.’ I realized that a long time ago that God put me in this place particularly, and I am going to try to grab hold of that responsibility. I’ll take all the responsibility that comes with it and I am going to try to live up to what God holds me to.”

WR ANQUAN BOLDIN, on the level of intensity on the sidelines during a football game:

“If you haven’t played this game, I don’t really think you can understand the intensity level that goes on in a game, or during a game, or on the sidelines. But I think the best thing about it is, everybody on the sidelines, they have one common goal, and that’s to win. Even though you may have some disputes or arguments on the sideline, when it’s all said and done, you guys are on the same page and it’s forgotten about.”

WR LARRY FITZGERALD, on what he thinks the Steelers will try and do to limit his long yardage gains:

“I’ve seen a variety of different defenses during the playoffs. Dick LeBeau [the Steelers' defensive coordinator], he is who he is. He has been in this league a long, long time. He has coached some outstanding defensive players and defenses. So, I don’t think he is going to change what he is doing too much. I am not the first good receiver the Steelers have faced and I won’t be the last. So, I think they are going to do what got them here. They play solid, good defense against everybody they have played against and I think they will do the same against us. It is going to come down to execution. Are we going to be able to execute our offense regardless of what they are going to throw at us?”

S ADRIAN WILSON, on the Cardinals offense getting more attention this week than the defense:

“We have been in the background because of our offense. Our offense is a pretty good offense and we like it like that. We don’t need the glory or any press. We just feel like we are doing our job and doing what we need to do to win. That is all that matter in the playoffs – do what it takes to win. We have been giving our offense the ball back and giving them those extra possessions and that is all you can ask for from the defense.”

WILSON, on why he feels the Cardinals’ defense doesn’t get any recognition:

“Well according to everybody else we are bad…terrible actually. We will take it and run with it. We have a long history of being bad, so it is hard to change people’s mindset. It is not going to happen overnight. After we play in this game it is still probably not going to change. It is going to take a lot of hard work to change the ‘Cardinals persona.’”