July 10, 2025 • 45 mins
Ep. 724 - The 2003 season finale against the Vikings carried huge weight for the Cardinals. A loss meant securing the top pick in the 2004 NFL Draft, while a win would push them out of that prized position. Paul Calvisi recounts how an obscure Cardinals receiver delivered the most crucial play of his career, sending ripples through three NFL cities and reshaping the top of the 2004 Draft. What unfolded four months later would forever transform the trajectory of Cardinals history.
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
Strap on the boots and scrape up the knuckles ahead.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
He got jacked.
Speaker 1 (00:07):
This is the Big Red Rage presented by santan Ford
and Gilbert.
Speaker 3 (00:12):
Terry's gonna score touchdown swam to the ground by Buddha
Baker like a torpedo. He came flying into the back deal.
Speaker 1 (00:21):
The Rage is brought to you by santan Ford and
Gilbert right on the Price right on the corner of
the Santan two to two Freeway in val Vista seek
your tickets to Great Seats and by Arizona Cardinals Podcast.
Visit Azycardinals dot Com, slash podcast.
Speaker 4 (00:40):
All Right Seats, Rising Up, Temperature, Rising Vision, Flurry Rage,
take it over.
Speaker 5 (00:49):
Here's Paul CALVICI I'm ready. I'm one hundred percent ready.
I'm telling you I'm ready. And Darren Urban, how about
disturb kid. You know, as much as I despised Shakespeare
in college as an English undergrad, I love a good
(01:09):
Shakespearean tragedy in football, especially when it happens to the opponent.
And that is why we are gathered here today for
this very special Cardinals Folktales edition of The Big Red Rage,
presented by santan Ford in Gilbert Miracle in the desert.
That is the title of tonight's episode, as we hit
(01:30):
the rewind button and go back into Cardinals history, all
time anecdotes, as we like to say, Cardinals folktales where
you can't spell the word history without the word story.
Paul calvic Here, Darren Urban was there covered the game
back in two thousand and three. This is the rare game, Darren,
where it was best remembered for what both teams did
(01:51):
not get. The Vikings do not get a playoff Berth,
the Cardinals did not get the first pick in the draft.
Talking about this season finale two thousand and three.
Speaker 6 (02:02):
This is true. I hadn't really thought about it that
but but you know you, going negative doesn't really surprise
me that much, Paul.
Speaker 5 (02:09):
Look, the real winner was a team that wasn't in
the game.
Speaker 6 (02:12):
Yes, that's true that Green Bay Packers got through the
playoffs because of that result, and they they did feel
like winners that day. And Nate Poole can attest to
that because he ended up in Green Bay a week
later at.
Speaker 2 (02:23):
The playoff game. Yes.
Speaker 5 (02:24):
Absolutely, it's by far the highlight of Nate Poole's career. Yes,
we're gonna learn in fact, you tell us since you
where were you, by the way, for Nate Poole's shining moment?
Were you still in the press pose?
Speaker 6 (02:37):
In those days, all the reporters would gather in the
corner of the end zone, and we were down on
the end of the field that the Cardinals scored upon.
We were just on the other side. So we were
down there in the between the back line the back
of the goal line, in about the ten yard line,
watching this unfold. Couldn't see exactly obviously because it was
(03:00):
on the far sideline the catch, but you could hear
the crowd explode. I was down there when you know,
Josh McCown was pleading to the official to give them
the call when they were going to the replay. I
remember that very distinctly because we were on the field
by then, and it was just it was an amazing
end to what turned out to be Dave McGinnis's career
(03:21):
as the head coach, and obviously it was a springboard
to them getting Larry Fitzgerald.
Speaker 5 (03:27):
Yeah, there was a lot of change after this game.
Going into the game, though, I mean, what were the
odds the Cardinals had a chance to really win a
game when they hadn't won a game in nearly two months,
and the Vikings needed the game to clinch a playoff spot.
Speaker 6 (03:41):
Well, the funny thing is is, not only did anybody
think the Cardinals really had a chance, but even if
they lost, it didn't look real good for them to
get the number one overall pick. They needed a couple
of bad teams to win, and it wind up working
out that way if they had had lost. But then again,
you know, the Vikings came. I'm guessing they were a
little over confident. I don't know. I remember watching the
(04:04):
game from the press box thinking to myself, they don't
look like they're ready to put this team away. The
Vikings don't look like they're ready to put the Cardinals away.
And those Cardinal teams were not good, but they did
give effort. And you had a lot of guys out
there playing for the first time or very inexperienced Josh McCown,
Reggie Wells. I mean, you go down the list, and
(04:26):
they just didn't give up. Now, they needed some bounces
there at the end, for sure, but the fact they
were even in shouting distance of the game never should
have happened.
Speaker 5 (04:34):
And we're gonna get a full recap here, because it
really is gripping. I mean, the first three quarters of
the game not so much, but it was seventeen to
six Vikings with under seven minutes to play. Then just
after the two minute warning it's a one score game.
You need the on sidekick Neil Rackers, right, he was
a master at making the ball do different things. He
had that soccer background, and then things just got really
(04:58):
crazy from there. I mean, with all due respect to
a young Dave Patch behind the mic, it's the rare
game where the truly memorable radio calls came from a
the losing team and be the team that really benefited
two time zones away who needed a Cardinals win more
than the Cardinals did.
Speaker 6 (05:17):
Yeah, there's definitely some memorable calls. With all due respect
to Dave, I don't know if he ranks in the
top two there, but it was an amazing time all
the way around, just because of how it ended and
what it meant and just the memories of that game
and for Josh mccount and aatepool and.
Speaker 5 (05:35):
We're going to hear how it all unfolded in real
time at the time two thousand and three. Heck, it
was a holiday season and the Cardinals rock team Santa
Colors right, red, white and black. So this was their
own gift, their own parting gift of the home fans.
And when we come back and this very special Cardinals
Folk Tales edition of The Big Red Rage, we'll hear
it for ourselves Miracle in the Desert presented by santan Ford.
Speaker 7 (05:59):
In go.
Speaker 5 (06:07):
And welcome back into our special Cardinals Folk Tales edition
of The Big Red Rage presented by Santanford and Gilbert.
We're in in rewind into Cardinals history because remember, you
can't spell the word history without the word story, and
boy do we have one. From the final week of
the regular season two thousand and three, Cardinals were hosting
(06:28):
the Vikings and the Cardinals had exactly nothing to play
for beyond the number one pick, which they would secure
with the loss. The ninety six Vikings came in. Remember
they had started six and oh that season, but their
playoff hopes were on the line. They needed a win
to secure a postseason berth and the week before they
(06:49):
had already KOed KC forty five to twenty. That was
a Kansas City team that went thirteen and three in
two thousand and three. So with that in mind, not
many he gave the Cardinals a chance. But as quarterback
of the time, Josh McCown would say later, Hey, you've
been around coach mcguinnis he can make any game feel
like the Super Bowl. And that would be foreshadowing because
(07:12):
coach McGinnis, who was great with the media, also had
a great comparison between the two receivers on the field
that day who were college teammates once upon a time
at Marshall. We'll hear that a little bit later, but
the Cardinals were talking about Nate Poole thirty six career
games in the NFL. He managed a total of thirty
(07:32):
four career catches and two touchdowns, but at the end
of his brief time in the NFL, only one of
those thirty four receptions truly mattered. It got him a
key to a city, It got him a personalized phone
call from a mayor. It got him a local TV
commercial all in the city of Green Bay. So with
(07:55):
that as the background, let's hit that rewind button to
Miracle in the Desert. It's the final week of two
thousand and three, this season finale that would end the
year for two teams, the.
Speaker 3 (08:16):
Count throwing far side into the end zone.
Speaker 8 (08:18):
And the ball it is touchdown Tortinals.
Speaker 9 (08:22):
An unbelievable turn of events. Not here at lambeau Field,
but in the desert, you.
Speaker 2 (08:28):
Would have thought we won Super Bowl. I mean, it
was an unbelievable moment.
Speaker 8 (08:31):
The five things are going home for the new year.
Speaker 10 (08:34):
You just don't lose like that. Nobody loses like that.
Let alone to Nathan.
Speaker 2 (08:39):
Poole, and they pulls a good person to make that play.
He deserves that.
Speaker 5 (08:43):
Not one of the Minnesota Vikings are even moving right now.
Speaker 7 (08:48):
You lose a game and it opens the door for
your worst enemy.
Speaker 9 (08:51):
The Packers not only make the playoffs, they're gonna be host.
Speaker 11 (08:54):
Of the game.
Speaker 7 (08:55):
It was that if the sun fell out of the sky.
You know, it was a miserable day of existence.
Speaker 5 (08:59):
That time that two teams played one game that stop
time in three cities was a Cardinals receiver in or
out of bounds? Were the Vikings and Packers in or
out of the playoffs? Who would be drafting one, two,
and three? All dictated by a Cardinals win that some
(09:22):
viewed as a loss.
Speaker 3 (09:24):
I think even the fans were like, now, let's just
get this season over and get the number one pick
walk away with the Eli manning.
Speaker 2 (09:29):
There was something to play for there there. You know
they're playing for something. We can be playing for something too.
Speaker 12 (09:34):
If he got flushed out to the right, I said, oh,
here you come the ind of the Angel.
Speaker 7 (09:38):
Mccownt knocked me out of number one pick too. Man,
I probably been the first pick of the draft. Man
they cost me, Nate pull Man. I'd never forgive him
for that. I tell them that all the time.
Speaker 9 (09:53):
Nathan Paul may become a household name in Green Bay.
Speaker 13 (09:58):
This is Mayle Schmidz.
Speaker 10 (09:59):
I'd love to get you out to one of the games.
Speaker 8 (10:01):
I said, oh no, I.
Speaker 10 (10:02):
Would love to come out. He was given a key
to the city of Green Bay and he got to
go to their playoff game.
Speaker 14 (10:07):
I'm sure he will have a lot of opportunities to
go out in Green Bay if.
Speaker 10 (10:11):
That is his desire.
Speaker 14 (10:12):
He will have a lot of people who will take
good care of him.
Speaker 5 (10:15):
To the winner goes the Spoils. That's after the Cardinals
took care of the Vikings. All right, a big win,
but the big winner the Packers welcome into Cardinals Folktales
Miracle in the Desert presented by seventy two Souls, where
we go in depth into Cardinals history, all time anecdotes
through the recollections and memories of those who lived in
(10:38):
or in my case, those who've covered it. My name
is Paul Kelvic, Cardinal's sideline reporter. We're talking about that
time when little known Nate Poole got the key to
a city. While his own fan base lamented what it
did not get.
Speaker 2 (10:53):
People said, well, y'all, you know you cost it the
number one pick.
Speaker 3 (10:56):
The consolation was probably the greatest player in Cardinal's history
and one of the greatest receivers of all time.
Speaker 2 (11:02):
Looking back, you feel bad for the Vikings.
Speaker 8 (11:05):
Got Dawn down.
Speaker 10 (11:09):
Oh my god, I can't believe what just happened.
Speaker 8 (11:12):
The Cardinals have knocked the Vikings out of the playoffs.
Speaker 5 (11:24):
One of the great calls, one of the great thrill
of victory, agony of defeat moments in NFL history, every
bit as much Shakespearean tragedy as season finale. December twenty eighth,
two thousand and three. Cardinals playing for the number one
pick with a loss, the Vikings playing for the postseason
(11:45):
with a win or a Packers loss. Yet none of
the above happened. Here's former head coach Dave McGinnis and
quarterback Josh McCown.
Speaker 10 (11:54):
We gotta win a game, and we haven't won a
game in seven weeks and we need to win a ballgame.
Speaker 5 (11:58):
You know, there are a lot of people I know
pulling force.
Speaker 2 (12:01):
Obviously. Coach McGinnis was fantastic in front of the room.
He was very captivating, and that was one of the
things that he talked about was just the ability to
knock those guys off. You know that they were coming in,
they had to beat us, and you know they were
going to get into the playoffs, and so there was
something to play for there there. You know, it wasn't
just a game where we're going to roll the ball
out there and get it over with and go home.
(12:22):
He was like, man, this is they're playing for something.
We can be playing for something too.
Speaker 5 (12:25):
In two thousand and three, it was a sixteen game season.
Cardinals entered the final week three and twelve. The Vikings,
after a six and oh start, were nine and six,
coming off a ko of KC the week before a
forty five to twenty drubbing of a Chiefs team that
would finish thirteen and three, So all the Vikings had
to do what everyone expected him to do, polish off
(12:49):
a reeling Cardinals team with a quarterback making his third
career start, a coach about to be fired, and the
NFL's all time leading rusher getting peppered about his own
few future on Christmas Eve.
Speaker 15 (13:02):
I mean, who knows we can play hypothetical all day?
Is Macizia great? But if he's not here, people coming in,
what their plans are, what.
Speaker 8 (13:09):
The ideas, and what they thought. So I gotta win
on all that.
Speaker 15 (13:12):
So you asking me to make up answer to something
that I don't have all the information to, that's stupid.
I'm not that stupid.
Speaker 8 (13:19):
Yeah, please, somebody tell you.
Speaker 5 (13:20):
Such, Please thank you.
Speaker 8 (13:23):
How about the spirit of John Inness and happiness?
Speaker 5 (13:27):
That's former Cardinals running back and Hall of Famer Emmitt Smith,
And hey, no doubt what would make the Red Sea
jolly and happy? The number one overall pick under their tree.
Here's voice of the Cardinals Dave Pash. It was in
his second season in three.
Speaker 3 (13:43):
And you endure that long of a season and you're
calling games for a team that's losing a lot of games,
the one thing is, okay, you got a chance to
get a franchise changing quarterback. Let's just get through this
and get to that draft. Get your guy, enjoy the
next ten years and a couple of super.
Speaker 2 (14:00):
Balls like that whole year. You grow up fast in
this business and you go, wait, they're gonna fire these coaches.
Wait a minute, they could draft a new quarterback like
you know, I was just a quarterback of the future
two days ago that. You know, all these things, you
grow really fast.
Speaker 5 (14:14):
That's Cardinals could be Josh McCown, the third round pick
the year before, who earned the final three starts of
that O three season and tried to channel the confidence
that his head coach, Dave McGinnis showed in him against
NFC North leading Minnesota.
Speaker 2 (14:28):
I think when you look at their roster, uh, when
they're coming out to us with everything to play for,
I think it was a tall task. Uh So looking
at that going yeah, we're gonna beat the Minnesota Vikings.
You know, realistically, I don't know if that was you know,
if that was an easy sale for coach, but he
did a good job of framing that for us. And
and uh and I think he was, you know, benefited
(14:49):
from a young quarterback who didn't know any better and
just was gonna go out and play the game.
Speaker 3 (14:54):
It's the Cardinals and Vikings from tenpe Arizona Sun Devil Stadium.
Speaker 5 (15:00):
Not a lot of action for the announcers to call
in a fifty one degree day, a virtual snooze fest.
Six to nothing at halftime, seven to six entering the
fourth quarter when Randy Moss scores on a seven yard pass, A.
Speaker 3 (15:13):
Lot closer than many thought it would be, especially with
a playoffs spot on the line. Of the Vikings win,
they clinch their division. If they lose and Green Bay wins,
they're out of the playoffs.
Speaker 5 (15:22):
Then, just over two minutes later, a forty six yard
fuel goal makes it seventeen to six Bikings with six
forty eight to play, but hang on. On the first
play after the two minute warning.
Speaker 3 (15:34):
McCown takes play, bank, rolls to his right, mccount in
trouble flushdown, throws ends.
Speaker 8 (15:39):
On and going down to make the catch for a
touchdown of Steve Bush.
Speaker 3 (15:43):
Steve Bush with a touchdown puch, great improv job by
Josh McCown.
Speaker 5 (15:49):
A fourteen play touchdown drive bought. The two point conversion failed,
so it's seventeen to twelve. Vikings, a score echoed on
the Packers broadcast.
Speaker 9 (16:02):
Jack Minnesota leading seventeen to twelve. Remember, the only way
the Packers can make the playoffs now is if Minnesota
loses this football game somehow, some way.
Speaker 5 (16:16):
That's the radio call at Lambell, Wayne Larrvie and Larry
McCarran paying close attention nearly two thousand miles away in
Green Bay, Cardinals are going to.
Speaker 3 (16:26):
Try to recover an onside kick to perhaps give us
a little bit more time to broadcast.
Speaker 13 (16:31):
Luckily, that day I wasn't demolition, I was recovery. And
you know, Josh Gooby and company went in there, you know,
blasting guys and right place, right time.
Speaker 5 (16:41):
That's former Cardinals running back Damian Anderson. And that's the recipe,
the mentality for a successful on side kick, because that's
exactly what the Cardinals needed. Good news. The Cards are
just picked up one of the best in the business
in Neil Rackers.
Speaker 3 (16:57):
So what fifty four to play? Neil Rackers is very good.
Good with the on side kick.
Speaker 2 (17:01):
We were all standing there, you know, waiting because that
was we knew that that was the next piece. You know,
you had to get that to keep the ball game going,
and you know, Neil hits a perfect ball, and I
mean it was just how you drew it up, you know.
And Damien comes up.
Speaker 3 (17:14):
With it, Rackers with the on side kick far aside,
and it bounce us in the air. Hey, the Cardinals
have it of the forty two Davie and Anderson comes
up with it on the re direction and the Cards
have a chance with a one fifty four to play.
Speaker 9 (17:28):
The Arizona Cardinals trying an onside kick and Larry Loan
to hoold they recovered it for a minute fifty four
to go in that football game in the desert and
the Vikings leading seventeen to twelve. Well, I'm going to
shut up about this last game stuff.
Speaker 8 (17:41):
Then maybe they don't have a miracle. Keep talking about it.
Speaker 9 (17:44):
You may be jinxing us into something good here. Maybe
that miracle can't happen.
Speaker 10 (17:49):
You get to that onside kick and now all of
a sudden, all bets are off. I mean, anything can
happen against anybody anytime, and as we know, it did.
Speaker 5 (17:58):
That's longtime voice of the Vikings, Paul Allen. More from
him later, much more, Saul, Cardinals had the ball back
one fifty four left sixty one yards to go, needing
a touchdown with one time out. After a thirty yard
pass interference and a thirteen yard completion in Nate Poole,
the Cardinals reached the Minnesota nine with thirty nine seconds
(18:20):
to go.
Speaker 9 (18:21):
Meanwhile, out in the desert in Arizona, getting a little
bit closer. You know people are aware of this because
you could hear a thousand in the crowd.
Speaker 5 (18:29):
There is definitely everyone is out of their seats in
three different states. When Josh McCown is put on his seat,
two straight plays quit driving McCown.
Speaker 3 (18:41):
Looking left, pup back of the pound, sacked back at
the seventeeny line of McCown flushed out running near side,
lost the ball. It's loose and the Cardinals heyb of
the pound side up of the twenty.
Speaker 2 (18:51):
Eight Emmett has a presence of mind to go, Josh,
get up, get up. We gotta get the ball. Snap
we got wow, Tom House, we gotta go. So we
get to play call and then you know, and then
we you know, as we get the bos down.
Speaker 13 (19:01):
You knew that was Josh skill set, Like call a
play that works for him, you know, get him out,
you know, get him out in some space, so he
he'll have a multitude of options.
Speaker 3 (19:10):
The clock running down, under fifteen seconds left. It's fourth
down in twenty four, and it's.
Speaker 2 (19:15):
Gonna come down to this.
Speaker 5 (19:16):
They gotta throw it into the end zone.
Speaker 7 (19:18):
This is it.
Speaker 5 (19:19):
Fourth down, fourth and twenty five from the twenty eight.
The Packers and Vikings playoff hopes hanging in the balance
once again. Voice of the Vikings, Paul Allen.
Speaker 10 (19:30):
There was worry and anxiety and teeth gnashing every step
of the way.
Speaker 5 (19:35):
Hey Green Bay, you still watching, you bet you?
Speaker 9 (19:39):
And they're winding it down in Arizona. This is the
last gas, fourth and twenty four, back outside the twenty
five and.
Speaker 3 (19:46):
Here we go eight seconds seven six five four the
count of the ball.
Speaker 10 (19:53):
This will be the last play.
Speaker 3 (19:54):
The count steps up, rolling far side.
Speaker 12 (19:57):
Just so happened. He got flushed, He got flushed out
to the right.
Speaker 8 (20:00):
I said, oh, here he come, the coun throwing far
side into the end zone.
Speaker 7 (20:05):
And the ball is.
Speaker 8 (20:06):
Put touchdown Cardinals by Poole, and the Cardinals win the
game on the final pot, and the fun Kings are
going home for the new year.
Speaker 12 (20:16):
Josh Man, you know the whole time he's running he's rolling,
he's pointing to the right. I'm inside. I know he's
about to throw it over there. And the defender he
had no clue. He had no clue.
Speaker 5 (20:28):
What a great prow by Josh McCown. He threw it
up early Nate Poole could get it.
Speaker 7 (20:34):
And he did it.
Speaker 2 (20:35):
I felt like it was just there was a connection
for us, you know, and so boom, there he is,
and then the ball came out, uh and he makes
an unbelievable catch, but.
Speaker 8 (20:45):
Cardinals winning on the final play.
Speaker 3 (20:48):
Josh McComb Fen's made Poole in the back of the
end zone on the far side.
Speaker 2 (20:53):
You would thought we won Super Bowl and U I mean,
it was an unbelievable moment and ed mental lot to
those guys out there, But it meant.
Speaker 5 (21:01):
Even more to Nate Poole, the guy who had been
cut four times and then he cut loose against the
visiting Vikings fans who had populated and dominated Sun Devil
Stadium trash talk in three two one.
Speaker 8 (21:15):
Take LFL don't come back deal and next to y'all
in the same.
Speaker 5 (21:19):
Thing, Nate Poole, the living embodiment of the ups and
downs of an NFL game, he was something fired up,
while those Viking fans could have been more let down. Remember,
Nate Poole was a player who was always in proven mode,
(21:41):
always existing on the edge of the roster, so he
played with an edge. We heard it right there, and
it's amazing when you look back. How that one catch,
that one toe tapping catch that proved to be a
game winner, How it set off a domino effect, a
whole litany of changes that altered the history of not
(22:02):
only the Cardinals, but basically all the teams atop that
two thousand and four draft franchise, quarterbacks going two different teams,
the Cardinals getting themselves a Hall of Famer as well,
who might have gone number one overall, the Cardinals were
in that position, but they weren't. And the changes even
extended to the rule book years later. We'll get to
(22:24):
that when we come back. And don't forget Nate Pool
was not just a celebrity in Arizona. He was the
toast of the town in Green Bay. And we'll relive
all that when we come back to this very special
Cardinals Folktales edition of the Big Red Rage Miracle in
the Desert, presented by Santan Ford in Gilbert. It's our
(22:56):
special Cardinals folk Tales edition of the Big Red Rage
was santan Ford in Gilbert. This is where we go
into Cardinals history, go into the archives. Can't spell the
word history without the word story. And we're talking about
the final game of the two thousand and three season.
My name is Paul calvi Seen. We started by saying,
remember that one time, that one game played by two
(23:19):
teams in two thousand and three, that stop time in
three different NFL cities. Remember Nate Poole, Cardinals receiver, and
was the in or out of bounds? We pose that question, Well,
he was most definitely inbounds, and the Vikings were most
definitely out of the playoffs, and the Cardinals were out
of the top pick in the draft. We'll get to that,
(23:41):
but remember when it comes to the Vikings, you're talking
about a team that not only started six to zero
and was on the verge of the playoffs, but that season,
the four worst teams in the league were the Giants,
the Raiders, the Chargers, and the Cardinals. Each team finished
four and twelve. Each one of those teams beat the Vikings,
so you can imagine the angst on the Minnesota side.
(24:03):
In fact, their radio announcer, the voice of the Vikings,
Paul Allen, became a meme before there even were memes
in social media. And that's where we rejoined this edition
of Cardinals Folktales Miracle in the Desert, and former Cardinals
quarterback Josh McCown two years later had empathy for the Vikings.
Speaker 2 (24:28):
Looking back, like, you feel bad for the Vikings because
they were right there on the cusp, and to lose
that way, man, that's bitter.
Speaker 5 (24:36):
Nate Pool's game winning playoff busting, last second fourth down
touchdown catch was one of his two two career touchdowns,
leaving the Vikings on the outside of the playoff picture
looking in as radio voice Paul Allen and company were
left in a state of utter disbelief.
Speaker 10 (24:55):
People were just staring longingly on the team bust to
the airport. Nobody knew what to say, and they were
just downtrodden. And you just don't lose like that. Nobody
loses like that, let alone to Nathan Poole, not ang
Kwam Bolden. So I mean, now as we connect the dots,
you know, of the entire thing over twenty years, it
(25:16):
hits me so vividly because of how emotional it was
at that moment.
Speaker 8 (25:21):
The season's on the line, two receivers left and right.
McCown takes a snap, he steps up, he's all by himself,
fires into the end zone.
Speaker 14 (25:31):
DoD dods down.
Speaker 8 (25:34):
No, No, the Cardinals have knocked the Vikings out of
the playoffs.
Speaker 10 (25:43):
The previous owner of the team, Red McCombs, hated that call.
He didn't let me know, but he let others know.
Some vice presidents here, so you know, I had some
conversations with some vice presidents and I'm like, you know,
you don't script moments like that, and that's what came out.
So I had to deal with that very young in
my career.
Speaker 3 (26:00):
I understand where Paul's coming from. You get invested in
the team. It's your team, and I thought Paul handled
it perfectly. Some people might say, uh, it's not professional,
but that's how the fans feeling.
Speaker 2 (26:12):
No, are you kidding?
Speaker 10 (26:14):
Right?
Speaker 3 (26:14):
That was Paul's reaction.
Speaker 10 (26:15):
One thing I remember about the call is I looked
to my left where the coaches were, and our linebackers
coach at that time, Pete Bursage, he could hear me
through the glass yelling no, no, no, no, And then
I came down. The Cardinals have knocked the Vikings out
(26:36):
of the playoffs.
Speaker 8 (26:37):
The Cardinals have knocked the Vikings out of the playoffs.
Speaker 10 (26:40):
The way he looked at me, it was not anger
at me. It was one of two things. Oh my god,
I can't believe what just happened. Oh my god, that
check that I was going to get for a playoff bonus,
it just went up into the tenpiece.
Speaker 5 (26:58):
Guy from Minnesota fans saying you sunk my Viking ship.
Just the sheer agony of it all to the utter
ecstasy of cheesehead nation listening on the Packers radio network, and.
Speaker 9 (27:14):
Here we go, this is if the season for the Packers.
On the line into the end zone, the count pack.
Speaker 8 (27:19):
Hey got it.
Speaker 9 (27:21):
Out, cutting down a cut down, It's out on Packers
by label.
Speaker 5 (27:28):
The complete dead look from Wayne Larity and Larry McCarron
reacting to a game they're not even calling, just watching
from two thousand miles away.
Speaker 9 (27:40):
Patters the biggest maraicon on the Packers. Sadly, any reps Packers,
I finally realize there's any rep. I'm a final playoff
the regular season for the fight Kings. They lose eighteen
to seventeen. The Packers not only make the playoffs, they're
gonna be hosted a game true.
Speaker 5 (28:00):
Brett Farv and the Packers would host the Seahawks at
Lambeau to open the playoffs. Later, Dave McGinnis shared with
the media that Packers coach Mike Sherman and GM Mark
Hatley called him and said, quote, you're a bleeping king
here in Green Bay. The thing is back in Tempee,
speaking of coach mac different emotions, a different reality started
(28:22):
to set in as the Cardinals locker room grew quiet,
almost somber. For all that we've been through, we never
quit on each other.
Speaker 4 (28:40):
It was a constant, constant reminder of what character I've
got in this room.
Speaker 5 (28:48):
I've never been afraid to tell you that I love you.
Speaker 2 (28:52):
It was somber, and it's very soberinging. You're just like, man,
back to reality. This is what we're faced with. And
he was genuine with his work and you know, and
how I cared about guys, and so I think he
understood in that moment that that was probably, you know,
the last time or one of the last times he
was going to address us as a group.
Speaker 5 (29:09):
I've never been afraid to open myself to you because
you've got my heart.
Speaker 8 (29:17):
You've got my heart.
Speaker 11 (29:19):
You know.
Speaker 2 (29:19):
It's a roller coaster really because you were just as
high as it gets. You know, for fifteen twenty minutes,
they're celebrating and enjoying one another, and then you know,
the business sets in.
Speaker 11 (29:31):
When Nate Poole gave me this ball that he caught.
What did I tell you last night? I cut this
man four times. I cut him four times, and every
time I did, he stood up in my office and
hugged me and said, Mike, if you need me, I'll
be back because you're the only man I want to
play for.
Speaker 5 (29:51):
And that's the way I know that all of you
feel right now.
Speaker 12 (29:54):
What was real motion on It was like you know,
your last family hug, you know, and you know, and
it hurt because we know, you know, he's a player's
coach and he loved the players. He want the players
to do, you know, to excel, to be really great.
Speaker 5 (30:10):
You know what I feel for you, You know what
I feel for you.
Speaker 4 (30:14):
This was a tremendous, tremendous demonstration of men that not
only love each other, but believe, believe, believe, you.
Speaker 12 (30:25):
Know, most of us felt like we let Dave down
because you know, we didn't come up on the winning
side of a lot of these games to keep him around.
Speaker 5 (30:33):
I'll never ever give up on you.
Speaker 9 (30:36):
I love you.
Speaker 8 (30:38):
Thank you.
Speaker 5 (30:40):
On the very next day, with a feign twelfth season
in the books, Cardinals head coach Dave McGinnis was indeed fired.
Vikings head coach Mike Tye survived despite the Vikings collapse
after that six and oh start. As for the Packers,
the party was just starting and Nate Poole's celebrity was growing.
Speaker 9 (31:06):
Nathan Pole of all people hopout that Nathan Cole may
become a household name.
Speaker 8 (31:13):
In green Bay.
Speaker 10 (31:15):
It was an amazing play. But you know, like I
say about Nathan, and I'm not being disparaging here, but
that was his fifteen minutes of fame. And then of
course the next week he was given a key to
the city of Green Bay and he.
Speaker 5 (31:29):
Got to go to their playoff game, and that is accurate.
Nate Poole, who going into the season finale had eight
catches all season and no touchdowns, was now Packers royalty,
to the point where he got a call from the
Mayor of green Bay.
Speaker 12 (31:45):
So Mayor Schmitz gave me a call and I was like, oh,
here we go. Stop calling my phone because I'm thinking
it's a player, and I'm thinking he's gonna call that
player's gonna call me back and say, man, dude, what
are you doing. Then I got a call right back
the same number and I'm like, okay, hey, how you
doing this in April?
Speaker 5 (32:04):
And he was like, Hey, Nate, no, this is not
a joke.
Speaker 10 (32:06):
This is Mayor Schmidt.
Speaker 12 (32:08):
I love to get you out in a speed talking
I love to get you out to one of the games.
I said, oh no, I would love to come out.
Speaker 5 (32:14):
And that's not the only call he got that week.
On The Big Red Rage radio show with host Dave Pash,
a Packers fan dialed in from the Midwest line too.
Speaker 3 (32:24):
Dave, Mary, Joe, Mary Joe, Welcome to the Big Red Rage.
Speaker 10 (32:27):
Go ahead, Joe.
Speaker 14 (32:28):
Hey, guys, thanks a lot. I was just calling to
wish Nate a wonderful time in Green Bay and to
give him a huge thank you. Since the Vikings started
off six and oh this year, I've been taking a
lot of grief or getting a lot of grief from
my friends who are Viking fans. And I would roll
my eyes and just say, oh, you know, won't you
(32:50):
ever learn the Vikings will find some way to implode
again this year? And sweet revenge. It has been a
wonderful couple of days, and I just want to offer
a great big thank you.
Speaker 3 (33:03):
Hey, Mary Joe, how about taking date out to dinner
when he gets up there.
Speaker 14 (33:06):
I'm sure he will have a lot of opportunities to
go out in Green Bay if that is his desire.
He will have a lot of people who will take
good care of him.
Speaker 5 (33:15):
Nate Poole laughed all the way to green Bay, an
all expense paid trip in January on the tax Beyer's
tap as the undrafted receiver from Marshall became a grand
Marshal of sorts. But don't forget about the other end
of that touchdown pass QB Josh McCown.
Speaker 2 (33:34):
You know, they flying Nate up to Green Bay and
they give him a kitha city or whatever they did,
and they're sending us We were getting Christmas cards from
Green Bay fans that it was their family Christmas card
and you know it was, you know, scratched out. Merry Christmas,
and thank you for beating the Vikings. Go Pat go
and we got loads of Christmas cards mail to the
(33:55):
house of the Sargento family sent the best cheese basket
you've ever seen in your life.
Speaker 5 (34:00):
That was two thousand and three. But even to this day,
when he's out and about, Josh McCown gets reaction for
both school Nation and America's dairy Land.
Speaker 2 (34:10):
Walking through an airport or whatever, and there will be,
you know, a disgruntled Vikings fan and hey, you you
know you owe me, you know type of thing. Or
it'll be a Packers fan that'll be like, thank you
for getting us in the playoffs that year, you know,
we owe you.
Speaker 7 (34:29):
I was at home back in Minneapolis or watching that game,
and I did not like Napole because I thought I
had a chance to be the number one pick, and
I used to always mess with Nate.
Speaker 5 (34:37):
That's Minnesota native Larry Fitzgerald, not only a former Vikings
ball boy and their number one fan at the time,
but fitz might have been the number one pick overall
in the NFL draft.
Speaker 12 (34:49):
Me and Larry had that conversation. Believe me that he
would have been the number one overall pick.
Speaker 5 (34:55):
We're talking in the receiver room before the.
Speaker 12 (34:57):
Meeting about being him being an number one pick. You know,
as I think back to what inside the bonus was,
he didn't do too bad at the number three pick.
Speaker 2 (35:07):
People said, well, y'all, you know you cost him the
number one pick, and I go back and go, you know,
I don't think Coach Green would have I think he
would have picked Larry. He was gonna pick Larry, and
it turned out really good for Larry and and ultimately
for the Arizona Cardinals too. He helped lead that franchise,
you know, through a lot of things to become a
you know, a competitive franchise, and you know, to really
(35:29):
what they are today.
Speaker 3 (35:30):
Walking away from that with mixed emotions of Wow, what
a way to win a game, but also, oh my goodness,
there goes the quarterback of the future. There goes he lied.
Speaker 9 (35:40):
Yep.
Speaker 5 (35:40):
Cardinals won the game, but lost the number one pick,
which ended up being Ole Miss quarterback Eli Manning. We'll
never know who knew head coach Denny Green would have
picked for the Cardinals, or do we. Larry Fitzgerald says
at number one he still would have been the Cardinals selection.
Speaker 7 (35:57):
Then he said, I would have been That's what he
told me. I would have been but you know what,
it all works his way out. I was able to
still get here and play for him. I know we
didn't have the success I'd love to have for him.
You know, he gave me my first two jobs I
ever had as a ball boy and then as a
professional athlete, and so I I owe him a huge
debt of gratitude and I'm just so very thankful for
(36:19):
you know, the doors he open for me and my family.
Speaker 8 (36:26):
Touchdown Cardinals, they pull, the Cardinals win the game.
Speaker 12 (36:30):
The Cardinal I brought my heart head to practice in
the games every day, and I knew, you know, that's
what it was about as growing up as a youngster.
That was about, you know, bringing your hard hat and
working out and just pushing to make the team.
Speaker 3 (36:44):
You know, coaches say, run every route it's if it's
your last one. Nate Pool really did it. But it
was like comical, like he went so hard. So it's
pretty cool to see a guy that worked that hard
have one of the biggest plays of the season, not
just for the Cardinals but for the entire league.
Speaker 12 (36:59):
I got to you, hey, you can only do it
one play at a time. I got you on that play.
Speaker 5 (37:08):
And needless to say, it's the play in Nate Poole's career,
one of the most dramatic and consequential plays in NFL history.
Speaker 8 (37:18):
The Cardinals have knocked the Fighting's out of the playoffs.
Speaker 2 (37:21):
And Nate Pull's a good person, He's a great person
to be around. And you look back at that and
that's a special moment for me in my career as well. So,
but it couldn't happen to a better guy. And they's
a good dude.
Speaker 5 (37:31):
Yeah, who says good dudes finished last?
Speaker 8 (37:34):
Right?
Speaker 5 (37:35):
In fact, as Dave McGinnis said back then, with a
smile to the media, quote, there were two receivers on
the field from Marshall that day. They had Randy Moss,
we had Nathan Poole.
Speaker 10 (37:47):
So there you have it.
Speaker 5 (37:48):
Cardinals Folktales Miracle in the Desert, presented by seventy two
Souls for producer Jim O. Mahundro, I'm Paul Calvic and
that's the story of how an unknown receiver won that day,
but a Hall of Fame receiver was on his way.
Speaker 3 (38:04):
The consolation was probably the greatest player in Cardinals history
and one of the greatest receivers of all.
Speaker 16 (38:10):
Time, with the third choice In the two thousand and
four NFL Draft, the Arizona Cardinals select Larry Fitzgerald, wide
receiver University of Fitchbird.
Speaker 5 (38:39):
That was the red seat Cardinals fans at the official
draft party two thousand and four welcoming Larry Fitzgerald to
the Valley White, a departure from the climate a few
months earlier, when many Cardinals fans viewed the win against
the Vikings as a loss because the Cardinals lost out
on the number one pick overall, ostensibly a franchise quarterback,
(39:02):
which eventually was Eli Manning as the top overall pick.
But that wasn't the only change in the NFL. A
few years after that, the force out rule would be eliminated,
and one of the main examples cited was Nate Poole,
who only had one foot down in the end zone
on that game winning playoff busting touchdown catch that eliminated
(39:25):
the Vikings. When we come back, Darren Rman, would the
Cardinals have taken a quarterback number one overall? Would it
still have been Larry Fitzgerald. We'll get Darren's perspective when
we come back with this very special Cardinals Full Tales
edition of the Big Red Rage Miracle in the Desert
presented by santan Ford in Gilbert, and we're wrapping up
(39:55):
this very special Cardinals Full Tales edition of The Big
Red Rage presented by santan Ford and Gilbert Paul Kelvicy
joined by Darren Irvan. Darren Irvan covered the game. Miracle
in the Desert is the title of this Cardinal's Folk
Tales where we're going to the archives in some great,
rarely heard audio that are Jim Almahundro found both from
(40:17):
the Green Bay Radio broadcast. Also some of the audio
we heard from Larry Fitzgerald and coach McGuinness Josh McCown
all talking about not only the end of the game,
but the start of a new era of Cardinals football
in so many different ways. In fact, let's start right there, Darren,
because what if what if the Cardinals had lost that game?
(40:40):
What if they had picked number one overall? Would they
still have picked Larry Fitzgerald or would they have gone
franchise quarterback?
Speaker 6 (40:47):
You know, if I think they end up taking Larry Fitzgerald,
because I think Danny Green wanted Larry Fitzgerald on his team.
You know, I remember so vividly in the month leading
up to the draft. Denny wasn't like a lot of
coaches there were. Oftentimes when he was he said more
(41:08):
than maybe then maybe he should. And I remember in
those days, I was covering the team for the East
Valley Tribune. I had come out to a day in
the off season sometime in April, and I was the
only writer here and the only other media member who
was showing up was brad Cessmett, who was working for
one of the local stations that day, and he had
(41:29):
an interview apparently scheduled with Denny Green. And all they
did was bring Denny Green down to the media area
and then they just had a camera and they were
sitting there and they're having it. So as a media member,
I'm going to listen to the interview and take what
I can get from it.
Speaker 5 (41:41):
Hey, nobody told you you couldn't.
Speaker 6 (41:43):
So Denny Green is talking about and you have to
remember again the draft with Ben Roethlisberger and Eli Manning
and Philip Rivers, those are all available with the Cardinals
picking third, and at this point, the Cardinal's quarterback was
Josh McCown probably, and there were questions about Josh and
(42:07):
whether he was gonna you know, and Denny loved Josh.
He would talk him up all the time, and at
one point Denny Green said, we're not going to take
a quarterback third overall. Well, as a reporter, I had
that in this day, this is pre internet, so I
had a big banner headline the next day. Obviously the
other paper in town didn't have the story. So the
next day I came back. There were other writers here.
(42:30):
Ken Summer showed up, Bob bomb from the Associated Press,
and they get Denny Green to come down and talk
and they're trying to get him to say the same
thing again and he won't do it. And finally Bob
Bam says to him, kind of half jokingly, we're trying
to get you to say what you told Darren yesterday,
And Denny looked at him and he goes, that was yesterday.
Today is today.
Speaker 5 (42:51):
I tell you though, that was back in the days,
and we just talked about this where a quarterback wouldn't
always go number one, right, And we knew Denny's affinity
for Larry Fitzgerald, his former ball boy by the way
in Minnesota, so he knew Larry better than anyone and
fits as it came to be Once he did get drafted,
he showed up in the Cardinals locker room and there
was Nate Poole. Nate Poole heard it from Larry that
(43:15):
he cost him the number one pick overall.
Speaker 6 (43:17):
Oh yeah, And look, it's not like the Cardinals made
a poor pick by any stretch of the imagination. But
you do wonder a little bit what, Okay, Eli Manning
went number one and then Robert Gallery went number two.
But you wonder a little bit if they didn't take
Fits and they take Ben Roethlisberger or they take Philip Rivers,
how different does life with the Cardinals? You know happen?
Speaker 9 (43:38):
Now?
Speaker 6 (43:39):
The Cardinals make the two thousand and eight Super Bowl
because they get Kurt Warner, who has his career renaissance
throwing to Akwambolden and a very very good Larry Fitzgerald.
And the Cardinals don't make the Super Bowl unless Larry
has arguably the greatest performed postseason performance of any wide
receiver ever.
Speaker 5 (43:56):
So, and guess what, Kurt Warner doesn't end with the
Cardinals if Eli Manning and end up with the Giants.
Speaker 6 (44:01):
A true. So, although Eli wasn't drafted by the Giants,
he was drafted by the Chargers and they had to
make the trade for Philip Rivers. There was a lot
of intrigue without draft.
Speaker 5 (44:09):
Yeah, there's no doubt. Look, Nate Poole didn't have much
of a career after that. No always remembered for what
he did for the Green Bay Packers. Got the all
expenses pay trip in January to Green Bay, gladly because
he got a key to the city and everything else.
But they ended up changing the force out rule in
large part because of how that went down in the
(44:29):
end zone at Sun Devil Stadium.
Speaker 6 (44:31):
I had no question that it was a force out play.
And now you have to get feet down and if
a guy pushes you out of bounds your eye, that
touchdown does not count in today's NFL.
Speaker 5 (44:41):
So many memorable moments and memorable radio calls from that game.
One of the great historic moments in Cardinals history, and
it's been a pleasure reliving it, no doubt about it.
Miracle in the Desert Cardinals folk Tale special Thanks to
our Jim al Mahandro for Darren Urban. I'm Paul Calvic
(45:01):
once again. An Emmy Award winning series you can find
on the Cardinals YouTube page. One of many, and it's
been a pleasure telling you about it. Here on The
Big Red Rage presented by santan Ford in Gilbert.
Speaker 1 (45:21):
You've been listening to The Big Red Rage presented by
santan Ford and Gilbert right on the Price right on
the corner of the Santan two to two Freeway and Valvista.
The Rage is brought to you by seat Geek your
ticket to Great Seats, and by Arizona Cardinals Podcast. Visit
(45:41):
Azycardinals dot com slash podcast. This has been an exclusive
presentation of the Arizona Cardinals football Club
Strap on the boots and scrape up the knuckles ahead.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
He got jacked.
Speaker 1 (00:07):
This is the Big Red Rage presented by santan Ford
and Gilbert.
Speaker 3 (00:12):
Terry's gonna score touchdown swam to the ground by Buddha
Baker like a torpedo. He came flying into the back deal.
Speaker 1 (00:21):
The Rage is brought to you by santan Ford and
Gilbert right on the Price right on the corner of
the Santan two to two Freeway in val Vista seek
your tickets to Great Seats and by Arizona Cardinals Podcast.
Visit Azycardinals dot Com, slash podcast.
Speaker 4 (00:40):
All Right Seats, Rising Up, Temperature, Rising Vision, Flurry Rage,
take it over.
Speaker 5 (00:49):
Here's Paul CALVICI I'm ready. I'm one hundred percent ready.
I'm telling you I'm ready. And Darren Urban, how about
disturb kid. You know, as much as I despised Shakespeare
in college as an English undergrad, I love a good
(01:09):
Shakespearean tragedy in football, especially when it happens to the opponent.
And that is why we are gathered here today for
this very special Cardinals Folktales edition of The Big Red Rage,
presented by santan Ford in Gilbert Miracle in the desert.
That is the title of tonight's episode, as we hit
(01:30):
the rewind button and go back into Cardinals history, all
time anecdotes, as we like to say, Cardinals folktales where
you can't spell the word history without the word story.
Paul calvic Here, Darren Urban was there covered the game
back in two thousand and three. This is the rare game, Darren,
where it was best remembered for what both teams did
(01:51):
not get. The Vikings do not get a playoff Berth,
the Cardinals did not get the first pick in the draft.
Talking about this season finale two thousand and three.
Speaker 6 (02:02):
This is true. I hadn't really thought about it that
but but you know you, going negative doesn't really surprise
me that much, Paul.
Speaker 5 (02:09):
Look, the real winner was a team that wasn't in
the game.
Speaker 6 (02:12):
Yes, that's true that Green Bay Packers got through the
playoffs because of that result, and they they did feel
like winners that day. And Nate Poole can attest to
that because he ended up in Green Bay a week
later at.
Speaker 2 (02:23):
The playoff game. Yes.
Speaker 5 (02:24):
Absolutely, it's by far the highlight of Nate Poole's career. Yes,
we're gonna learn in fact, you tell us since you
where were you, by the way, for Nate Poole's shining moment?
Were you still in the press pose?
Speaker 6 (02:37):
In those days, all the reporters would gather in the
corner of the end zone, and we were down on
the end of the field that the Cardinals scored upon.
We were just on the other side. So we were
down there in the between the back line the back
of the goal line, in about the ten yard line,
watching this unfold. Couldn't see exactly obviously because it was
(03:00):
on the far sideline the catch, but you could hear
the crowd explode. I was down there when you know,
Josh McCown was pleading to the official to give them
the call when they were going to the replay. I
remember that very distinctly because we were on the field
by then, and it was just it was an amazing
end to what turned out to be Dave McGinnis's career
(03:21):
as the head coach, and obviously it was a springboard
to them getting Larry Fitzgerald.
Speaker 5 (03:27):
Yeah, there was a lot of change after this game.
Going into the game, though, I mean, what were the
odds the Cardinals had a chance to really win a
game when they hadn't won a game in nearly two months,
and the Vikings needed the game to clinch a playoff spot.
Speaker 6 (03:41):
Well, the funny thing is is, not only did anybody
think the Cardinals really had a chance, but even if
they lost, it didn't look real good for them to
get the number one overall pick. They needed a couple
of bad teams to win, and it wind up working
out that way if they had had lost. But then again,
you know, the Vikings came. I'm guessing they were a
little over confident. I don't know. I remember watching the
(04:04):
game from the press box thinking to myself, they don't
look like they're ready to put this team away. The
Vikings don't look like they're ready to put the Cardinals away.
And those Cardinal teams were not good, but they did
give effort. And you had a lot of guys out
there playing for the first time or very inexperienced Josh McCown,
Reggie Wells. I mean, you go down the list, and
(04:26):
they just didn't give up. Now, they needed some bounces
there at the end, for sure, but the fact they
were even in shouting distance of the game never should
have happened.
Speaker 5 (04:34):
And we're gonna get a full recap here, because it
really is gripping. I mean, the first three quarters of
the game not so much, but it was seventeen to
six Vikings with under seven minutes to play. Then just
after the two minute warning it's a one score game.
You need the on sidekick Neil Rackers, right, he was
a master at making the ball do different things. He
had that soccer background, and then things just got really
(04:58):
crazy from there. I mean, with all due respect to
a young Dave Patch behind the mic, it's the rare
game where the truly memorable radio calls came from a
the losing team and be the team that really benefited
two time zones away who needed a Cardinals win more
than the Cardinals did.
Speaker 6 (05:17):
Yeah, there's definitely some memorable calls. With all due respect
to Dave, I don't know if he ranks in the
top two there, but it was an amazing time all
the way around, just because of how it ended and
what it meant and just the memories of that game
and for Josh mccount and aatepool and.
Speaker 5 (05:35):
We're going to hear how it all unfolded in real
time at the time two thousand and three. Heck, it
was a holiday season and the Cardinals rock team Santa
Colors right, red, white and black. So this was their
own gift, their own parting gift of the home fans.
And when we come back and this very special Cardinals
Folk Tales edition of The Big Red Rage, we'll hear
it for ourselves Miracle in the Desert presented by santan Ford.
Speaker 7 (05:59):
In go.
Speaker 5 (06:07):
And welcome back into our special Cardinals Folk Tales edition
of The Big Red Rage presented by Santanford and Gilbert.
We're in in rewind into Cardinals history because remember, you
can't spell the word history without the word story, and
boy do we have one. From the final week of
the regular season two thousand and three, Cardinals were hosting
(06:28):
the Vikings and the Cardinals had exactly nothing to play
for beyond the number one pick, which they would secure
with the loss. The ninety six Vikings came in. Remember
they had started six and oh that season, but their
playoff hopes were on the line. They needed a win
to secure a postseason berth and the week before they
(06:49):
had already KOed KC forty five to twenty. That was
a Kansas City team that went thirteen and three in
two thousand and three. So with that in mind, not
many he gave the Cardinals a chance. But as quarterback
of the time, Josh McCown would say later, Hey, you've
been around coach mcguinnis he can make any game feel
like the Super Bowl. And that would be foreshadowing because
(07:12):
coach McGinnis, who was great with the media, also had
a great comparison between the two receivers on the field
that day who were college teammates once upon a time
at Marshall. We'll hear that a little bit later, but
the Cardinals were talking about Nate Poole thirty six career
games in the NFL. He managed a total of thirty
(07:32):
four career catches and two touchdowns, but at the end
of his brief time in the NFL, only one of
those thirty four receptions truly mattered. It got him a
key to a city, It got him a personalized phone
call from a mayor. It got him a local TV
commercial all in the city of Green Bay. So with
(07:55):
that as the background, let's hit that rewind button to
Miracle in the Desert. It's the final week of two
thousand and three, this season finale that would end the
year for two teams, the.
Speaker 3 (08:16):
Count throwing far side into the end zone.
Speaker 8 (08:18):
And the ball it is touchdown Tortinals.
Speaker 9 (08:22):
An unbelievable turn of events. Not here at lambeau Field,
but in the desert, you.
Speaker 2 (08:28):
Would have thought we won Super Bowl. I mean, it
was an unbelievable moment.
Speaker 8 (08:31):
The five things are going home for the new year.
Speaker 10 (08:34):
You just don't lose like that. Nobody loses like that.
Let alone to Nathan.
Speaker 2 (08:39):
Poole, and they pulls a good person to make that play.
He deserves that.
Speaker 5 (08:43):
Not one of the Minnesota Vikings are even moving right now.
Speaker 7 (08:48):
You lose a game and it opens the door for
your worst enemy.
Speaker 9 (08:51):
The Packers not only make the playoffs, they're gonna be host.
Speaker 11 (08:54):
Of the game.
Speaker 7 (08:55):
It was that if the sun fell out of the sky.
You know, it was a miserable day of existence.
Speaker 5 (08:59):
That time that two teams played one game that stop
time in three cities was a Cardinals receiver in or
out of bounds? Were the Vikings and Packers in or
out of the playoffs? Who would be drafting one, two,
and three? All dictated by a Cardinals win that some
(09:22):
viewed as a loss.
Speaker 3 (09:24):
I think even the fans were like, now, let's just
get this season over and get the number one pick
walk away with the Eli manning.
Speaker 2 (09:29):
There was something to play for there there. You know
they're playing for something. We can be playing for something too.
Speaker 12 (09:34):
If he got flushed out to the right, I said, oh,
here you come the ind of the Angel.
Speaker 7 (09:38):
Mccownt knocked me out of number one pick too. Man,
I probably been the first pick of the draft. Man
they cost me, Nate pull Man. I'd never forgive him
for that. I tell them that all the time.
Speaker 9 (09:53):
Nathan Paul may become a household name in Green Bay.
Speaker 13 (09:58):
This is Mayle Schmidz.
Speaker 10 (09:59):
I'd love to get you out to one of the games.
Speaker 8 (10:01):
I said, oh no, I.
Speaker 10 (10:02):
Would love to come out. He was given a key
to the city of Green Bay and he got to
go to their playoff game.
Speaker 14 (10:07):
I'm sure he will have a lot of opportunities to
go out in Green Bay if.
Speaker 10 (10:11):
That is his desire.
Speaker 14 (10:12):
He will have a lot of people who will take
good care of him.
Speaker 5 (10:15):
To the winner goes the Spoils. That's after the Cardinals
took care of the Vikings. All right, a big win,
but the big winner the Packers welcome into Cardinals Folktales
Miracle in the Desert presented by seventy two Souls, where
we go in depth into Cardinals history, all time anecdotes
through the recollections and memories of those who lived in
(10:38):
or in my case, those who've covered it. My name
is Paul Kelvic, Cardinal's sideline reporter. We're talking about that
time when little known Nate Poole got the key to
a city. While his own fan base lamented what it
did not get.
Speaker 2 (10:53):
People said, well, y'all, you know you cost it the
number one pick.
Speaker 3 (10:56):
The consolation was probably the greatest player in Cardinal's history
and one of the greatest receivers of all time.
Speaker 2 (11:02):
Looking back, you feel bad for the Vikings.
Speaker 8 (11:05):
Got Dawn down.
Speaker 10 (11:09):
Oh my god, I can't believe what just happened.
Speaker 8 (11:12):
The Cardinals have knocked the Vikings out of the playoffs.
Speaker 5 (11:24):
One of the great calls, one of the great thrill
of victory, agony of defeat moments in NFL history, every
bit as much Shakespearean tragedy as season finale. December twenty eighth,
two thousand and three. Cardinals playing for the number one
pick with a loss, the Vikings playing for the postseason
(11:45):
with a win or a Packers loss. Yet none of
the above happened. Here's former head coach Dave McGinnis and
quarterback Josh McCown.
Speaker 10 (11:54):
We gotta win a game, and we haven't won a
game in seven weeks and we need to win a ballgame.
Speaker 5 (11:58):
You know, there are a lot of people I know
pulling force.
Speaker 2 (12:01):
Obviously. Coach McGinnis was fantastic in front of the room.
He was very captivating, and that was one of the
things that he talked about was just the ability to
knock those guys off. You know that they were coming in,
they had to beat us, and you know they were
going to get into the playoffs, and so there was
something to play for there there. You know, it wasn't
just a game where we're going to roll the ball
out there and get it over with and go home.
(12:22):
He was like, man, this is they're playing for something.
We can be playing for something too.
Speaker 5 (12:25):
In two thousand and three, it was a sixteen game season.
Cardinals entered the final week three and twelve. The Vikings,
after a six and oh start, were nine and six,
coming off a ko of KC the week before a
forty five to twenty drubbing of a Chiefs team that
would finish thirteen and three, So all the Vikings had
to do what everyone expected him to do, polish off
(12:49):
a reeling Cardinals team with a quarterback making his third
career start, a coach about to be fired, and the
NFL's all time leading rusher getting peppered about his own
few future on Christmas Eve.
Speaker 15 (13:02):
I mean, who knows we can play hypothetical all day?
Is Macizia great? But if he's not here, people coming in,
what their plans are, what.
Speaker 8 (13:09):
The ideas, and what they thought. So I gotta win
on all that.
Speaker 15 (13:12):
So you asking me to make up answer to something
that I don't have all the information to, that's stupid.
I'm not that stupid.
Speaker 8 (13:19):
Yeah, please, somebody tell you.
Speaker 5 (13:20):
Such, Please thank you.
Speaker 8 (13:23):
How about the spirit of John Inness and happiness?
Speaker 5 (13:27):
That's former Cardinals running back and Hall of Famer Emmitt Smith,
And hey, no doubt what would make the Red Sea
jolly and happy? The number one overall pick under their tree.
Here's voice of the Cardinals Dave Pash. It was in
his second season in three.
Speaker 3 (13:43):
And you endure that long of a season and you're
calling games for a team that's losing a lot of games,
the one thing is, okay, you got a chance to
get a franchise changing quarterback. Let's just get through this
and get to that draft. Get your guy, enjoy the
next ten years and a couple of super.
Speaker 2 (14:00):
Balls like that whole year. You grow up fast in
this business and you go, wait, they're gonna fire these coaches.
Wait a minute, they could draft a new quarterback like
you know, I was just a quarterback of the future
two days ago that. You know, all these things, you
grow really fast.
Speaker 5 (14:14):
That's Cardinals could be Josh McCown, the third round pick
the year before, who earned the final three starts of
that O three season and tried to channel the confidence
that his head coach, Dave McGinnis showed in him against
NFC North leading Minnesota.
Speaker 2 (14:28):
I think when you look at their roster, uh, when
they're coming out to us with everything to play for,
I think it was a tall task. Uh So looking
at that going yeah, we're gonna beat the Minnesota Vikings.
You know, realistically, I don't know if that was you know,
if that was an easy sale for coach, but he
did a good job of framing that for us. And
and uh and I think he was, you know, benefited
(14:49):
from a young quarterback who didn't know any better and
just was gonna go out and play the game.
Speaker 3 (14:54):
It's the Cardinals and Vikings from tenpe Arizona Sun Devil Stadium.
Speaker 5 (15:00):
Not a lot of action for the announcers to call
in a fifty one degree day, a virtual snooze fest.
Six to nothing at halftime, seven to six entering the
fourth quarter when Randy Moss scores on a seven yard pass, A.
Speaker 3 (15:13):
Lot closer than many thought it would be, especially with
a playoffs spot on the line. Of the Vikings win,
they clinch their division. If they lose and Green Bay wins,
they're out of the playoffs.
Speaker 5 (15:22):
Then, just over two minutes later, a forty six yard
fuel goal makes it seventeen to six Bikings with six
forty eight to play, but hang on. On the first
play after the two minute warning.
Speaker 3 (15:34):
McCown takes play, bank, rolls to his right, mccount in
trouble flushdown, throws ends.
Speaker 8 (15:39):
On and going down to make the catch for a
touchdown of Steve Bush.
Speaker 3 (15:43):
Steve Bush with a touchdown puch, great improv job by
Josh McCown.
Speaker 5 (15:49):
A fourteen play touchdown drive bought. The two point conversion failed,
so it's seventeen to twelve. Vikings, a score echoed on
the Packers broadcast.
Speaker 9 (16:02):
Jack Minnesota leading seventeen to twelve. Remember, the only way
the Packers can make the playoffs now is if Minnesota
loses this football game somehow, some way.
Speaker 5 (16:16):
That's the radio call at Lambell, Wayne Larrvie and Larry
McCarran paying close attention nearly two thousand miles away in
Green Bay, Cardinals are going to.
Speaker 3 (16:26):
Try to recover an onside kick to perhaps give us
a little bit more time to broadcast.
Speaker 13 (16:31):
Luckily, that day I wasn't demolition, I was recovery. And
you know, Josh Gooby and company went in there, you know,
blasting guys and right place, right time.
Speaker 5 (16:41):
That's former Cardinals running back Damian Anderson. And that's the recipe,
the mentality for a successful on side kick, because that's
exactly what the Cardinals needed. Good news. The Cards are
just picked up one of the best in the business
in Neil Rackers.
Speaker 3 (16:57):
So what fifty four to play? Neil Rackers is very good.
Good with the on side kick.
Speaker 2 (17:01):
We were all standing there, you know, waiting because that
was we knew that that was the next piece. You know,
you had to get that to keep the ball game going,
and you know, Neil hits a perfect ball, and I
mean it was just how you drew it up, you know.
And Damien comes up.
Speaker 3 (17:14):
With it, Rackers with the on side kick far aside,
and it bounce us in the air. Hey, the Cardinals
have it of the forty two Davie and Anderson comes
up with it on the re direction and the Cards
have a chance with a one fifty four to play.
Speaker 9 (17:28):
The Arizona Cardinals trying an onside kick and Larry Loan
to hoold they recovered it for a minute fifty four
to go in that football game in the desert and
the Vikings leading seventeen to twelve. Well, I'm going to
shut up about this last game stuff.
Speaker 8 (17:41):
Then maybe they don't have a miracle. Keep talking about it.
Speaker 9 (17:44):
You may be jinxing us into something good here. Maybe
that miracle can't happen.
Speaker 10 (17:49):
You get to that onside kick and now all of
a sudden, all bets are off. I mean, anything can
happen against anybody anytime, and as we know, it did.
Speaker 5 (17:58):
That's longtime voice of the Vikings, Paul Allen. More from
him later, much more, Saul, Cardinals had the ball back
one fifty four left sixty one yards to go, needing
a touchdown with one time out. After a thirty yard
pass interference and a thirteen yard completion in Nate Poole,
the Cardinals reached the Minnesota nine with thirty nine seconds
(18:20):
to go.
Speaker 9 (18:21):
Meanwhile, out in the desert in Arizona, getting a little
bit closer. You know people are aware of this because
you could hear a thousand in the crowd.
Speaker 5 (18:29):
There is definitely everyone is out of their seats in
three different states. When Josh McCown is put on his seat,
two straight plays quit driving McCown.
Speaker 3 (18:41):
Looking left, pup back of the pound, sacked back at
the seventeeny line of McCown flushed out running near side,
lost the ball. It's loose and the Cardinals heyb of
the pound side up of the twenty.
Speaker 2 (18:51):
Eight Emmett has a presence of mind to go, Josh,
get up, get up. We gotta get the ball. Snap
we got wow, Tom House, we gotta go. So we
get to play call and then you know, and then
we you know, as we get the bos down.
Speaker 13 (19:01):
You knew that was Josh skill set, Like call a
play that works for him, you know, get him out,
you know, get him out in some space, so he
he'll have a multitude of options.
Speaker 3 (19:10):
The clock running down, under fifteen seconds left. It's fourth
down in twenty four, and it's.
Speaker 2 (19:15):
Gonna come down to this.
Speaker 5 (19:16):
They gotta throw it into the end zone.
Speaker 7 (19:18):
This is it.
Speaker 5 (19:19):
Fourth down, fourth and twenty five from the twenty eight.
The Packers and Vikings playoff hopes hanging in the balance
once again. Voice of the Vikings, Paul Allen.
Speaker 10 (19:30):
There was worry and anxiety and teeth gnashing every step
of the way.
Speaker 5 (19:35):
Hey Green Bay, you still watching, you bet you?
Speaker 9 (19:39):
And they're winding it down in Arizona. This is the
last gas, fourth and twenty four, back outside the twenty
five and.
Speaker 3 (19:46):
Here we go eight seconds seven six five four the
count of the ball.
Speaker 10 (19:53):
This will be the last play.
Speaker 3 (19:54):
The count steps up, rolling far side.
Speaker 12 (19:57):
Just so happened. He got flushed, He got flushed out
to the right.
Speaker 8 (20:00):
I said, oh, here he come, the coun throwing far
side into the end zone.
Speaker 7 (20:05):
And the ball is.
Speaker 8 (20:06):
Put touchdown Cardinals by Poole, and the Cardinals win the
game on the final pot, and the fun Kings are
going home for the new year.
Speaker 12 (20:16):
Josh Man, you know the whole time he's running he's rolling,
he's pointing to the right. I'm inside. I know he's
about to throw it over there. And the defender he
had no clue. He had no clue.
Speaker 5 (20:28):
What a great prow by Josh McCown. He threw it
up early Nate Poole could get it.
Speaker 7 (20:34):
And he did it.
Speaker 2 (20:35):
I felt like it was just there was a connection
for us, you know, and so boom, there he is,
and then the ball came out, uh and he makes
an unbelievable catch, but.
Speaker 8 (20:45):
Cardinals winning on the final play.
Speaker 3 (20:48):
Josh McComb Fen's made Poole in the back of the
end zone on the far side.
Speaker 2 (20:53):
You would thought we won Super Bowl and U I mean,
it was an unbelievable moment and ed mental lot to
those guys out there, But it meant.
Speaker 5 (21:01):
Even more to Nate Poole, the guy who had been
cut four times and then he cut loose against the
visiting Vikings fans who had populated and dominated Sun Devil
Stadium trash talk in three two one.
Speaker 8 (21:15):
Take LFL don't come back deal and next to y'all
in the same.
Speaker 5 (21:19):
Thing, Nate Poole, the living embodiment of the ups and
downs of an NFL game, he was something fired up,
while those Viking fans could have been more let down. Remember,
Nate Poole was a player who was always in proven mode,
(21:41):
always existing on the edge of the roster, so he
played with an edge. We heard it right there, and
it's amazing when you look back. How that one catch,
that one toe tapping catch that proved to be a
game winner, How it set off a domino effect, a
whole litany of changes that altered the history of not
(22:02):
only the Cardinals, but basically all the teams atop that
two thousand and four draft franchise, quarterbacks going two different teams,
the Cardinals getting themselves a Hall of Famer as well,
who might have gone number one overall, the Cardinals were
in that position, but they weren't. And the changes even
extended to the rule book years later. We'll get to
(22:24):
that when we come back. And don't forget Nate Pool
was not just a celebrity in Arizona. He was the
toast of the town in Green Bay. And we'll relive
all that when we come back to this very special
Cardinals Folktales edition of the Big Red Rage Miracle in
the Desert, presented by Santan Ford in Gilbert. It's our
(22:56):
special Cardinals folk Tales edition of the Big Red Rage
was santan Ford in Gilbert. This is where we go
into Cardinals history, go into the archives. Can't spell the
word history without the word story. And we're talking about
the final game of the two thousand and three season.
My name is Paul calvi Seen. We started by saying,
remember that one time, that one game played by two
(23:19):
teams in two thousand and three, that stop time in
three different NFL cities. Remember Nate Poole, Cardinals receiver, and
was the in or out of bounds? We pose that question, Well,
he was most definitely inbounds, and the Vikings were most
definitely out of the playoffs, and the Cardinals were out
of the top pick in the draft. We'll get to that,
(23:41):
but remember when it comes to the Vikings, you're talking
about a team that not only started six to zero
and was on the verge of the playoffs, but that season,
the four worst teams in the league were the Giants,
the Raiders, the Chargers, and the Cardinals. Each team finished
four and twelve. Each one of those teams beat the Vikings,
so you can imagine the angst on the Minnesota side.
(24:03):
In fact, their radio announcer, the voice of the Vikings,
Paul Allen, became a meme before there even were memes
in social media. And that's where we rejoined this edition
of Cardinals Folktales Miracle in the Desert, and former Cardinals
quarterback Josh McCown two years later had empathy for the Vikings.
Speaker 2 (24:28):
Looking back, like, you feel bad for the Vikings because
they were right there on the cusp, and to lose
that way, man, that's bitter.
Speaker 5 (24:36):
Nate Pool's game winning playoff busting, last second fourth down
touchdown catch was one of his two two career touchdowns,
leaving the Vikings on the outside of the playoff picture
looking in as radio voice Paul Allen and company were
left in a state of utter disbelief.
Speaker 10 (24:55):
People were just staring longingly on the team bust to
the airport. Nobody knew what to say, and they were
just downtrodden. And you just don't lose like that. Nobody
loses like that, let alone to Nathan Poole, not ang
Kwam Bolden. So I mean, now as we connect the dots,
you know, of the entire thing over twenty years, it
(25:16):
hits me so vividly because of how emotional it was
at that moment.
Speaker 8 (25:21):
The season's on the line, two receivers left and right.
McCown takes a snap, he steps up, he's all by himself,
fires into the end zone.
Speaker 14 (25:31):
DoD dods down.
Speaker 8 (25:34):
No, No, the Cardinals have knocked the Vikings out of
the playoffs.
Speaker 10 (25:43):
The previous owner of the team, Red McCombs, hated that call.
He didn't let me know, but he let others know.
Some vice presidents here, so you know, I had some
conversations with some vice presidents and I'm like, you know,
you don't script moments like that, and that's what came out.
So I had to deal with that very young in
my career.
Speaker 3 (26:00):
I understand where Paul's coming from. You get invested in
the team. It's your team, and I thought Paul handled
it perfectly. Some people might say, uh, it's not professional,
but that's how the fans feeling.
Speaker 2 (26:12):
No, are you kidding?
Speaker 10 (26:14):
Right?
Speaker 3 (26:14):
That was Paul's reaction.
Speaker 10 (26:15):
One thing I remember about the call is I looked
to my left where the coaches were, and our linebackers
coach at that time, Pete Bursage, he could hear me
through the glass yelling no, no, no, no, And then
I came down. The Cardinals have knocked the Vikings out
(26:36):
of the playoffs.
Speaker 8 (26:37):
The Cardinals have knocked the Vikings out of the playoffs.
Speaker 10 (26:40):
The way he looked at me, it was not anger
at me. It was one of two things. Oh my god,
I can't believe what just happened. Oh my god, that
check that I was going to get for a playoff bonus,
it just went up into the tenpiece.
Speaker 5 (26:58):
Guy from Minnesota fans saying you sunk my Viking ship.
Just the sheer agony of it all to the utter
ecstasy of cheesehead nation listening on the Packers radio network, and.
Speaker 9 (27:14):
Here we go, this is if the season for the Packers.
On the line into the end zone, the count pack.
Speaker 8 (27:19):
Hey got it.
Speaker 9 (27:21):
Out, cutting down a cut down, It's out on Packers
by label.
Speaker 5 (27:28):
The complete dead look from Wayne Larity and Larry McCarron
reacting to a game they're not even calling, just watching
from two thousand miles away.
Speaker 9 (27:40):
Patters the biggest maraicon on the Packers. Sadly, any reps Packers,
I finally realize there's any rep. I'm a final playoff
the regular season for the fight Kings. They lose eighteen
to seventeen. The Packers not only make the playoffs, they're
gonna be hosted a game true.
Speaker 5 (28:00):
Brett Farv and the Packers would host the Seahawks at
Lambeau to open the playoffs. Later, Dave McGinnis shared with
the media that Packers coach Mike Sherman and GM Mark
Hatley called him and said, quote, you're a bleeping king
here in Green Bay. The thing is back in Tempee,
speaking of coach mac different emotions, a different reality started
(28:22):
to set in as the Cardinals locker room grew quiet,
almost somber. For all that we've been through, we never
quit on each other.
Speaker 4 (28:40):
It was a constant, constant reminder of what character I've
got in this room.
Speaker 5 (28:48):
I've never been afraid to tell you that I love you.
Speaker 2 (28:52):
It was somber, and it's very soberinging. You're just like, man,
back to reality. This is what we're faced with. And
he was genuine with his work and you know, and
how I cared about guys, and so I think he
understood in that moment that that was probably, you know,
the last time or one of the last times he
was going to address us as a group.
Speaker 5 (29:09):
I've never been afraid to open myself to you because
you've got my heart.
Speaker 8 (29:17):
You've got my heart.
Speaker 11 (29:19):
You know.
Speaker 2 (29:19):
It's a roller coaster really because you were just as
high as it gets. You know, for fifteen twenty minutes,
they're celebrating and enjoying one another, and then you know,
the business sets in.
Speaker 11 (29:31):
When Nate Poole gave me this ball that he caught.
What did I tell you last night? I cut this
man four times. I cut him four times, and every
time I did, he stood up in my office and
hugged me and said, Mike, if you need me, I'll
be back because you're the only man I want to
play for.
Speaker 5 (29:51):
And that's the way I know that all of you
feel right now.
Speaker 12 (29:54):
What was real motion on It was like you know,
your last family hug, you know, and you know, and
it hurt because we know, you know, he's a player's
coach and he loved the players. He want the players
to do, you know, to excel, to be really great.
Speaker 5 (30:10):
You know what I feel for you, You know what
I feel for you.
Speaker 4 (30:14):
This was a tremendous, tremendous demonstration of men that not
only love each other, but believe, believe, believe, you.
Speaker 12 (30:25):
Know, most of us felt like we let Dave down
because you know, we didn't come up on the winning
side of a lot of these games to keep him around.
Speaker 5 (30:33):
I'll never ever give up on you.
Speaker 9 (30:36):
I love you.
Speaker 8 (30:38):
Thank you.
Speaker 5 (30:40):
On the very next day, with a feign twelfth season
in the books, Cardinals head coach Dave McGinnis was indeed fired.
Vikings head coach Mike Tye survived despite the Vikings collapse
after that six and oh start. As for the Packers,
the party was just starting and Nate Poole's celebrity was growing.
Speaker 9 (31:06):
Nathan Pole of all people hopout that Nathan Cole may
become a household name.
Speaker 8 (31:13):
In green Bay.
Speaker 10 (31:15):
It was an amazing play. But you know, like I
say about Nathan, and I'm not being disparaging here, but
that was his fifteen minutes of fame. And then of
course the next week he was given a key to
the city of Green Bay and he.
Speaker 5 (31:29):
Got to go to their playoff game, and that is accurate.
Nate Poole, who going into the season finale had eight
catches all season and no touchdowns, was now Packers royalty,
to the point where he got a call from the
Mayor of green Bay.
Speaker 12 (31:45):
So Mayor Schmitz gave me a call and I was like, oh,
here we go. Stop calling my phone because I'm thinking
it's a player, and I'm thinking he's gonna call that
player's gonna call me back and say, man, dude, what
are you doing. Then I got a call right back
the same number and I'm like, okay, hey, how you
doing this in April?
Speaker 5 (32:04):
And he was like, Hey, Nate, no, this is not
a joke.
Speaker 10 (32:06):
This is Mayor Schmidt.
Speaker 12 (32:08):
I love to get you out in a speed talking
I love to get you out to one of the games.
I said, oh no, I would love to come out.
Speaker 5 (32:14):
And that's not the only call he got that week.
On The Big Red Rage radio show with host Dave Pash,
a Packers fan dialed in from the Midwest line too.
Speaker 3 (32:24):
Dave, Mary, Joe, Mary Joe, Welcome to the Big Red Rage.
Speaker 10 (32:27):
Go ahead, Joe.
Speaker 14 (32:28):
Hey, guys, thanks a lot. I was just calling to
wish Nate a wonderful time in Green Bay and to
give him a huge thank you. Since the Vikings started
off six and oh this year, I've been taking a
lot of grief or getting a lot of grief from
my friends who are Viking fans. And I would roll
my eyes and just say, oh, you know, won't you
(32:50):
ever learn the Vikings will find some way to implode
again this year? And sweet revenge. It has been a
wonderful couple of days, and I just want to offer
a great big thank you.
Speaker 3 (33:03):
Hey, Mary Joe, how about taking date out to dinner
when he gets up there.
Speaker 14 (33:06):
I'm sure he will have a lot of opportunities to
go out in Green Bay if that is his desire.
He will have a lot of people who will take
good care of him.
Speaker 5 (33:15):
Nate Poole laughed all the way to green Bay, an
all expense paid trip in January on the tax Beyer's
tap as the undrafted receiver from Marshall became a grand
Marshal of sorts. But don't forget about the other end
of that touchdown pass QB Josh McCown.
Speaker 2 (33:34):
You know, they flying Nate up to Green Bay and
they give him a kitha city or whatever they did,
and they're sending us We were getting Christmas cards from
Green Bay fans that it was their family Christmas card
and you know it was, you know, scratched out. Merry Christmas,
and thank you for beating the Vikings. Go Pat go
and we got loads of Christmas cards mail to the
(33:55):
house of the Sargento family sent the best cheese basket
you've ever seen in your life.
Speaker 5 (34:00):
That was two thousand and three. But even to this day,
when he's out and about, Josh McCown gets reaction for
both school Nation and America's dairy Land.
Speaker 2 (34:10):
Walking through an airport or whatever, and there will be,
you know, a disgruntled Vikings fan and hey, you you
know you owe me, you know type of thing. Or
it'll be a Packers fan that'll be like, thank you
for getting us in the playoffs that year, you know,
we owe you.
Speaker 7 (34:29):
I was at home back in Minneapolis or watching that game,
and I did not like Napole because I thought I
had a chance to be the number one pick, and
I used to always mess with Nate.
Speaker 5 (34:37):
That's Minnesota native Larry Fitzgerald, not only a former Vikings
ball boy and their number one fan at the time,
but fitz might have been the number one pick overall
in the NFL draft.
Speaker 12 (34:49):
Me and Larry had that conversation. Believe me that he
would have been the number one overall pick.
Speaker 5 (34:55):
We're talking in the receiver room before the.
Speaker 12 (34:57):
Meeting about being him being an number one pick. You know,
as I think back to what inside the bonus was,
he didn't do too bad at the number three pick.
Speaker 2 (35:07):
People said, well, y'all, you know you cost him the
number one pick, and I go back and go, you know,
I don't think Coach Green would have I think he
would have picked Larry. He was gonna pick Larry, and
it turned out really good for Larry and and ultimately
for the Arizona Cardinals too. He helped lead that franchise,
you know, through a lot of things to become a
you know, a competitive franchise, and you know, to really
(35:29):
what they are today.
Speaker 3 (35:30):
Walking away from that with mixed emotions of Wow, what
a way to win a game, but also, oh my goodness,
there goes the quarterback of the future. There goes he lied.
Speaker 9 (35:40):
Yep.
Speaker 5 (35:40):
Cardinals won the game, but lost the number one pick,
which ended up being Ole Miss quarterback Eli Manning. We'll
never know who knew head coach Denny Green would have
picked for the Cardinals, or do we. Larry Fitzgerald says
at number one he still would have been the Cardinals selection.
Speaker 7 (35:57):
Then he said, I would have been That's what he
told me. I would have been but you know what,
it all works his way out. I was able to
still get here and play for him. I know we
didn't have the success I'd love to have for him.
You know, he gave me my first two jobs I
ever had as a ball boy and then as a
professional athlete, and so I I owe him a huge
debt of gratitude and I'm just so very thankful for
(36:19):
you know, the doors he open for me and my family.
Speaker 8 (36:26):
Touchdown Cardinals, they pull, the Cardinals win the game.
Speaker 12 (36:30):
The Cardinal I brought my heart head to practice in
the games every day, and I knew, you know, that's
what it was about as growing up as a youngster.
That was about, you know, bringing your hard hat and
working out and just pushing to make the team.
Speaker 3 (36:44):
You know, coaches say, run every route it's if it's
your last one. Nate Pool really did it. But it
was like comical, like he went so hard. So it's
pretty cool to see a guy that worked that hard
have one of the biggest plays of the season, not
just for the Cardinals but for the entire league.
Speaker 12 (36:59):
I got to you, hey, you can only do it
one play at a time. I got you on that play.
Speaker 5 (37:08):
And needless to say, it's the play in Nate Poole's career,
one of the most dramatic and consequential plays in NFL history.
Speaker 8 (37:18):
The Cardinals have knocked the Fighting's out of the playoffs.
Speaker 2 (37:21):
And Nate Pull's a good person, He's a great person
to be around. And you look back at that and
that's a special moment for me in my career as well. So,
but it couldn't happen to a better guy. And they's
a good dude.
Speaker 5 (37:31):
Yeah, who says good dudes finished last?
Speaker 8 (37:34):
Right?
Speaker 5 (37:35):
In fact, as Dave McGinnis said back then, with a
smile to the media, quote, there were two receivers on
the field from Marshall that day. They had Randy Moss,
we had Nathan Poole.
Speaker 10 (37:47):
So there you have it.
Speaker 5 (37:48):
Cardinals Folktales Miracle in the Desert, presented by seventy two
Souls for producer Jim O. Mahundro, I'm Paul Calvic and
that's the story of how an unknown receiver won that day,
but a Hall of Fame receiver was on his way.
Speaker 3 (38:04):
The consolation was probably the greatest player in Cardinals history
and one of the greatest receivers of all.
Speaker 16 (38:10):
Time, with the third choice In the two thousand and
four NFL Draft, the Arizona Cardinals select Larry Fitzgerald, wide
receiver University of Fitchbird.
Speaker 5 (38:39):
That was the red seat Cardinals fans at the official
draft party two thousand and four welcoming Larry Fitzgerald to
the Valley White, a departure from the climate a few
months earlier, when many Cardinals fans viewed the win against
the Vikings as a loss because the Cardinals lost out
on the number one pick overall, ostensibly a franchise quarterback,
(39:02):
which eventually was Eli Manning as the top overall pick.
But that wasn't the only change in the NFL. A
few years after that, the force out rule would be eliminated,
and one of the main examples cited was Nate Poole,
who only had one foot down in the end zone
on that game winning playoff busting touchdown catch that eliminated
(39:25):
the Vikings. When we come back, Darren Rman, would the
Cardinals have taken a quarterback number one overall? Would it
still have been Larry Fitzgerald. We'll get Darren's perspective when
we come back with this very special Cardinals Full Tales
edition of the Big Red Rage Miracle in the Desert
presented by santan Ford in Gilbert, and we're wrapping up
(39:55):
this very special Cardinals Full Tales edition of The Big
Red Rage presented by santan Ford and Gilbert Paul Kelvicy
joined by Darren Irvan. Darren Irvan covered the game. Miracle
in the Desert is the title of this Cardinal's Folk
Tales where we're going to the archives in some great,
rarely heard audio that are Jim Almahundro found both from
(40:17):
the Green Bay Radio broadcast. Also some of the audio
we heard from Larry Fitzgerald and coach McGuinness Josh McCown
all talking about not only the end of the game,
but the start of a new era of Cardinals football
in so many different ways. In fact, let's start right there, Darren,
because what if what if the Cardinals had lost that game?
(40:40):
What if they had picked number one overall? Would they
still have picked Larry Fitzgerald or would they have gone
franchise quarterback?
Speaker 6 (40:47):
You know, if I think they end up taking Larry Fitzgerald,
because I think Danny Green wanted Larry Fitzgerald on his team.
You know, I remember so vividly in the month leading
up to the draft. Denny wasn't like a lot of
coaches there were. Oftentimes when he was he said more
(41:08):
than maybe then maybe he should. And I remember in
those days, I was covering the team for the East
Valley Tribune. I had come out to a day in
the off season sometime in April, and I was the
only writer here and the only other media member who
was showing up was brad Cessmett, who was working for
one of the local stations that day, and he had
(41:29):
an interview apparently scheduled with Denny Green. And all they
did was bring Denny Green down to the media area
and then they just had a camera and they were
sitting there and they're having it. So as a media member,
I'm going to listen to the interview and take what
I can get from it.
Speaker 5 (41:41):
Hey, nobody told you you couldn't.
Speaker 6 (41:43):
So Denny Green is talking about and you have to
remember again the draft with Ben Roethlisberger and Eli Manning
and Philip Rivers, those are all available with the Cardinals
picking third, and at this point, the Cardinal's quarterback was
Josh McCown probably, and there were questions about Josh and
(42:07):
whether he was gonna you know, and Denny loved Josh.
He would talk him up all the time, and at
one point Denny Green said, we're not going to take
a quarterback third overall. Well, as a reporter, I had
that in this day, this is pre internet, so I
had a big banner headline the next day. Obviously the
other paper in town didn't have the story. So the
next day I came back. There were other writers here.
(42:30):
Ken Summer showed up, Bob bomb from the Associated Press,
and they get Denny Green to come down and talk
and they're trying to get him to say the same
thing again and he won't do it. And finally Bob
Bam says to him, kind of half jokingly, we're trying
to get you to say what you told Darren yesterday,
And Denny looked at him and he goes, that was yesterday.
Today is today.
Speaker 5 (42:51):
I tell you though, that was back in the days,
and we just talked about this where a quarterback wouldn't
always go number one, right, And we knew Denny's affinity
for Larry Fitzgerald, his former ball boy by the way
in Minnesota, so he knew Larry better than anyone and
fits as it came to be Once he did get drafted,
he showed up in the Cardinals locker room and there
was Nate Poole. Nate Poole heard it from Larry that
(43:15):
he cost him the number one pick overall.
Speaker 6 (43:17):
Oh yeah, And look, it's not like the Cardinals made
a poor pick by any stretch of the imagination. But
you do wonder a little bit what, Okay, Eli Manning
went number one and then Robert Gallery went number two.
But you wonder a little bit if they didn't take
Fits and they take Ben Roethlisberger or they take Philip Rivers,
how different does life with the Cardinals? You know happen?
Speaker 9 (43:38):
Now?
Speaker 6 (43:39):
The Cardinals make the two thousand and eight Super Bowl
because they get Kurt Warner, who has his career renaissance
throwing to Akwambolden and a very very good Larry Fitzgerald.
And the Cardinals don't make the Super Bowl unless Larry
has arguably the greatest performed postseason performance of any wide
receiver ever.
Speaker 5 (43:56):
So, and guess what, Kurt Warner doesn't end with the
Cardinals if Eli Manning and end up with the Giants.
Speaker 6 (44:01):
A true. So, although Eli wasn't drafted by the Giants,
he was drafted by the Chargers and they had to
make the trade for Philip Rivers. There was a lot
of intrigue without draft.
Speaker 5 (44:09):
Yeah, there's no doubt. Look, Nate Poole didn't have much
of a career after that. No always remembered for what
he did for the Green Bay Packers. Got the all
expenses pay trip in January to Green Bay, gladly because
he got a key to the city and everything else.
But they ended up changing the force out rule in
large part because of how that went down in the
(44:29):
end zone at Sun Devil Stadium.
Speaker 6 (44:31):
I had no question that it was a force out play.
And now you have to get feet down and if
a guy pushes you out of bounds your eye, that
touchdown does not count in today's NFL.
Speaker 5 (44:41):
So many memorable moments and memorable radio calls from that game.
One of the great historic moments in Cardinals history, and
it's been a pleasure reliving it, no doubt about it.
Miracle in the Desert Cardinals folk Tale special Thanks to
our Jim al Mahandro for Darren Urban. I'm Paul Calvic
(45:01):
once again. An Emmy Award winning series you can find
on the Cardinals YouTube page. One of many, and it's
been a pleasure telling you about it. Here on The
Big Red Rage presented by santan Ford in Gilbert.
Speaker 1 (45:21):
You've been listening to The Big Red Rage presented by
santan Ford and Gilbert right on the Price right on
the corner of the Santan two to two Freeway and Valvista.
The Rage is brought to you by seat Geek your
ticket to Great Seats, and by Arizona Cardinals Podcast. Visit
(45:41):
Azycardinals dot com slash podcast. This has been an exclusive
presentation of the Arizona Cardinals football Club
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