It’s official, the love of my life Arizona Cardinals leading quarterback Kurt Warner declared his retirement today. The only thing left to do is pray he pulls a Favre and returns anyway in the fall.

As most of you know, Kurt is my absolute favorite NFL quarterback. I’ve only mentioned him in about, oh, 350 out of the 450 articles published to date. He’s even been the main feature of quite a few of those!

When I first started Stiletto Sports, I knew quite a bit about football but had not pledged alligance to any team. But last year, the Cardinals end-of-season Cinderella story and Super Bowl run endeared me to them and I became a Cardinals girl. And my love carried through this season.

In a lot of ways, you could say that Kurt made me a football fanatic. I was only mildly interested before, and even running a sports website had not made me all excited about the thought of 17 Sundays of Football. But Kurt did. It opened my eyes to watching the game—and no, not just because he is hot. I started to really get into the plays and understanding the teams offense and defense–something I never thought I would give a rats ass about. Nothing made me happier every Sunday than watching Kurt complete a pass to Larry Fitzgerald.

When they were knocked out of the post-season by the NFC Champs New Orleans Saints, I was devastated. But that doesn’t compare to how sad I am today!

Backup QB Matt Leinart is expected to step up to fill in the role.  I am excited for Matty. He was an excellent QB at USC (where Mr Mark Sanchez just came from!) and I do love him. But no one can compare to Kurt in my mind. A great leader. A great QB. A great man.

Farewell.

The Kurt Warner Story

Unfortunately I have to cut, what was about to be an amazing tribute to Kurt, short, because of some crisis at my day job. Because apparently I am an on-call doctor now.

For more about Kurt and my love for him, check out SportsMan of Style: Kurt Warner and Sporstmen of style: Arizona Cardinals

Also, AJC.com has a great tribute farewell piece about him too!

And of course, ESPN’s Goodbye Kurt Warner piece

Arizona Cardinals Beloved Quarterback Kurt Warner Officially Retires is a post from: Stiletto Sports

steelers win! the new catch!

craziest touchdown catch ever!!

steelers win 6th super bowl

start of 4th: pitts 20-7

2min left: pitts field goal, 20-7 steelers

technically roughing the punter. unneccessary roughness call against arizona. seriously, worst rule ever. steelers had scored field goal—foul gave them automatic first down and attempt at a touchdown with 3 min left in third

7min left in 3rd. Roughing passer call against cardinals. reaffirming my beleive that this is a stupid stupid rule

Halftime score: 17-7 steelers

It was the longest play in Super Bowl history. No one has ever had a 100 yard return—it counts

controversey on the play. James Harrison ran it back. Did he make it or not? Trying to decide if ball or knee was on the ground before hitting the goal—there was no more time on the clock.

:18 remain in half, Arizona throws ball away, and the Steelers run the ball all the way back–100 yards—for a touchdown. I have to say, it was pretty freaking ridiculous even though I was going for the Cards.

“Warner in the post season has been fabulous” Madden’s words, not mine!

Fitzy is powering down the field!!!  cards keep advancing and making the first downs!

2:00 Cardinal interception!! wooohoooooo

On a side….it is sooooo cool to see Tampa on tv! And I get all startled every time they say Raymond James Stadium!

10-7 Steelers

8:30 remain in 2nd: TOUCHDOWN CARDINALS!!! WOOOO

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The weather is warm (well to the visitors anyway). The beer is cold. The food is great. And the game has finally started!

I didn’t go to the actual game just so I could be here bringing you live up dates here from Tampa! That and no one would buy me a ticket!

But anway, prepare yourself for some interesting updates as the game goes on—and as I begin to really enjoy my Super Bowl Party!

Oh and I’ll also be updating some of the Super Bowl Commericals to Google first thing Monday Morning!

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First Quarter:

Steelers are currently up 3-0. I’m going to go get all settled in so I might miss a bit. But I will be back and I’ll be on top of all this!

Super Bowl Live Updates from Tampa is a post from: Stiletto Sports

And the Pittsburgh Steelers win! 23-14!

The Super Bowl is  set: Steelers vs Arizona Cardinals!

Live Update: Steelers Win AFC Championship is a post from: Stiletto Sports

Here’s what’s going on in the AFC Championship Game between the Baltimore Ravens and the Pittsburgh Steelers!

1:11: Steelers with interception! They are going to the Superbowl!

4:24:

Pittsburgh Scores Touchdown! 23-14 with only 4 min to go!

Whole bunch of craziness! Flacco was sacked in one play and then the pass was picked off by some guy with the biggest poofball of curly hair you have ever seen! and I can say that because my hair totally gets like that without hair gel. Troy Polamalu….or something like that!!

9:26

touchdown ravens!!!! there was some foul on the play before—no idea what it meant or what it was but it moved the ravens 20yrs up the field. This is like that game Cups that Chandler made up in Friends or Bamboozled! All sorts of weird crazy rules and prizes!!!  Ravens within 2! 14-16

Entering the 4th Quarter:

After extensive…..research…..(prompted by Akirah from Quarter-Life-Lady and her love of the Steelers) I have reconsidered the facts and have decided to change my pick to The Pittsburgh Steelers. Nothing to do with score, I swear! They have hot guys. I just didn’t know before. Thanks Akirah!

3rd Quarter: encroachment call

according to wikipedia that is “Encroachment is when a defensive player enters the neutral zone and by his movment makes an offensive player jump.” Um….. okay. That sounds like something that needs to be called. STUPID RULES! See also: roughing the kicker.

We are at the half. A quick rundown of what’s going on been going on in the first half:

• Pittsburgh struck early, scoring their first field goal early in the first quarter. Score: 3-0
• They had another field goal with about six minutes left in the first. Score: 6-0
• The Steelers scored right away in the second quarter. Their touchdown came off of a 65 yard pass from the ugly QB Ben Roethlisberger. Score: 13-0
• The Ravens finally struck back right before the 2 minute warning with a touchdown! Score: 13-7

A whole lot of weird stuff happened after that. Amazing catches. And then a “roughing the kicker call” which has to 1. be the dumbest call in the world under and circumstance**and 2. so not true in this case. Kicker just fell down due to slippery snow.***

**Dumb because hello, it’s freaking football. Players get tackled. Deal with it you wuss.

Does anyone else find it really strange to see it snowing during the football game? I’m sitting here with windows open and a T-shirt…

Live Update: AFC Championship Game at Halftime is a post from: Stiletto Sports

Cardinals win 32-25!!!!!!!!

Yeah baby!!! WOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am rocking on this freaking picks!!!!

Check back later or tomorrow for the full game recap!

Cardinals Win NFC Championship! is a post from: Stiletto Sports

Here’s what we have going on with the match-up between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Arizona Cardinals:

Yeah they didn’t convert. Cardinals take over with under a minute to go!

2:00 warning: Philly fails to make it down the field. They are 4th and….well, let’s just say they are not  4th and Goal.

2:40 two point conversion good! arizona leads 31-25 if my math was right

2:53 ARIZONA TOUCHDOWN!!!!!

4:17

Arizona: First and Goal! Hightower powered down the field!

10:45 remain

WOW! The craziest touchdown ever by Philly! A major ball juggling that looked like a clown routine by Shawn Jackson (player name right???). It was crazier because of his dance into the end zone!

Philly takes the lead with 10:45 left to go!

2-pt conversion no good.

25-24 Philly!

NOT HAPPY! I’m going back to target…. they were winning the whole time I was gone. I better stop watching

Fourth Quarter Update:

Ok, sorry I missed live updating the other quarters but a girl has to grocery shop every once and awhile!

Cardinals dominated the game from the beginning and jumped to an early and commanding lead.

And then the Eagles woke up and started fighting back. They scored 13 points in 3:19.

A minute left in the 3rd: BAM! Phillies TD! Brought the score to 24-19 heading into the 4th! Extra point was no good. Kicker is apparently totally sucking tonight.

Right now they are trying to determine who has possession of the ball. Don’t ask!

Live Update: NFC Championship Fourth Quarter! is a post from: Stiletto Sports

Are you freaking serious?! Arizona is out of control! I actually thought Carolina had already scored and then looked up and realized they were going for 4th down.  They were 4th and goal and then a HUGE interception in the end zone!

Arizona picked the ball out of the air with 14:00 left in the game, take possession again!

Live Update: 4th quarter Cardinals/Panther NFC Playoffs is a post from: Stiletto Sports

Shut the f*&%^E$%^^& up! Cardinals are totally kicking tushie!

Major interception around the 7:00 mark in the 3rd quarter and the C’s booked it down the field to the Panthers 25 yard line!

Resulted in field goal

Arizona 30 Carolina 7

Carolina has possession heading into the 4th and is in the midst of powerful drive down the field. They have, what, 15 minutes to catch up?

Come on C’s!

Live Update: 3rd Quarter Cardinals/Panthers NFC Playoffs is a post from: Stiletto Sports

I am so good at this picks thing!

Carolina heads to the locker rooms down by 20 points!

I know I shouldn’t say it because I could jinx the game but Arizona is showing total domination across the boards!

Score: 27-7 Arizona

Halftime Report: Cardinals-Panthers NFC Playoffs is a post from: Stiletto Sports

Ravens 13 Titans 10

QB Joe Flacco becomes first rookie QB to win two playoff games.

Gotta run he’s doing and interview and he is so cute!

Live Update: Ravens Win AFC Playoff! is a post from: Stiletto Sports