Talking ex-quarterbacks on a Tuesday afternoon, since it doesn’t seem like were close to the time when the Cards can acquire their 2011 version:
– Writing about Neil Lomax – and more importantly, seeing “Greg” on the comments refer to The Grand Cannon – reminded me of my brush with Lomax before Lomax ever played a down in Arizona. It was the summer of 1988, the Cardinals had just moved to the Valley, and my best friend Todd had gotten me some part-time work for an outfit called “Events With Tents.” Basically, the company erected giant open tents and then put on whatever event might be held. We’d help with whatever was going on under the tent.
In this case, Lomax was signing autographs for a home builder. So in the heat of June or July – at least, I’m pretty sure it was then, and it was hot – Todd and I drove out to the middle of the desert in Todd’s car that had no air conditioning to hang out with Lomax under a tent. We had lemonade to serve, but I remember very few people showing up over the two-hour deal. So mostly, we had random conversation with Lomax as he asked us about going to college and we talked to him about football. Plus he signed a giant poster of himself for each of us – Lomax standing in uniform on the edge of the state’s greatest natural monument, with three words at the bottom: “The Grand Cannon.”
(A quick aside for those who live locally: Todd and I both lived in Scottsdale and in those days, freeway travel was infrequent because the Valley didn’t have many. Plus there was little reason to go south for us. I remember getting on I-10 toward the development, going south and as we got off the exit where there seemed to be nothing but dirt everywhere, I said to Todd, “Ray Road? Who the heck would ever want to live out here?” I remember that every time I am stuck in traffic at Ray and the freeway.)
– This morning, Kurt Warner tweeted out his big day, noting part of it was rehab – which gave me pause. Rehab? The man hasn’t played NFL football since that day in New Orleans in January, 2010. I know he took a beating all those years, but …
Turns out Kurt said he still has tendinitis from his “Dancing With The Stars” stint. At least he was honest. It’s becoming clear that show can be health-hazardous, for football players and their partners.
