Loss could fuel QB's return

Loss could fuel QB's return
February 2
Arizona Republic columnist Paola Boivin

"Somewhere in the worn black Bible Kurt Warner clutches after games must be a Scripture that says, "Thou shall not underestimate the brilliance of the Pittsburgh Steelers."

Our Lady of Perpetual Miracles closed its doors on the Cardinals on Sunday night in the Super Bowl. They were gutsy, driven, determined. They also were sloppy, nervous, inconsistent.

In the end, they simply weren't good enough.

For everything Warner has given the team this season, it seemed unjust that the quarterback would end up on his back for his final play of the game.

He stayed on the ground for a few extra seconds, the prizefighter after the 10-count. He rose slowly, walked to the bench and dropped his head.

The old man and the sea of black-and-gold defenders dueled all game. For much of the second half, Warner was brilliant, completing 10 consecutive passes in one stretch and finding Larry Fitzgerald for a 64-yard scoring play with less than three minutes remaining in the game to put the Cardinals ahead.

But soon the clock ran out on the man who tricked Father Time all season.

As Warner walked off the field, Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger found him and said, "It was an honor to be on field with you."

Roethlisberger went on to tell him that Warner's autobiography inspired him to be a better quarterback.

They were kind words, but they didn't do much to ease Warner's mind. He was crushed. He came into this game convinced that the Cardinals would walk away with a victory.

Who could blame him? The way the team's postseason unfolded, it seemed destined for another comeback.

What will this loss do to him?

"I don't know if I'm going to play next year," he said. "I haven't thought about that. I'm going to enjoy what we accomplished as a football team. I'm going to enjoy this great game we just played in, and I'm going to take some time away from the game and make that decision."

Will it leave a bad enough taste to make him want to avoid the agony of defeat again? Warner has a life outside football fuller than most. Seven kids. His charities. His faith.

Or will it leave him hungry for more?"
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