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10 May 2011
Cardinals' Alan Faneca to Retire
As announced by his agent today. I'm not sure who slides into the starting lineup for Arizona... Rex Hadnot? The Cardinals did not draft an offensive lineman this year.
26 comments, Last at 13 May 2011, 9:18pm by Pyrte
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» Four Downs: NFC West
Minor weaknesses dot these teams. Except for Arizona, which needs to bring in more help to really run Bruce Arians' offense.
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Re: Cardinals' Alan Faneca to Retire
http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/05/10/alan-faneca-retires/
I don't think I'm very surprised by this, but does he even know what his retirement pension is going to be? Isn't that up for debate here to?
Re: Cardinals' Alan Faneca to Retire
You don't think you're surprised by this? Or, You think you don't think you're surprised by this? Does that make you semi-suprised-ish? Way to go Peter King all over your own point.
Re: Cardinals' Alan Faneca to Retire
Like I said, and the first statement you said, I don't think I'm very surprised by this. I'm thinking my emotional level didn't really change whatsoever upon reading this concerning my surprise, but my emotional level did change in regards to football loosing a good, although seriously declining, player.
Re: Cardinals' Alan Faneca to Retire
My guess is that he looked at his body. Then looked at his family and then looked at his bank account.
I think that's when he realised that the lockout thing doesn't really matter to him.
Re: Cardinals' Alan Faneca to Retire
I wonder how many more retirements we will see? Staying in shape can be a real undertaking for older players even during normal offseasons. The longer the work stoppage drags on, more guys will start to think about life outside football.
And as things currently stand, would a player be allowed to tell his team ahead of time that he's planning on retiring? Or does he just need to make a public announcement when he's done?
Re: Cardinals' Alan Faneca to Retire
It's a lockout not a strike. The players can talk to the owners, coaches, staff, etc all they want. Those guys just can't talk back to the players. But as soon as a guy says "I'm retired." he's not a player anymore, so they can talk to him. I'm not a law talkin' guy though.
Re: Cardinals' Alan Faneca to Retire
In response to Faneca's retirement, John Skelton, Richard Bartel, Max Hall, and Derek Anderson all simultaneously announced their retirements as well.
Re: Cardinals' Alan Faneca to Retire
...at which point Faneca unretired in relief.
Re: Cardinals' Alan Faneca to Retire
I don't know about the paperwork needed to file for retirement, but I assume the key would be filing with the league, if that's the case, what does it actually mean to "announce your retirement" right now?
Re: Cardinals' Alan Faneca to Retire
it means "I can not sign with an NFL football team to play football, if I do my original team gets compensation."
Don't know about UFL or AFL.
Re: Cardinals' Alan Faneca to Retire
It saddens me that all the talk is about the lockout. Just a few years ago Faneca was a great player. One of the best guards in the league for years, awesome in power plays where he was good enough to seal his guy back inside for Willie Parker to blast outside and seal outside so Bettis could just turn upfield. One of the linemen it was good fun to look out for on replays.
Re: Cardinals' Alan Faneca to Retire
Even in his last year with the Jets he was a good run blocker and still exceptional at pulling. Still very fun to watch on replays. No so much on pass plays though.
Re: Cardinals' Alan Faneca to Retire
I was also impressed that he and his wife ran an ad in the Pittsburgh paper to thank the fans when he left. I hope he enjoys his retirement.
Re: Cardinals' Alan Faneca to Retire
In place of the lockout topic, here's my topic. Hall of Fame? Which class?
Re: Cardinals' Alan Faneca to Retire
Only 9 pro bowls.
It means you're the best of the best of the best. For 9 years of your 13 years playing, 9 seasons straight started.
He's not Bruce Matthews, but who comes closer?
He won a Superbowl. Oh yeah you made that key block for the longest Superbowl run ever, how many guards are remembered for that.
And the guy is a class act too.
Re: Cardinals' Alan Faneca to Retire
The thing about guards, though, is that it's really hard for them to get in. Even 9 Pro Bowls with a Super Bowl win doesn't make you a lock.
Re: Cardinals' Alan Faneca to Retire
I would *like* to think that in today's age, that would get you in. It always seems like analysts are going on about how OLinemen are under appreciated, and that they aren't given enough praise and complements on how vital they are to the success of a team. Given how much players, coaches, front office personnel, and the media seem to be paying attention to OLinemen now a days, won't that help his chances?
Re: Cardinals' Alan Faneca to Retire
Tackles yes, guards not necessarily. Randall McDaniel had to wait until his third year to get in, and he had the most impressive career of any guard in history besides Matthews. Walt Sweeney made 9 Pro Bowls and isn't in, Steve Wisniewski made 8. I was pretty shocked that Russ Grimm made it, although I suspect that he was inducted as a stand-in for the entire Hogs unit.
Was Faneca as good as Larry Allen? What about Will Shields, who has more Pro Bowls and higher Career AV than either of them (but fewer 1st team all-pros)? Off the cuff, I'd say Allen is a lock, Faneca will probably get in, and Shields will lag behind even though he's probably equally as deserving.
Re: Cardinals' Alan Faneca to Retire
I don't see Faneca getting in before the center he broke in next to, and the electors haven't rushed to enshrine Dermontti Dawson. As always, since there are no numbers beyond Pro Bowl/All-Pro selections that we can use for offensive linemen, any of them is going to have an uphill battle.
Re: Cardinals' Alan Faneca to Retire
I actually think Shields was the best of the three, but to me they're all no brainers. In the sense that I think they should get in, not that they will. Faneca perhaps just a step behind the other two (they're first balloters, to me, he's not necessarily, if you want to make that distinction).
Most under-rated lineman of this generation: Casey Wiegmann. Not a Hall of Famer, obviously, but a solitary pro-bowl appearance in the twilight of his career is a poor return for someone who was so good for so long, and played on the two best offensive lines of the decade.
Re: Cardinals' Alan Faneca to Retire
McDaniel was great, but I don't think he had a more impressive career than John Hannah. I'd probably put Larry Allen, Gene Upshaw and maybe two or three others ahead of McDaniel, too. Faneca will get in, but it wouldn't surprise me if he has to wait at least a year or two and he probably should have to. He was an outstanding run blocker for most of his career, but decent, at best, in pass pro. Still, he definitely deserves a bust in Canton. Look ahead a little, is Steve Hutchinson a HOF lock? I'm going to say yes, but he will probably also have a little bit of a wait.
Re: Cardinals' Alan Faneca to Retire
Kind of a dick move waiting until right after the draft to do this.
Re: Cardinals' Alan Faneca to Retire
Word on the street is he told the cards' front office he was going to retire a couple months ago.
Re: Cardinals' Alan Faneca to Retire
Maybe he would have told them earlier if they let him into the facilities.
Re: Cardinals' Alan Faneca to Retire
Given that he has epilepsy, this seems pretty wise.
Re: Cardinals' Alan Faneca to Retire
Well, it was time for Faneca, 13 years for a guard are enough, it's a brutal position. He was a great guard with 8 years in a row as Pro Bowl starter,and of course he deserve the Super Bowl ring with the Steelers.
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