NEWSLETTER
Dennis Green’s “They Are Who We Thought They Were!” speech is an epic all-timer that will live on until the earth ceases to exist.
But the story behind the rant is only now beginning to be told.
As part of its Cardinals Folktales series on YouTube, the team shared behind-the-scenes stories capturing so much we didn’t we didn’t see from the Bears-Cardinals 2006 Monday Night Football contest and the post-game tirade that came after it. There are anecdotes from players, reporters, team executives, employees, and others who were a part of one of the most ridiculous moments in NFL history.
You’ve seen the rant. Heck, you’ve probably been quoting it for the better part of 15 years. Now, watch the story of the people who were living it with their first-hand accounts:
This was perfect. That video provides some awesome commentary and deeper perspective that I didn’t know I needed before now. Watching players, reporters, and team employees — all with unique memories of what that game and that moment was — share their experience was awesome.
We knew what this game meant for the Bears. That epic comeback, sparked by some hearty halftime speeches, launched Chicago’s football team to another stratosphere in a season that would ultimate end in a Super Bowl appearance. But until now, we didn’t get to see what things were like for the other side. And I’m sure glad we get to see it now, because it was worth the wait. If you sit down and think about it, this whole event had so many layers, and impacted so many different people that it’s wild to fully grasp.
C’mon, now. Who knew the third preseason game in August 2006 would spark a viral NFL moment that would become so big, Coors Light made it into a commercial:
With the Bears playing the Cardinals this week, this felt like an opportune time for Arizona’s social media team to share this moment. Here’s to making Kliff Kingsbury have one of his own on Sunday at Soldier Field.
