The Arizona Cardinals had a great season in 2015, going 13-3 and reaching the NFC Championship game.
But after losing 49-15 in to the Panthers on Sunday, the team did not receive a hero’s welcome back in Phoenix. In fact, only two fans, DJ Michael Gonzales and Ana Rojas, greeted the Cardinals at the airport Monday morning, according to 12 News.
Gonzales shot video on his phone of the players leaving the airport as he and Rojas yelled out thank you to each car that passed by.
They want the Cards to know they appreciate their effort.
“It’s a little sad to see them coming back in a different situation, you know, because last time when they came back from Philadelphia it was happier,” said Gonzales.
“They were grateful,” said Rojas. “They rolled down their windows and said thank you, waved, all of them waved, thumbs up, it was cool.”
Gonzales said he felt like they had to show up.
“That’s the least we could do as fans, show some support, even if it was just only two out here,” he said. “I bet it felt great just to see two faces out here, rather than no faces out here.”
Maybe the players were happier to see two faces instead of none, but the scene probably wouldn’t have seemed quite as pathetic if there were no fans.
We have to hand it to Gonzales and Rojas for being highly devoted fans, even if they’re not quite as hard-core as the guy who got a Cardinals logo tattooed over a Super Bowl 50 logo.
With a close loss Sunday, the Cardinals and their fans might have been able to take this season as a memorable campaign with a disappointing, but given the whooping they took at the hands of the Panthers, anyone affiliated with the team probably wants to put football out of his mind for a while.
