I know that one person told me Manning's six-hour visit with the Cardinals went well. I know my co-host, John Gambadoro (@gambo620) tweeted earlier on Sunday that he was hearing Manning should be a Cardinals unless Bidwill screws it up and made a vague reference to a conference call. I know that Chris Mortensen and Adam Schefter wrote that it's highly unlikely Manning will make his decision by Tuesday, which is a bit of a game-changer.

I know that Vic Lombardi, a former Phoenix TV guy now in Denver, tweeted that the Broncos believed they were 95% sure they were going to get him, but then pulled that number off the table. I know Mortensen later tweeted that a Broncos official and a Manning source both shot that number down like a skeet shoot. I know that the Denver Post used the phrase "dog and pony show" to refer to the Cardinals' recruitment of Manning. I know that current Phoenix TV guy Tim Ring of Channel 3 tweeted that there no dogs and no ponies were involved in the Cards' recruitment of Manning.

I know that around 12:40, Jimmy John's was delivered for lunch.

In other words, while I'm enjoying all the speculation… I. Don't. Know. Jack.

Well, I do know this: I know that if a decision is indeed made sometime this week there shall be no middle ground. It will either be one of the most exhilarating days in the history of Arizona sports or one of the most heartbreaking days in the history of Arizona sports.

Of that I am completely certain.

Usually I'm not given to such hyperbole. I believe in the middle ground. I believe in not giving into extremism. But in this case it is unavoidable.

It's either going to be one of the best days of our sports-loving lives or one of the worst. No in between.

While emceeing Doug and Wolf's Cornhole Cup over the weekend, many asked what I thought was going to happen and I was surprised by my own answer; I think it could happen but don't want to believe it will because if it doesn't, I'll be crushed.

It's not a Paxson-hit-the-shot feeling or a Holmes-caught- the-ball moment but it won't be much fun. So I guess I'm keeping my distance so that I'm protected.

Just call it emotional insurance.

Should he choose someone else, the guy I'll feel for the most is Kevin Kolb. I don't feel too badly for him now. For goodness sakes, it's Peyton Manning, what does he expect? But if the Cardinals finish with the silver or the bronze in this race, then the residue of that heartbreak is going to be on him, and that's unfair.

Malone: What are you prepared to do?

Ness: Everything within the law.

Malone: And then what are you prepared to do?

As I try to wrap my mind around a world in which the Arizona Cardinals might be the leader in the clubhouse for the services of THE Peyton Manning, I have to ask myself the same question of them. What are you prepared to do?

Are you prepared to go blow-for-blow, dollar-for-dollar with three of the richest owners the league has to offer in Stephen Ross, Paul Allen and Daniel Snyder? Are you prepared to look Kevin Kolb in the eye and tell him you're moving on? Are you prepared to have lost a second round draft pick, a pro bowl cornerback, and millions of dollars for what amounted to half of a season of Kolb?

Are you prepared to blindly commit to Manning not knowing for certain his neck will hold up, his nerves will regenerate and his arm strength will return? Are you prepared to start John Skelton if Manning is not all the way back by the start of the season? Are you prepared to cede control of the offense to the quarterback instead of the coaches?

What are you prepared to do?

It seems to me that those who dismiss the Cardinals chances of landing Manning do so based on the presumption the Cardinals aren't willing to do what it takes. Acquiring Manning requires thinking boldly, embracing risk and seizing the moment; traits not normally associated with the historically color-by-numbers Arizona Cardinals. Some look at the Cardinals the way Connery looks at Costner, saying - as Connery does - "do you really want to get him?"

I think it's a mistake to use fear as the rationale for rejecting the Cardinals chances. There is a tendency - maybe even a natural instinct - to dispatch the Cardinals for no other reason other than…..they're the Cardinals. That mantra has been properly applied for decades; for me its expiration date has long since come and gone. If the Cards discover Manning has legitimate interest in bringing his talents to the southwest, I'm certain they'll proceed with the kind of fervor that any other NFL team would. The prospect is simply too good to pass up.

It would be bigger than Randy Johnson to the Diamondbacks. Bigger than Steve Nash to the Suns. Bigger than Roenick to the Coyotes. It would rival Charles Barkley to the Suns and frankly, I think I could make a convincing argument it would surpass Barkley to the Suns in terms of its impact. Bigger star on a bigger stage. Oh yeah, there's that little matter of becoming an instant Super Bowl contender.

Maybe the Cardinals aren't on Manning's short list. Maybe their offensive line is too suspect or Manning (as Marshall Faulk suggested) doesn't want to play in the NFC because one day he wants to play his brother in a Super Bowl.

But if you dismiss the Arizona Cardinals because they're the Arizona Cardinals, you do so at your own risk.

However……

Is it totally unreasonable to suggest that some sort of mind game to push Young is being staged here? After all, this is a front office that entertained offers for Justin Upton last year and a manager who waited until the end of spring to formally anoint Joe Saunders a part of his starting rotation. Young hit .193 in the second half of the season and .216 away from home. Despite his status as a superior defensive centerfielder in a ballpark that demands such a skill, is the perceived threat of competition their way of pushing him to be better? Likely this idea is more media blahblahblah than anything else, but while you could certainly accuse the previous regime for their delicate coddling of their players, one cannot say the same about Gibson or Kevin Towers.

• Two respected national baseball writers chimed in with their "top stories of the spring columns". Both Jeff Passan of Yahoo! and Tom Verducci of SI think Albert Pujols' new address is topic number one. Passan thinks Bryce Harper is #2 while Verducci thinks it's trying to identify this year's turnaround team in the mold of the D-backs a year ago. I want to do a little homework before I pick that turnaround team though I admit to being intrigued by the Rockies. Anyway, my #2 story this spring is Yu Darvish of the Rangers; he has the potential to be a game- changer. Passan has him 9th.

• The next couple of weeks are going to be really interesting for former D-backs manager Bob Melvin. Evaluating the $36 million dollar international man of mystery Yoenis Cespedes, managing the player who virtually single-handedly crushed the D-backs hopes of a 2008 division title in Manny Ramirez and putting up with all of the stories of Oscar night with his boss Billy Beane, Brad and Angie. Here's hoping that whoever plays BoMel in the sequel Moneyball 2: Mannyball is a little more suave and savvy than Phillip Seymour Hoffman.

The 2011 New York Giants accomplished a feat that the 2008 Arizona Cardinals were two minutes and 37 seconds away from achieving themselves: winning the Super Bowl as a 9-7 team. Bear in mind, only three such teams have even made it to the Super Bowl (the 1979 L.A. Rams being the third), but the Giants became the first to win the game. Not only that, no team has ever won an NFL championship with a winning percentage as low as the G-men.

Look at what we've witnessed in the last calendar year: The Green Bay Packers, 8-6 and in danger of missing the playoffs, runs a six game win streak all the way to the trophy that bears their legend's name. The 5th-seeded Arizona Wildcats, having already disposed of top seed Duke, were two points from crashing the Final Four party along with Butler (an 8 seed) and VCU (an 11 who disposed of top seed Kansas). The Dallas Mavericks, and their 57 wins, were no slouches but neither were they anybody's favorite to win a title. St. Louis Cardinals -- 10 ½ back. What else do I have to say? Alright, I'll give you one more. LSU was the best college football team all year; the best record against the best competition. But on January 9th they weren't and that's all that mattered.

2011 was the Year of the Hot. A year where being the best and playing the best were two completely different things. Were the New York Giants the best team in the NFL in 2011? Absolutely not. Were they the team playing the best when it absolutely mattered? Tuesday's parade provides the answer.

Parallels could be drawn between the 2011 Giants and 2008 Cardinals right up until the moment when Brady's Hail Mary fell to the turf on Sunday. Certainly luck was involved too. For the Cardinals, it was a home game against the Eagles in the NFC title game. For the Giants, it meant avoiding the Saints under the dome.

But make no mistake, all the blahblahblahs that are thrown around during the NFL playoffs - defense wins championships, you have to have an elite quarterback, homefield advantage - none of them mean squat compared to a hot team. The Giants proved it this year (and in '08), the Packers proved it a year ago and the Cardinals were 2:37 from proving it three years ago.

Just about every guy they kept with an extended contract was a waste of money. Just about every guy they traded blossomed. Brandon Webb happened. A.J. Hinch happened. Manny Ramirez in Dodger Blue happened. Seasons of 90-plus losses happened.

This time a year ago, some were saying the Diamondbacks roster was the least talented in the National League. Yeah, that was just a year ago. Now, a writer like Buster Olney says the World Series is a possibility.

The D-backs' hot streak continued Tuesday with news of Prince Fielder signing with the Tigers. A major deal for Prince that serves as a minor victory for Arizona; one of the best players in the game just vacated the National League. Just like Albert Pujols bolting to the Angels.

The offseason has been nothing short of incredible for the Arizona Diamondbacks. In addition to bringing just about everybody back from last year's 94-win campaign, they added Trevor Cahill to upgrade the rotation, Jason Kubel to provide needed pop in the lineup and Takashi Saito and Craig Breslow to deepen the bullpen. With the surprising re-signing of Joe Saunders, the D-backs now possess four starters who are capable of 200-plus innings. Now, Kevin Towers has the luxury of bringing along his young starters at a pace dictated by him and not by necessity. The front office green lighted a higher than expected payroll, a sure sign of a go-for-it-now mentality.

Certainly luck has been involved as well. Pujols is now in the AL West. Prince in the AL Central. Ryan Braun might be suspended for the first 50 games of the season. Ryan Howard is hurt and the Phillies, at least offensively, look old. The Dodgers are currently ownerless, which is certainly a blessing; they might have been in on both of the first baseman if they had an owner who could spend.

At this point the only negative, and it's not as much a negative as it is an unknown, is the health of Stephen Drew. Some might argue the departure of Jarrod Parker or the demotion of Gerrardo Parra as negatives. I'm more inclined to buy the latter and not the former. Cahill is not much older than Parker and already has around 600 big league innings. He makes them better now. The Parra/Kubel debate is a good one and the pressure is on Kubel to prove he's worth it.

Either way, it's been a great offseason. And as the Prince signing proves, it pays to be lucky and good.

One song on your iPod that you're embarrassed to own. One song that, when it blares out of your car stereo, up go the windows.

When George belts out "I won't let you down...I will not give you up" there is an internal acknowledgement; I should not have this song on my iPod/I cannot imagine my iPod without it.

The talk about Peyton Manning to the Arizona Cardinals is similarly equal parts shame and love. As irrational and speculative as it is, I simply can't rise above it. I can't stop thinking about it.

On some level, I agree with Darren Urban of azcardinals.com who has written that it's not even worth discussing. He's right. It's absurd speculation. Like that movie "Inception" it's a dream within a dream within a dream. A healthy Peyton Manning getting cut by the Indianapolis Colts and wanting to play for the Arizona Cardinals. Yeah, sure. Sorry Leo, that top is going spin for the rest of eternity.

So why the fixation, beyond of course the pure desire that I want it to be real? I blame Doug Franz and Ron Jaworski:

Franz because he planted the seed of an idea. When Charlie Casserly reports the Manning camp hasn't had any discussions with the Colts about his future the natural follow up question in that off-the-record chat is…well where would he want to go if he isn't with the Colts? Casserly tells a national audience that the Cardinals are a dark horse candidate for Manning because somebody from Manning's camp told him that. Casserly didn't pluck the Cards out of thin air. He was handed that information.

Part 2, I blame Jaws for what he told me on Thursday. Andrew Luck is so good, so NFL ready right now; he has to play right away. He's too good to sit.

Suddenly the absurd speculation turns to a semi-logical timeline. The Colts, armed with the number one pick, stand on the precipice of a new era. A new coach, new GM and new quarterback poised to shift into the next decade with very little down time in between. You're not sure Manning is healthy and what sense does it make to pay him $28 million when you probably should be starting Luck anyway. All you're doing is paying a lot of money to delay the inevitable. Now Manning is free. Show me another opportunity that provides the warmth, weather, facility, stability, style of offense and most importantly…Larry Fitzgerald. Without him the Cardinals aren't in the conversation.

So for now I'll enjoy the song even though I have no business listening to it. Like George sang "All we have to do now is take these lies and make them true somehow…"

It's apt that he used the word "equity." In that regard, Whisenhunt is a lot like my house; both have lost a ton of equity. The big difference is he got his back. I can only hope my house (and yours, for that matter) regains its equity the way Ken Whisenhunt has.

After a 1-6 start you would have thought his office chair was lined with hot coals. Speculation ran wild. The inboxes and twitter accounts of local talk show hosts and writers filled daily with calls for Whisenhunt's job. It should have been, and was, evident that nothing was going to happen in 2011; his contract simply didn't allow for a change right now. But in all that noise it was clear...Ken Whisenhunt had used up all his equity with the fans.

The noise is gone. Predictably the "Whiz has gotta go" emails dried up weeks ago. And in that silence of marveling at a team that is playing relevant meaningful games in the month of December, one thing is very clear to me:

Outside of the Super Bowl year, Ken Whisenhunt has never done a better job as coach of the Cardinals than he has in 2011.

This team was toast. Dead. Buried. At 1-6, a three or four win season was a fait accompli. It was only a matter of time until the locker room checked out, sick of the losing culture that proved tougher to shake than the cold I'm fighting through right now.

But none of it happened. Nobody quit. Nobody stopped. The outside static remained outside. Adjustments were made, schemes were learned and draft picks were validated, all while Whisenhunt held it all together with duct tape.

Think about it….they've managed to make it all the way back to .500 with the quarterback situation just as muddled and unsure as it's ever been.

In case you need further proof, consider this: as my colleague Dan Bickley points out in his column , if the Cardinals win one of these last two games, Whisenhunt will have coached the Cardinals to a .500 record or better in four of his five seasons here.

Put in context of the Cardinals history or in the context of today's helter-skelter NFL, it's a remarkable achievement.

Now when TV graphic lists the Arizona Cardinals as one of the teams "In the Hunt" for a playoff spot I won't laugh it off. They are. Legitimately, miraculously, inexplicably, the Cardinals are in the hunt for an NFC playoff spot.

You are now allowed to think about it. It's probably only slightly less of a long shot than it was when the day began, but now that they've beaten the best team remaining on their schedule - ending a five game losing streak to hated division rival San Francisco - you have my blessing to at least ponder the possibility of a postseason.

More important than even the faint notion of the playoff is that the Cardinals finally punched their personal schoolyard bully square in the nose. The last four losses to the Niners were so lopsided even the Arizona players were questioning the validity of terming this rivalry...a rivalry. And to me, the real victory is such; the Cardinals -- once 1-6 -- could/should finish 8-8. That's remarkable.

Credit to Coach Ken Whisenhunt, who reminded the media "You guys stuck a fork in us quite a while ago." We all did. That is, everybody but your team. Keeping this team from quitting has earned you the right to throw a jab in my direction, no doubt.

While I attempt to un-stick the fork, let's veer into Four Down Territory.

First Down: Defense

Ray Horton's group was like a Tarantino movie. Stunning. Awesome. A brutal assault. In the second half, the Niners had two first downs. One was the Frank Gore touchdown run. The other came via a penalty. And that's it. The net yards of the 49ers final six drives: 2, 8, 20, 8, 4, 9. Five sacks for the game. I can't recall a time when a Cardinals defensive unit was this trustworthy with a lead.

Second Down: Skelton

The Cardinals overcame his three turnovers (two interceptions and one fumble) in part because of their defense and because Skelton made plays. Big plays. Pressed into duty with Kevin Kolb's head injury, Skelton was 14-18 with 195 yards, two touchdowns and a pick in the second half. And as colleague Adam Green points out….his fourth quarter passer rating was a perfect 158.3.

Third Down: Larry Fitzgerald

When he reflects on the win, does Fitz ponder his leaping touchdown, his 149 yards receiving, his 6th season amassing over a thousand yards receiving? Or is it the block that flattened Tarell Brown on Early Doucett's 60 yard touchdown?

Fourth Down: Harbaugh's headache

His beautiful fake field goal was ruined by a Whisenhunt challenge flag and a faulty replay system. His offense sputtered like a cranky old car in the red zone (0-3 in red zone efficiency, 0-2 in goal to go efficiency). He asked Alex Smith to throw the ball 37 times which hardly seems a recipe for success and he didn't give the ball to Frank Gore on either 3rd and one or 4th and one late in the game. Bad day at the office.

I'll be honest…after that dish the Cardinals served up on Sunday, I feel like I had a pretty good meal. I have only one complaint. Granted, it's a pretty significant complaint, but it's only one. And, let's be frank, the Cardinals did just beat the St. Louis Rams, the restaurant equivalent of serving a hamburger; you have to work pretty hard to screw that up.

Still, as we head into four down territory, it seems that was one of the most complete games the Cardinals have played in some time.

First Down

Beanie Wells, who set a franchise record with 228 yards, was otherworldly at times. At times, I've been a Beanie- basher, never questioning his toughness but certainly questioning his fragility and availability. Beanie is answering those questions and shutting his critics up. Twice you held your breath, once when Beanie headed to the bench and then when his entire team came onto the field to check on him, an injury that prompted many on twitter to predict his season was over. 53 yards later it was clear rumors of his demise were greatly exaggerated.

Second Down

Maybe Patrick Peterson….The Cornerback is still under construction. Patrick Peterson….The Punt Returner is a finished product. A game-changer in the mold of Devin Hester. And the effort to get him the ball in the Wildcat offense is applauded from here. He needs the ball in his hands as often as possible.

Third Down The defense was smothering. Sam Acho, Daryl Washington, Paris Lenon all had terrific games. They routinely got stops on third down and never allowed the Rams to sustain long drives. If the Cardinals take nothing else from the 2011 season, take the fact they finally have a legit defensive coordinator in Ray Horton.

Fourth Down

The one complaint on this otherwise complete day of football…..the sketchy play of John Skelton. He lacked accuracy and frankly I am wondering if his confidence is shaken and stirred. I am all for playing Skelton as long as he gives you a reason to. For some, his 3-1 record when he starts is that reason. But with Kevin Kolb's return getting closer by the practice and the way Skelton has played the last couple of weeks, I'm starting to run out of reasons.

Things that are too good to be true.

It's banter straight out of the old $10,000 Pyramid game show.

There is a reason it was difficult to believe what you were seeing in the first half of the Cards/Ravens game. We are, after all, seasoned, experienced Cardinals fans; expecting the worst and hoping for the best is passed down among generations. How they lost is stunning. That they lost isn't.

The benefits from a potential signature victory over the Ravens are hard to quantify. Certainly some buzz would have been restored. Instead the Cards are 1-6 and the great tune-out of 2011 is set to begin any moment now. Here are my four main thoughts from this game, as we enter (cue dramatic music) four down territory.

First Down: The Big Tease

From 9:07 to 3:52 in the second quarter the Cardinals were stunningly good. Pressure on the quarterback from the young Cardinals linebackers, forcing turnovers, turning those miscues into touchdowns, pocket presence from Kevin Kolb, protection up front, Patrick Peterson's jaw dropping punt return for a touchdown. During those remarkable five minutes and 15 seconds the Cardinals were like a defibrillator, shocking a pulse back into themselves and their fan base. The whole thing felt like a dream. Maybe it was.

Second Down: Surprise, Surprise

Credit where credit is due: I never thought Beanie Wells would be available for this game after suffering the knee injury. Instead he played and played well at the beginning of the game. He appeared to wear down as the game went on but the fact that he played was commendable.

Third Down: That loud beeping noise you heard……

….was the Cardinals going in reverse in the second half. In every phase. The offense gained only 56 yards in the 2nd half while the Ravens racked up 249 yards after halftime. Kevin Kolb was under intense duress all while holding the ball in a manner that practically invited someone to knock it out of his hands, receivers dropped balls. All told, Kolb threw for only 27 yards in the second half. The Ravens, meanwhile, went into a shotgun formation and shredded the Cardinals defense, which leads us to……

Fourth Down: Today's game brought to you by the letter Q

Anquan Boldin dismantled A.J. Jefferson, Patrick Peterson and Richard Marshall to the tune of seven targets, five catches and 117 yards in the second half. Not to mention the number of flags he drew or the personal satisfaction he seemed to take in the dominance over his former employer. Meanwhile, Larry Fitzgerald was targeted only five times the entire game with three catches for 98 yards.