Does Jonathan Gannon want Cardinals to light their gut fire on the bus or in their car?

Arizona Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon's speech about finding a fire in the gut via car and bus is confusing. And it went viral.

BY HABOOB BLOG

Sep 1, 2023, 10:55 AM

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Arizona Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon is catching strays on social media Friday morning a little unfairly.

An edited teaser of the team-produced Cardinals Flight Plan series sent out Thursday night by ESPN’s Adam Schefter begins with players listening to an early morning speech by Gannon during training camp.

“Welcome back. Who drove over here?” Gannon asks his players. “Quick, lemme see your hands. Who took the bus? Do you have a fire in your gut? Did you?”

Huh?

“We’re here for a reason,” Gannon says next. “Don’t get that twisted. We’re here for a reason: to win games. So if you didn’t have a fire under your gut, you better light the fire pretty fast. Be who you are, just understand I’m looking for (expletive) killers.”

Cardinals’ HC Jonathan Gannon tries to set the tone for the season in the latest episode of #CardsFlightPlan, “Coach and the Coordinators”.

Now available on Cardinals YouTube channel: https://t.co/c6IWkLjvlw pic.twitter.com/sXbislaAFv

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 1, 2023

I watched this and was sure that he wanted his players to drive themselves.

Then I watched it again and was sure Gannon wants his players to take the bus.

Now I've watched it eight times in a row and I know absolutely nothing. https://t.co/dz9ZxYDdXo

— Bill Barnwell (@billbarnwell) September 1, 2023

That is an edited-down version of the full start of the Flight Plan episode, which focuses on Gannon and his top assistants: offensive coordinator Drew Petzing, defensive coordinator Nick Rallis and special teams coordinator Jeff Rodgers.

And it is very confusing!

You would think the players taking the team bus would be on time. They would be spending those few minutes with their teammates! That’s good, we think.

But maybe the players taking their own cars came early, to put in extra work. Or do the players have to drive themselves if they are running late?

Gannon is not talking about the actual Valley Metro bus. Right?

In his defense, the 62 bus will take you from downtown Tempe directly to the Cardinals practice facility. If this is a convenient or viable option for players or how their choice of transportation relates to the amount of “fire in their gut” are different questions entirely. https://t.co/BMXrEmjjKY pic.twitter.com/T1BByF9K2O

— Norm Charlatan (@normcharlatan) September 1, 2023

He’s speaking metaphorically, most likely. Or does he have a deal with fire-in-gut-relieving-solution Pepto Bismol?

Again, that video is edited. It is out of context. The full version is a little more clear. Gannon wants the Cardinals to be on time, be accountable toward one another and study as a habit.

You can study riding the bus. Unless you drive yourself early — in a car.