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Max Hall Bandwagon Suddenly Lighter, But Now More Mobile, Say Riders

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The Max Hall bandwagon started up in late June, with the extended Hall family, most of Mesa and some local columnists. It was such a meet cute -- plucky undrafted, undersized local kid meets fan base missing its former plucky, undrafted quarterback. Can't blame some for getting carried away in the happily-ever-after.

Arizona Cardinals, QB Max Hall feel each other's presence
Just like his uncle and grandfather (Wilford "Whizzer" White), men who played in the NFL and reside in ASU's Hall of Fame, there is something special about Hall. He's small by NFL standards (6-foot-1, 205 pounds) and went undrafted after a record-setting career at Brigham Young University. Yet he's full of swagger, determination and a lot of other good stuff. He's hungry. You can feel it. He's smart. You can hear it. He carries a bit of that Kurt Warner magic, a stout inner-belief anchored by deep religious faith that no one is going to stop him from reaching his goal.

Ah there it is, from June 19th: the Max Hall as Kurt Warner comparison, which is completely understandable given their time spent in Iowa, lack of NFL interest and strong religious beliefs. Let's follow this ...

azcentral.com blogs - Dan Bickley - Hall ready to succeed where Leinart failed
The local kid from Mesa almost feels destined to quarterback the Cardinals. The undrafted, undersized free agent was so impressive and so resolute that he climbed all the way to No. 2 on the depth chart. Unless the Cardinals import a veteran quarterback, Hall will be seeing the field in 2010.

azcentral.com blogs - Dan Bickley - Cardinals need to try their hand at another quarterback
And that's precisely why it's the perfect time to hand the ball to Hall. With two victories in pocket, the Cardinals don't have to win another game until they play Seattle after the bye week. This would be a pre-emptive strike, and really, could the backup be any worse than the incumbent?

At the very least, Max Hall gives Arizona Cardinals hope at quarterback
At the very least, Max Hall gives the Cardinals hope at the quarterback position, and that's something they've lacked since Kurt Warner started practicing the mambo. [...] Hall doesn't have a great size or a great arm, but what he possesses is much more important, much more intangible. Whisenhunt spotted it right away. And after all these years, Hall is back playing football in his hometown, ready to make a difference.

And then ...

No magic in Arizona Cardinals quarterback Max Hall this time around
Unfortunately, too many giddy fans in Arizona believed in the magic of Max, that Hall would become an instant star based on swagger, genes, intellect and work ethic. Sorry, but that rarely happens in this league. [...] Still, there are two nagging issues with Hall. One is arm strength. Can he make the downfield throws? Can he pick up chunks of yardage needed to make Whisenhunt's offense roar? Those were among the primary concerns with Matt Leinart, and why he's now a member of the Texans. Too often, Hall has made early mistakes, floating a deep pass that resembles a wounded bird, only to have it picked off by a Seahawk or some other predator.

Sorry, Cardinal fans. Where did you get the crazy idea that Max Hall was destined to be a Warner-esque savior of the team? Silly fans. Leave the analysis to the experts and those who cover the team closely.