Here is a the excusive interview Jim Gintonio from the AZ Republic conducted with our very own Dan Manucci
Dan Manucci, former quarterback for Tempe McClintock High, Kansas State and three pro teams, including the Buffalo Bills, co-hosts a radio talk show and during the football season joins a Channel 12 roundtable.
Do you think the Cardinals can be perennial contenders? “I think they’ve got to focus on re-signing the core nucleus of this team – Karlos Dansby, Antonio Smith, Kurt Warner. They cannot let Kurt get away.”
What did you see as the turning point this season? “It was Ken (Whisenhunt) and Russ Grimm (assistant head coach) seeing what the team was not doing, and they had to crack the whip after the New England game and say, ‘Look, you can’t be content in winning a weak division. You’ve got to learn to get to the point and learn how to prepare and win it all.’ And I think that’s what snapped them out of it.”
What’s the next thing the Cardinals have to do? “People love football . . . Now the Cardinals have to do the right thing, and a lot of bandwagoners are taking a hard look at what Michael Bidwill and Rod Graves are going to do from here on out.”
What role do talk shows play in the Valley? “All of them in the Valley have a different flavor, different strengths. Listen to morning shows, lot of great production. With our show (Calling All Sports on KDUS-AM, 1060), it’s more of a sports alternative – we call it sportstainment.”
