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Arizona Cardinals Not Worried About Field Conditions In Carolina

By Danny Cox

A lot is at stake this weekend as the Arizona Cardinals travel to take on the Carolina Panthers in the NFC Conference Championship Game. Bank of America Stadium has been known to have field conditions that aren't always the best, and there has been a lot of rain in the area lately, too. That is one thing that the Cardinals need to take into consideration in hopes of winning on Sunday.

One thing is certain though, and it's that when fans see Carson Palmer doing a lot of hugging, then things are going well for the Cardinals.

Cardinals prepping for whatever field conditions Carolina may bring

This past weekend, the rain and snow stopped earlier in the day to make field conditions at Bank of America Stadium better than originally thought. The field has been known to cause a lot of problems for opposing teams that aren't as accustomed to it as the Carolina Panthers are.

No matter what the weather or field conditions may be, the Cardinals are preparing for it.

Arizona equipment manager Mark Ahlemeier has made sure that everyone on the team understand his recommendation for the proper use of footwear so that slipping and getting stuck doesn't happen.

“What I’m doing is, I got the seven studs, the cleats,” running back David Johnson said. “They’re a longer cleat for me to be able to grip the ground better.”

One thing that can really mess with a good team, or any team for that matter, is the wrong type of footwear. It's been the key reason that plays have been busted, passes have been overthrown, and games have been lost. The Cardinals know the Panthers are a good team and don't want to give them any advantages.

Carson Palmer would rather hug it out than dance like Cam Newton

Throughout the season, anyone that has seen the Carolina Panthers play has seen the different celebrations of quarterback Cam Newton. Sometimes he dabs. Other times, he acts as if he is opening his jersey to show the Superman symbol. He even dances and has his entire team doing it, too.

Carson Palmer? He has a different and much calmer mindset when it comes to a really good play or a scoring pass. Palmer thinks not much is needed.

"I point at the sky, thank God, hug guys," Palmer said. "I hug, I don’t dance. No one wants to see that."

On Sunday, Cam Newton hopes that he's doing a lot of dancing. Carson Palmer hopes to be doing a lot of pointing and hugging.

Danny Cox knows a little something about the NFL, whether it means letting you know what penalty will come from the flag just thrown on the field or quickly spouting off who the Chicago Bears drafted in the first round of the 1987 draft (Jim Harbaugh). He plans on bringing you the best news, previews, recaps, and anything else that may come along with the exciting world of the National Football League. Danny is a freelance writer covering all things NFL. His work can be found on Examiner.com.

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