Whisenhunt enjoying trip to Middle East

Arizona Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt is enjoying his time in the Middle East on one of the annual trips the NFL sets up.

Many soldiers have brought out their Pat Tillman Cardinals jerseys to show the coach.

“I think there's a tremendous amount of things that open your eyes and give you a sense of a half a world away,” Whisenhunt told Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic. “You read about it, but it doesn't strike home.

“A lot of places over here are bleak, barren, and the weather conditions aren't good. And the way they have to live, how cramped it is. You're amazed at how resilient they are and how focused they are.”

Whisenhunt has also been asked if he has his Super Bowl XL ring with him – the one he won as a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers coaching staff.

“I was glad I brought it,” he said. “A lot of people have now asked about it. It was one of the better decisions I've made this year. Hopefully, that trend will continue.”

But the question the coach has received most often is the one on the minds of all football fans, no matter where they’re located. Will there be NFL football this season?

“I think we're going to have football,” he said. “Hopefully, that's something that will work out in the near future.”

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Brad Biggs covers the Bears for the Chicago Tribune

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