Change the logo to a busted wing

The Arizona Cardinals decided to redesign their logo a couple of years ago, recasting the cardinal on the sides of their helmets to look like a leaner, meaner breed of redbird with a penchant for blowing big late-season leads in the National League Central.

Oh, right. Wrong Cardinals. There’s always been a thick fog of confusion surrounding this franchise, which once shared the same name and stadium as the baseball Cardinals, which confounded owner Bill Bidwill to the point that he moved his team to Arizona because he got tired of showing up at Busch Stadium expecting to see football games in June.

Since arriving in Arizona, the Cardinals have only ramped up the confusion.

For a long time, they played in the NFC East, even though they were located west of the entire NFC Central and half the NFC West.

For many years, they were a pro team that played its home games in a college stadium while exhibiting a level of football distinctively appropriate for high schools.

Now, they play in a proper NFL stadium, located in Glendale, Ariz., and sponsored by the University of Phoenix, which has agreed to pay the Cardinals $154.5 million over 20 years for naming rights to the stadium.

The University of Phoenix, which calls itself the largest private university in America, has 250,000 students, many of them working adults, and all of them smart enough to know that Matt Leinart should be starting instead of Kurt Warner.

Trivia time

When did the Arizona Cardinals last win a playoff game?

Six of one ...

With interpreters in Beijing busy preparing to translate Bill Belichick’s cliches into Mandarin, Briefing settles for the simpler task of picking some of today’s NFL games:

* Seattle over Chicago: The Seahawks book a 2007 exhibition game against the Patriots in China, birthplace of paper money, which will explain to Chinese fans why Deion Branch now plays for the Seahawks instead of the Patriots.

* Cincinnati over New England: If the Patriots lose once more to the Broncos, Tom Brady to be exiled to China.

* Dallas over Tennessee: Depressed? Non-responsive? Making a desperate cry for help? Yes, it has been a tough season for the Titans.

* Baltimore over San Diego: Chargers safety Terrence Kiel should have known better. In this league, the only cough syrup that won’t get you into trouble is Vick’s.

* Kansas City over San Francisco: Down to starting Damon Huard against Alex Smith, the Chiefs and 49ers simultaneously phone Joe Montana for help.

* St. Louis over Detroit: When Mike Martz decides to put in a special play against his former team, the Lions protest, “But Coach! There’s no such thing as ‘fifth down’!”

Half-dozen of

the other

While wondering if the University of Phoenix football team will now play its home games at Arizona Cardinal Stadium, Briefing has time for six more picks:

* Atlanta over Arizona: University of Phoenix-sponsored Dennis Green speech, “Why Kurt Warner Is My Guy,” is canceled after Warner fumbles away game on the St. Louis 18-yard line.

* Indianapolis over New York Jets: The Colts are 3-0, ex-Colt Edgerrin James is 1-2 with a 3.4 rushing average for the Cardinals. Just another case of someone who could have benefited from a University of Phoenix education.

* Jacksonville over Washington: This is a tricky one, for two reasons: 1. Mark Brunell used to play for Jacksonville. 2. Brunell isn’t playing against Houston anymore.

* Cleveland over Oakland: Browns quarterback Charlie Frye, with 60 yards in 12 carries, has more yards rushing than any Cleveland or Oakland running back.

* Buffalo over Minnesota: Distressed by Brad Johnson’s contract situation, the Twins vote the Vikings quarterback a playoff share.

* Philadelphia over Green Bay: Favre arrives in Philly one year too late for T.O.

Trivia answer

In a 1998 NFC wild-card game, the Cardinals, quarterbacked by Jake Plummer, upset the Dallas Cowboys, 20-7. The Cardinals lost in the next round to the Minnesota Vikings, 41-21.

And finally

Colorado football Coach Dan Hawkins, talking about discussions he has had with referees regarding bad calls:

“The problem is, you go back to selling real estate on Monday -- and you’re selling my house because I just got fired.”

mike.penner@latimes.com