"The Cardinals have a vacancy on their staff. Todd Haley is unemployed and wants to return to Arizona.

The silence is striking. What are they waiting for?

The 49ers are one victory away from reaching the Super Bowl. The Rams landed Jeff Fisher as their new coach. The NFC West is morphing from farce to powerhouse, with no punch-drunk opponent left inside the division.

This is no time to be worrying about egos, bruised feelings and job titles. And yet there is an impasse between Haley and the Cardinals, parties that should be collaborating to avenge that Super Bowl loss in 2008.

Maybe you can't go home again. But once upon a time, Haley and coach Ken Whisenhunt had a symbiotic relationship. Whisenhunt is composed, intelligent, measured, stubborn, superstitious and is devoted to detail, his friends and his system. Haley is in your face, a climber, the lava underfoot, a horse's hide to complacent players, the perfect complement to a steadfast leader.

Together, the two helped steer a sorry franchise to the top of the NFL. Like David Lee Roth and Eddie Van Halen, this is a reunion should be embraced by all. Apparently, that's not the case."