Yeah, you’ve seen him. In fact, you probably have a photo of yourself with him on your phone if you have been to an Arizona Cardinals home game.
He is called “The Ultimate Birdgang Warrior,” and he represents the true fandom of the Cardinals.
LINK: ULTIMATE BIRDGANG WARRIOR FACEBOOK PAGE
The Arizona Superfan is on full display for the love of his team. On game day, he is the Superfan they call the “Ultimate Birdgang Warrior.” Every other day of the week, he is Eric Tarin, age 37, a father of one daughter,
Isabella, and a married man to Christina. The couple lives in Tucson, Arizona, and Tarin works as a plumber.
The trek from Tucson on game days for the couple takes about two hours one way. The Tarins get up around 3:00 am to begin their game day, regardless of kickoff time. They own season tickets in Section 103, but it hasn’t always been good seats in the lower bowl. Tarin’s first season ticket journey began in Section 403, where the game is mostly watched on the Jumbotron rather than seen live on the field.
His character is decked out in Cardinals’ gear and memorabilia. There is one for Pat Tillman, who was passionate about the Cardinals and about the American way of life. Come to find out, Tarin shares a birthday with Tillman.
Tarin’s favorite Cardinals growing up were LB Karlos Dansby and S Adrian Wilson.
He grew up without a father, and his mother was in and out of his life. Tarin’s grandparents raised him until his grandfather became too ill to take care of him. So, he ended up a child of the State of Arizona at the age of 13 in Safford, Arizona. From there, he was sent to Sierra Vista to a boy’s home called Mary’s Mission for Boys.
Not all of his family history has a gloomy story. His great, great, great, grandfather did trade with Geronimo, the Apache warrior, and also homesteaded land from Arizona to New Mexico.
Now, Tarin is a Cardinals Superfan. He takes the attention of his character, and with his childhood memories, he offers children that he meets the message that life can indeed be good, and go out and make your own way. Nobody can choose their parents, but life as an adult can be successful with your own effort and hard work.
Not a lot of fans have the desire to apply body paint every game, dress up, attach trinkets and mementos to their body, and cheer the daylights for a team that hasn’t exactly been a playoff mainstay. It takes a ton of dedication to their character and to the Cardinals organization. Add to that the cost of season tickets and travel expenses.
Revenge of the Birds’ Barry Shuck sat down with the “Ultimate Birdgang Warrior” to find out some Pat Tillman tidbits, how he got his character moniker, and who his favorite players are on this year’s roster.
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Shuck: Tell us about your very first Cardinals game.
Ultimate Birdgang Warrior: That was pretty cool. I was nine years old. I was going to the Seventh-Day Adventist Church and was invited to a game at Sun Devil Stadium on the ASU campus. As a kid, you don’t really care where you go, as long as you go do things. The opponent was the San Diego Chargers, and we had to wear red. I remember the hits, the screaming in the crowd, how hot it was, but it was electric. I had my first hot dog there.
Editor’s note: Not having ever eaten a hot dog means that, when it happened late in his childhood at age nine, he remembers his very first. None of the rest of us remembers that momentous day of our first hot dog, and we’re bummed we don’t have that memory.
Shuck: Your costume has a lot going on. Explain how you decided to put things together.
Ultimate Birdgang Warrior: Energy. People know that being a fan of WWE is entertainment. That’s what being a fan is. We are there to entertain and be entertained with the players. I just try to put two and two together. One day, I asked my wife if she minded if I painted my face. She said she didn’t care, and my daughter helped. Through the years, I would get this gadget and another memento, and try different paints and different jerseys. Each had a different meaning to me to make me feel like the ultimate warrior.
Shuck: How did you come up with the design around the eyes and down the cheeks?
Ultimate Birdgang Warrior: That design looks like a bird. One day, I was watching a WWE promo with the Ultimate Warrior, and he had yellow, he had red, and black. I just tried to incorporate a theme using team colors. It’s four layers of colors. I have changed it up, honoring Breast Cancer Awareness Month and also the Salute to Service by incorporating camo.
Shuck: From naked to full face, how long does that take to apply the layers of makeup?
Ultimate Birdgang Warrior: When I first started, about two hours. Now, I have it down to 20 minutes. If anyone ever rushes you to hurry up with your face paint, tell them to calm down because it is considered art.
Shuck: How do other fans react to you on game days?
Ultimate Birdgang Warrior: It’s mutual. When other fans see me. they get excited. Then I get excited. The excitement between fans is just there. A lot of kids gravitate towards me. I give them a taste of Cardinals fandom, pat them on the back, and tell them they will be something special in life. You tell a kid something positive, and it can change their life forever.
Shuck: Describe a typical home game for you and your wife.
Ultimate Birdgang Warrior: We start about three in the morning. From Tucson, we get to the stadium around six or seven, turn up at Tailgate Warriors, hang out with them, and have some breakfast. Later, we pack up and get to the stadium and go to the green lot where we get the grills turned on, the tents popped up, and start to get everything ready. We will do a celebration shot, then eat, then do another shot. Everybody’s having a good time, taking pictures, laughing. When you go to a tailgate, it’s about forgetting what life is. Having fun and a good time with the people you love and know.
Shuck: How did you decide upon the name “The Ultimate Birdgang Warrior?”
Ultimate Birdgang Warrior: The first day I painted my face, we ended up in “the Red Zone,” which is now “the Casitas.”We were sitting in there, and a photographer walked by and said to me, “Awesome face paint!” I said, “Yeah, this is birdgang!” He then said, “Ultimate Birdgang Warrior!” I liked that. I then posted it on Twitter and screenshot it; the rest is history. There are so many camera guys, what are the odds that one showed up that day?
Shuck: In your eyes, does your character identify more as a WWE performer, a superhero, or some mystic tribal enhanced warrior?
Ultimate Birdgang Warrior: Now you have brought something up. It’s kinda all of the above. The story goes that I have the Intercontinental Wrestling Belt, which is yellow. At WrestleMania with the Ultimate Warrior and Hulk Hogan, that belt was like the passing of the torch. That is why I have those two belts; it’s the Ultimate Warrior’s time. The Ultimate Warrior ended up passing away in Scottsdale, Arizona. So, in my eyes, I am finishing his journey. I’m not a gym guy, I’m not a big guy, none of that. What I am is something to inspire others. That is what it is all about.
Shuck: What year did you first buy season tickets, and in what section?
Ultimate Birdgang Warrior: The 2015 season. My wife and I had just gotten married. We go faithfully win or lose. Section 415, row 23. We were all the way up talking to Jesus. The pair of seats back then was about $800.
Shuck: You are now down in the lower bowl in Section 103 on the ninth row, which is a very good upgrade. How did you swing that?
Ultimate Birdgang Warrior: Every opportunity just keeps on dropping. We always looked at other sections and row availability and got lower and lower. We got into Section 112, and my goal is to be in row one. And one day we were in the stadium looking around, and Christina asked about the seats where the Cardinals come out. We sat in those seats and knew it was where we were supposed to be.
Shuck: Your favorite former player is LB Karlos Dansby. What got him on the top of your list?
Ultimate Birdgang Warrior: I think about the underdog mentality. A lot of people say the Cardinals are not that good, and that Dansby wasn’t that good. Linebacker Brian Urlacher of the Bears was in the 30/20 club with sacks and interceptions, and Dansby also made that club, but people don’t talk about him. You don’t hear about the accolades that Dansby has. He has done great things, too, and needs more recognition. He is a player who just kept plugging along without the fanfare of others and did his job. He did great things for the organization. Where is his name? I like the underdog.
Shuck: So, we found out that you and Pat Tillman have the same birthday, right? What tribute to your character do you keep in his memory?
Ultimate Birdgang Warrior: My wife found that out. I said ain’t no way, but sure enough. That is another tribute that I pay to the fandom. What Tillman inspired the next generation. As long as you are passionate about it, handle business. On the right side of my costume, I have a tribute to his passion speech. And on my Intercontinental Belt, I have a picture of him.
Shuck: Give me some current favorite players, and why.
Ultimate Birdgang Warrior: Who doesn’t love Jalen Thompson? That’s my boy right there. I got mad love for him just because of the underdog mentality. When people look over, they are going to miss the greatness. He came in the supplemental draft and I knew there was something special about him. Another guy who is near and dear to me is Michael Wilson. The way that he is performing, the way that he took over that wide receiver #1 position, and walk with it and did backflips on it. I am telling you he is a baller. I see a lot of bright things in that kid’s future. I was able to chat with him once. I told him, “You are doing great things. Show us what you can do.” He looked at me straight up with the most sincere “you got it.” And tight end Trey McBride is so talented yet humble. We haven’t had a good tight end since Todd Heap.
Shuck: You volunteer with Crisco’s Kids, which is a four-state organization that fosters communities bound by support, inclusivity, and a shared commitment to nurture the next generation. How did you get involved with this charity?
Ultimate Birdgang Warrior: In life, people have so much to worry about. We do an Adopt-A-Road and kids who need help with school supplies and donations of toys. I enjoy that it is giving back to the community.
Shuck: Obviously, fans want their picture taken with you. What is the weirdest interaction with another fan?
Ultimate Birdgang Warrior: That’s good. One time we were walking around and I do this whistle that everyone knows it’s me. And this one guy came up and wanted to whistle with me, and so I go along. But he was really drunk and kept drooling and spitting all over himself. Then he threw up all over his jersey, and my wife said, “Come on, we have to go.”
Shuck: Has the front office of the Cardinals ever reached out to you to become involved in team events?
Ultimate Birdgang Warrior: Crisco Kid is an in-game host, so we have that tie-in. But as far as the organization itself – not yet. Right now, everything I do is out of passion.
Shuck: Do they show you on the Jumbotron?
Ultimate Birdgang Warrior: Oh yeah. All the time. Shoutout to the cameraman on the southeast side and the cameraman on the northeast side. They always focus on me, and I appreciate it.
Shuck: You have been involved with the American flag on the field. How did you get this gig?
Ultimate Birdgang Warrior: That is an experience. Every Cardinal fan should experience this. My wife has a friend that she grew up with, and he was doing the flag detail. He told a group of his that he worked for the Cardinals and could get us on the field. My wife signed us up for it and thought I would be excited. That is a huge flag.
Shuck: The Browns, Cardinals, and Jets all seem to be the same kind of franchise where they will win a season or two, but just can’t get a series of playoff years together. Yet, their fanbases are rabid and loyal. Why not just jump onto another bandwagon instead of rooting for a team that just can’t be a consistent winner?
Ultimate Birdgang Warrior: It’s not always about winning. I think my life is about my team. Sometimes I make mistakes in my job, and I don’t always win. As a kid growing up, I was always taking an “L.” But Arizona is my home. Once I got introduced to the Cardinals, I decided this was going to be an extension of my family.
Shuck: What are your favorite uniform combinations?
Ultimate Birdgang Warrior: The icy white is my favorite. The new rivalry ones are good, and so are the blackouts. But my all-time favorite is the icy whites. Clean, sharp, ready to play and do some damage.
Shuck: What should the team do with QB Kyler Murray going forward?
Ultimate Birdgang Warrior: Keep him and fix the offensive line. Develop the players around him and help the defense. Does he make mistakes he wishes he could have back? Yes, but at the end of the day, he can move this offense. Now, I might be all alone on this. Let the players and coaches do their jobs. I have nothing against Jacoby Brissett. I like him. Great leader, great guy, and a great backup. But this is Kyler’s team, and the coaches need to figure out what to do with him. He is an in-the-pocket and get-it-done type of quarterback who is a good runner.
Shuck: If you were hired as the GM of the Cardinals for one solid week, what changes, alterations, or additions would you order?
Ultimate Birdgang Warrior: Fix the defensive line immediately. Calais Campbell, you’re staying. Walter Nolen needs to stay healthy. It’s a physical sport, I get it. Go get Zach Allen back, who should have never left. I would have never let Roy Lopez leave. A team needs to get to the quarterback and disrupt that offensive backfield, so fix this defensive line.
Shuck: “Don’t let your path dictate your future.” A very wise man once said that, oh wait, it was you on a Cardinals podcast. What do those words mean to someone young coming up in the world?
Ultimate Birdgang Warrior: Shout out you. Just because you mess up, that doesn’t mean you blow your chance to be successful. You have to make mistakes to learn how to do things right. Eventually, bad things go away. You are going to be all right, don’t worry about the little stuff.
Shuck: What is your fondest moment of being an Arizona Cardinals fan?
Ultimate Birdgang Warrior: To get little kids the ability to get signatures and pictures from players. To see the excitement the next generation has. I have been dismissed by players before, and I know how it feels. Some years the Cardinals may be losing on the field, but we are winning in the stands. That is where it matters.
