2006 was a season of destiny, good fortune, and accomplishment from a group of motley characters in St. Louis. And, the Cardinals were pretty good too.

The turnstiles at all three versions of Busch Stadium have seen a wide array of mullets and jean shorts, a healthy dosage of ridiculous tattoos, and a buffet of drunken monkeys. Like the unlikely group of on-field heroes (gratuitous Jeff Weaver pic ) who would eventually raise the World Championship trophy over their heads this past weekend, our group of homegrown mongoloids came together to produce one resilient cornucopia of redneck excellence in 2006.

As described by Patrick yesterday , winning the World Series is a surreal experience of excitement, exhilaration, and tradition. In this sudden mix of emotion comes a loss of words. In this time of silence and exploration of the Cardinal soul, I present to you this picture - a congregation of pride, tradition, and future ambitions.

These intangibles could only be conceptualized by true masterminds, sporting ridiculously gaudy backtoos - of the old Busch Stadium and the new Busch Stadium, respectively.

We are Cardinals. We must be strong. We will be family. We will be tattooed.

The Old School tattooed hoosier and the New School tattooed hoosier. Together. Bridging the gap of past and present with jean shorts and heavy quantities of Busch Beer.