Arizona Cardinals

Arizona Cardinals
Current season
Established 1898 Play in University of Phoenix Stadium Glendale, Arizona Headquartered in Tempe, Arizona
Helmet Logo
League/conference affiliations
National Football League (1920–present) Western Division (1933–1949) American Conference (1950–1952) Eastern Conference (1953–1969) Century Division (1967–1969) National Football Conference (1970–present) NFC East (1970–2001) NFC West (2002–present)
Current uniform
Team colors	Cardinal red, white, black,
Mascot	Big Red
Personnel
Owner(s)	Bill Bidwill
Chairman	Bill Bidwill
President	Michael Bidwill
General manager	Rod Graves
Head coach	Ken Whisenhunt
Team history
Morgan Athletic Club (1898–1919) Chicago Cardinals (1920–1943) Card-Pitt (1944) Chicago Cardinals (1945–1959) St. Louis Cardinals (1960–1987) Phoenix Cardinals (1988–1993) Arizona Cardinals (1994–present)
Team nicknames
The Cards, The Birds, Big Red, The Buzzsaw
Championships
League championships (2) NFL Championships (2) 1925, 1947
Conference championships (1) NFC: 2008
Division championships (6) NFL West: 1947, 1948 NFC East: 1974, 1975 NFC West: 2008, 2009
Playoff appearances (8)
NFL: 1947, 1948, 1974, 1975, 1982, 1998, 2008, 2009
Home fields
Since 1920 Normal Park (1920–1921), (1926–1928) Comiskey Park (1922–1925), (1929–1959) Busch Stadium (1960–1965) Busch Memorial Stadium (1966–1987) Sun Devil Stadium (1988–2005) University of Phoenix Stadium (2006–present)

The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American Football team based in Glendale, Arizona. They play their home games in Glendale, Arizona. The Cardinals are members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference (NFC) in the National Football League (NFL). The Cardinals were founded in 1898, and are the oldest continuously run professional American football club in the United States.^[1]

The team was established in Chicago in 1898 and was a charter member of the NFL in 1920. Along with the Chicago Bears, the club is one of two franchises still in operation since the league's founding. The club moved to St. Louis, Missouri, in 1960 and played in that city through 1987 (sometimes referred to as the "football Cardinals", "Big Red", "Gridbirds" or "Cardiac Cards" to avoid confusion with the baseball St. Louis Cardinals). Before the 1988 NFL season, the team moved to Tempe, Arizona, an eastern suburb of Phoenix, and played their home games for the next 18 years at Arizona State University's Sun Devil Stadium. In 2006 the club began playing all home games at the newly constructed University of Phoenix Stadium in the northwestern suburb of Glendale.

The franchise's lone NFL championship game victory came in 1947 while they were based in Chicago, and came two decades before the first Super Bowl game was ever played. The club's other NFL championship occurred in 1925, eight years before the league began holding a championship game, and is a controversial title to this day. The much contested title was believed to belong to the Pottsville Maroons but was given to the Cardinals instead in what is called the 1925 NFL Championship controversy. In the six-plus decades since winning the championship in 1947, the team suffered many losing seasons and they have been to the playoffs only six times and have won only five playoff games, the last three of which were victories during their run in the 2008-09 NFL Playoffs in which they reached Super Bowl XLIII. The team has also won only four division titles (1974, 1975, 2008, and 2009) since their 1947–1948 NFL championship game appearances. In addition, the club has won one NFC Championship Game in 2008.

The Cardinals conduct their annual summer training camp at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff.

Franchise history

Main article: History of the Arizona Cardinals

Logo and uniforms

Arizona Cardinals uniform combinations

Arizona Cardinals uniform: 1989–1995

Arizona Cardinals uniform: 1996–2004

The team has used cardinal red jerseys since Chris O'Brien bought them for the club in 1898. And for most of its history, the Cardinals have used the same basic uniform design of white helmets, white pants with red stripes on the sides, and either red or white jerseys.

Chicago Cardinals logo.

Starting in 1947, the team had a logo of a cardinal bird perched on the stitches of a football. However, the club did not attach a logo to their helmets until they debuted a cardinal-head logo in 1960, the year the franchise moved from Chicago to St. Louis. The Cardinals moved to Arizona in 1988, and the flag of Arizona was added to the sleeves the following year. In 1990, the team began wearing red pants with their white jerseys.

In 2005, the team unveiled its first major changes in a century. The cardinal-head logo was updated to be a more aggressive version of its predecessor, making it look meaner. Numerous fans called the previous version a "parakeet".^[2] Black again became an accent color after an 8-year absence, while trim lines were added to the outside shoulders and sleeves, and the sides of the jerseys and pants. Both the red and white jerseys have the option of red or white pants.

Hoping to break a six-game losing streak, the Cardinals wore the red pants for the first time on October 29, 2006 in a game at Lambeau Field against the Green Bay Packers. The Packers won 31–14, and the Cards headed into their bye week with a 1–7 mark. Following their bye week, the Cardinals came out in their all-red combination at home against the Dallas Cowboys and lost, 27–10. Arizona did not wear the red pants for the remainder of the season, and managed to win four of their last seven games. However, the following season, in 2007, the Cardinals again wore their red pants for their final 3 home games. They wore red pants with their white jersey in games on the road at the Cincinnati Bengals and Seattle Seahawks. They paired red pants with the red jersey, wearing the all-red combination for home games against the Detroit Lions, San Francisco 49ers, Cleveland Browns, and St. Louis Rams. The red pants were not worn at all in 2008, but they were used in home games vs. Seattle, Minnesota, and St. Louis in 2009, although they have yet to be paired with the white road jerseys since the 2007 game at Seattle.

The Cardinals' first home game in Arizona saw them play in their red jerseys for the home opener in 1988. Afterward, for the first 18 years in Arizona, the Cardinals, like a few NFL teams in warm climates, wore their white jerseys at home during the first half of the season—forcing opponents to suffer in their darker-colored jerseys during Arizona autumns that frequently see temperatures over 100 °F (38 °C). However, this tradition did not continue when the Cardinals moved from Sun Devil Stadium to University of Phoenix Stadium in 2006, as early-season games (and most other home games late in the season) are played with the roof closed. With the temperature inside at a comfortable 70°F (21°C), they opted to have the Cardinals wear their red jerseys at home full-time. In 2008, the Cardinals wore their white jersey at home, for the first time in University of Phoenix Stadium on August 29, 2008 in a preseason game against the Denver Broncos.

The Cardinals wore white at home for the first time in a regular season game at University of Phoenix Stadium against the Houston Texans on October 11, 2009. This was done due to the NFL's recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month by having the players wear pink accented items such as gloves, wristbands, and shoes. The team thought the pink accents looked better with white uniforms than with red.^[3]

The 2010 season will see the Cardinals with an “updated” third jersey.^[4]

Season-by-season records

Single-season records

Points Scored: 427 (2008)

Passing

• Passing Yards: 4,614 Neil Lomax (1984)
• Passing Touchdowns: 30 Kurt Warner (2008)
• Passes Completed: 401 Kurt Warner (2008)
• Passes Attempted: 598 Kurt Warner (2008)
• Longest Completed Pass Thrown: 98 Yards Doug Russell (1932) / Ogden Compton (1957) / Jim Hart (1972)
• Consecutive Games With a Touchdown Pass : 22 Kurt Warner (2007–2008)

Rushing

• Rushing Yards: 1,605 Ottis Anderson (1979)
• Rushing Attempts: 337 Edgerrin James (2006)
• Rushing Touchdowns: 14 John David Crow (1962)
• Rushing Touchdowns (Rookie) : 10 Tim Hightower (2008)
• Longest Rushing Attempt : 83 yards John David Crow (1958)
• Rushing Yards Per Game : 100.3 yards Ottis Anderson (1979)

Receiving

• Receptions: 103 Larry Fitzgerald (2005)
• Receiving Yards: 1,598 David Boston (2001)
• Receiving Touchdowns: 15 Sonny Randle (1960)

Returns

• Punt Returns in a Season: 44 Vai Sikahema (1987)
• Longest Punt Returns: 99 yards Larod Stephens-Howling (2009)

Kicking

• Field Goals: 40* Neil Rackers (2005)
• Extra Points Made: 53 Pat Harder (1948)

* NFL Record

Cardinals career records

• Passing Yards: 34,639 Jim Hart (1966–1983)
• Passing Touchdowns: 209 Jim Hart (1966–1983)
• Rushing Yards: 7,999 Ottis Anderson (1979–1986)
• Receptions: 537 Anquan Boldin (2003–2009)
• Receiving Yards: 8,497 Roy Green (1979–1990)
• Pass Interceptions: 52 Larry Wilson (1960–1972)
• Field Goals Made: 282 Jim Bakken (1962–1978)
• Points: 1,380 Jim Bakken (1962–1978)
• Total Touchdowns: 70 Roy Green (1979–1990)
• Punt Return Average: 13.7 Charley Trippi (1947–1955)
• Kickoff Return Average: 28.5 Ollie Matson (1952, 1954–1958)
• Punting Average: 44.9 Jerry Norton (1959–1961)
• Sacks: 66.5 Freddie Joe Nunn (1985–1993)

Players of note

Current roster

Pro Football Hall of Famers

Chicago Cardinals

• Charles Bidwill, team owner
• 1 Jimmy Conzelman, QB-CB, head coach
• 1 John "Paddy" Driscoll, QB-S-K-P, head coach
• 2 Walt Kiesling, G-DT, head coach
• 4 Ernie Nevers, RB-S
• 13 Guy Chamberlin, TE-DE
• 33 Ollie Matson, RB
• 62 Charley Trippi, RB-QB
• 81 Dick "Night Train" Lane, CB

St. Louis Cardinals

• 8 Larry Wilson, S
• 22 Roger Wehrli, CB
• 72 Dan Dierdorf, OT
• 81 Jackie Smith, TE

Retired numbers

• 8 Larry Wilson (St. Louis)
• 40 Pat Tillman (Arizona)
• 77 Stan Mauldin (Chicago)
• 88 J. V. Cain (St. Louis)
• 99 Marshall Goldberg (Chicago)

Ring of Honor

The Cardinals' Ring of Honor was started in 2006 to mark the opening of University of Phoenix Stadium. It honors former Cardinal greats from all eras of the franchise's history. Following is a list of inductees and the dates that they were inducted.

• Charles Bidwill, Owner (August 12, 2006)
• Jimmy Conzelman, Coach (August 12, 2006)
• Dan Dierdorf, T (October 16, 2006)
• John "Paddy" Driscoll, QB (August 12, 2006)
• Marshall Goldberg, HB (August 12, 2006)
• Dick "Night Train" Lane, DB (August 12, 2006)
• Ollie Matson, HB (August 12, 2006)
• Ernie Nevers, FB (August 12, 2006)
• Charley Trippi, HB/QB (August 12, 2006)
• Roger Wehrli, CB (October 14, 2007)
• Larry Wilson, S (September 10, 2006)
• Pat Tillman, S (November 12, 2006)
• Aeneas Williams, CB (November 9, 2008)

First-round draft picks

The Chicago Years, 1936–1959^[5]

1940s

1950s

The St. Louis Years, 1960–1987^[5]

1970s^[5]

1980s^[5]

The Arizona Years, 1988-present^[5]

2000s

Radio and television

The Cardinals' flagship radio station was KMVP, "ESPN Radio 860." KMVP assumed the broadcast rights in 2006 after many years on KSLX-FM and KDUS. Dave Pasch, Ron Wolfley, and Paul Calvisi handle the radio broadcast. Most preseason games are televised on KNXV, channel 15, the local ABC affiliate. Mike Goldberg and Glenn Parker are the TV announcers.

On New Year's Day 2007, KMVP began a simulcast of KTAR, which switched to an all-sports format (the news/talk station became 92.3, KTAR-FM). For the 2007 season, KTAR was the official flagship station; however, some broadcasts were also be heard on 92.3 FM because of conflicts with Arizona Diamondbacks baseball games on 620 AM.

Miscellaneous

Since it moved to Arizona, the team had hosted an opening week home game in 2001, because of the postponement of the original opening week, then in 2006, the year the University of Phoenix Stadium opened, due to the high temperature and strong sunshine in early September in the Phoenix area. During that span, 8 of 13 home openers were held at earliest on week 3. In 1990 and 1991, the Cardinals opened with three consecutive road games before finally coming home in week 4.

For the same reason, its home opener had been always a nationally-televised night game (2 Monday Night Football games and 12 Sunday Night Football games) from 1988 to 2001. The team hosted 10 straight home openers as Sunday Night Football games from 1989 to 1998.

Notes and references

External links

• Arizona Cardinals official web site
• Sports E-Cyclopedia.com
• Cardinals coverage on The Arizona Republic/azcentral.com

http://www.fairlawncardinalsfootball.com/