1988 Phoenix Cardinals

[NJCardFan]

So much promise for this team. Just fell short. And this ended Neil Lomax's career. I knnow a lot of you guys were here for a lot of this.

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[Cardsfaninlouky]

Omg, i loved that team. I graduated in 1987 & the next season they moved out there. That team was so close, so many bad things happened that yr. I remember it was the closest they came to the playoffs since 1984, the last second run on to the field & kick the field goal to send them to the playoffs against the redskins in RFK. If I remember correctly our kicker was #11 Neal O'donnahou (sp)? Win that game we're in the playoffs & NFC east champs, lose & they're out. So many good players on that 1988 team though, Freddie Joe Nunn was a monster. Best WR's in the NFL that yr also. J.T. Smith, Ernie "Indiana" Jones & roy green. Still Can't believe they let jay novacek go to the Cowboys, made me sick. Tim McDonald was a hard hitting machine. So unfortunate about Neil lomax taking all those hits through the early 80's, it finally finished his hip & career. I also remember so many other things about them in St.Louis, Roy green wore #25 when he first came into the NFL as a rookie for the cardinals, when he made the switch to WR full time they gave him #81. I'll stop there, too many memories to type lol.

 

[Stout]

That was my first year as a Cards fan. I should have taken the hint lol

 

[AZCrazy]

Those ten years after that were an exciting time for Arizona sports fans. Going from only ASU football and the Suns, to having the Cardinals and the NFL come to town that year, along with U of A basketball rising from nowhere to national dominance from that year forward in 1988, the Rattlers coming into existence and dominating Arena football, then they Coyotes bringing a whole new unknown sport to town with a remarkably good team in the mid 90's, to the Diamondbacks being announced and going through the process of coming to life in '98. It was a wild and fun time.

 

[Capital Card]

I started following that team, more out of idle curiosity, than anything. I'd moved back to Arizona the year before, but admittedly, I was more of a Seahawks fan at that time - loved Largent and Bosworth. As a starving ASU student, I couldn't afford season tickets, but managed to attend a couple of games that year. By the 49er's game, which I had to listen to from work on the radio, I was completely hooked. They've been my team ever since. A long, and mostly tortuous ride, but I'll stick with them forever at this point.

Go Cards.

 

[PACardsFan]

It still sickens me that Lomax's career was cut short. As much as I was a Jim Hart fan, Neil Lomax was the best QB in Cardinal history. He was definitely destined for the HOF if that debilitating injury didn't force his retirement.

 

[BW52]

It was the usual Cardinals bad luck...just like in the 60`s when the Cards where leading the division and Charlie Johnson got hurt and Cards had Terry Nofsinger as Qb,another year a QB in jury and the backup was Buddy Humphrey..end result lost out to the Browns both years.

 

[CardNots]

That team was headed for a Super Bowl appearance...

 

[JeffGollin]

It still sickens me that Lomax's career was cut short. As much as I was a Jim Hart fan, Neil Lomax was the best QB in Cardinal history. He was definitely destined for the HOF if that debilitating injury didn't force his retirement.

One of my finest memories was going outside the Vanderbilt Y for a noon-time run knowing we had drafted Lomax and, upon returning, finding out we had drafted EJ Junior with our next choice.

 

[MrYeahBut]

I started following that team, more out of idle curiosity, than anything. I'd moved back to Arizona the year before, but admittedly, I was more of a Seahawks fan at that time - loved Largent and Bosworth. As a starving ASU student, I couldn't afford season tickets, but managed to attend a couple of games that year. By the 49er's game, which I had to listen to from work on the radio, I was completely hooked. They've been my team ever since. A long, and mostly tortuous ride, but I'll stick with them forever at this point.

Go Cards.

A piece of trivia that may interest only me....

I was at that 49er game. I won't go into the gory details but that was the last day I took a drink/drug. Been clean ever since. 30+ years.

 

[Shane]

A piece of trivia that may interest only me....

I was at that 49er game. I won't go into the gory details but that was the last day I took a drink/drug. Been clean ever since. 30+ years.

We want details

 

[PACardsFan]

It was the usual Cardinals bad luck...just like in the 60`s when the Cards where leading the division and Charlie Johnson got hurt and Cards had Terry Nofsinger as Qb,another year a QB in jury and the backup was Buddy Humphrey..end result lost out to the Browns both years.

I remember that season well. Pretty sure the Cardinals were like 7-0 when Charlie Johnson went down. I remember referring to the backup as Numbfingers

 

[Frank The Fixer]

A piece of trivia that may interest only me....

I was at that 49er game. I won't go into the gory details but that was the last day I took a drink/drug. Been clean ever since. 30+ years.

Crazy. December 28th 1998 is the last time I drank. I got trashed at the playoff clinching win over the Chargers and got thrown out of SDS. Got dropped off at home and proceeded to hop into my car to go buy more beer. Got arrested for DUI and after I quit feeling sorry for myself I changed my life.
Been clean ever since.

 

[NJCardFan]

I remember that season well. Pretty sure the Cardinals were like 7-0 when Charlie Johnson went down. I remember referring to the backup as Numbfingers

7-1-1 actually. Cards had some good showings in the 60's.

In 1987 I went to my one and only game in St. Louis when the Cards had that epic comeback against the Bucs. It was at a time when it was a foregone conclusion that they were moving. There were more empty seats than fans in attendance. It was a couple weeks after the strike ended so that didn't help. Cards just missed out on a playoff spot that year. Lost a lot of close games that year including 2 of the replacement games. I also saw the Cards play the Eagles later that year. There was a contingent of fans from Baltimore wanting the Cards to move there. That's where I wanted them to move. Had they moved there I would have been a season ticket holder for sure. Was disappointed they chose Phoenix.

 

[MrYeahBut]

We want details

Reader's Digest version... you have to remember this was 30 years ago so memory foggy...

I'd been on a 2 +/- week bender. I think it was a Holiday Inn not too far from SDS. My girlfriend and I emptied the mini bar of everything, down to Kahlua/Drambuie .. there was an expensive white powdery substance involved In the morning, I went down to the bar for hair of the dog. I asked for a double Bloody Mary and bartender said all he had was Clamato to make it with. No worries bruh, just gimme it. I drank a couple of them, more white powdery substance. Made it to the game... we had the cheapest seats... very top row on east side in the sun.... Clamato hit me, projectile vomiting in the stands, didn't end well for me, some dude bitch slapped me and down I went... etc, etc. Made it back to Abq and a friend took me to rehab and left me slumped over in a chair in the lobby. No more drinkie poo for MrY.

I'm old but I can still take you down, big boy... except I get the taser and nightstick and you are handcuffed and blindfolded... lol

 

[Shane]

Reader's Digest version... you have to remember this was 30 years ago so memory foggy...

I'd been on a 2 +/- week bender. I think it was a Holiday Inn not too far from SDS. My girlfriend and I emptied the mini bar of everything, down to Kahlua/Drambuie .. there was an expensive white powdery substance involved In the morning, I went down to the bar for hair of the dog. I asked for a double Bloody Mary and bartender said all he had was Clamato to make it with. No worries bruh, just gimme it. I drank a couple of them, more white powdery substance. Made it to the game... we had the cheapest seats... very top row on east side in the sun.... Clamato hit me, projectile vomiting in the stands, didn't end well for me, some dude bitch slapped me and down I went... etc, etc. Made it back to Abq and a friend took me to rehab and left me slumped over in a chair in the lobby. No more drinkie poo for MrY.

I'm old but I can still take you down, big boy... except I get the taser and nightstick and you are handcuffed and blindfolded... lol

Now that’s a great story my friend..

 

[Crimson Warrior]

So much promise for this team. Just fell short. And this ended Neil Lomax's career. I knnow a lot of you guys were here for a lot of this.

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Thanks for posting NJCardFan. That's really cool.

It's no secret that Lomax is probably my all time favorite Cardinal. He was a little ahead of his time.

 

[NJCardFan]

Thanks for posting NJCardFan. That's really cool.

It's no secret that Lomax is probably my all time favorite Cardinal. He was a little ahead of his time.

Shame he only had 1 season in AZ. His early retirement set this team back a decade.

 

[PACardsFan]

7-1-1 actually. Cards had some good showings in the 60's.

In 1987 I went to my one and only game in St. Louis when the Cards had that epic comeback against the Bucs. It was at a time when it was a foregone conclusion that they were moving. There were more empty seats than fans in attendance. It was a couple weeks after the strike ended so that didn't help. Cards just missed out on a playoff spot that year. Lost a lot of close games that year including 2 of the replacement games. I also saw the Cards play the Eagles later that year. There was a contingent of fans from Baltimore wanting the Cards to move there. That's where I wanted them to move. Had they moved there I would have been a season ticket holder for sure. Was disappointed they chose Phoenix.

I live less than an hour from Baltimore, so I was upset also.

 

[CardNots]

Those ten years after that were an exciting time for Arizona sports fans. Going from only ASU football and the Suns, to having the Cardinals and the NFL come to town that year, along with U of A basketball rising from nowhere to national dominance from that year forward in 1988, the Rattlers coming into existence and dominating Arena football, then they Coyotes bringing a whole new unknown sport to town with a remarkably good team in the mid 90's, to the Diamondbacks being announced and going through the process of coming to life in '98. It was a wild and fun time.

I had moved to the valley the year before. Phoenix was an over grown cow town. I could not believe the change, Phoenix became a city over night. Oh yeah completing i10 through downtown helped as well. For sure it was a great time to be in Phoenix...

 

[Cardsfaninlouky]

I live less than an hour from Baltimore, so I was upset also.

I hated them leaving St.Louis, I live in Louisville, KY so it's only a 4 hour drive for me lol.

 

[NJCardFan]

The sad thing is, Bidwill left STL because they wouldn't give him a football only stadium. So he bolts for Phoenix and the promise of a new stadium. The Rams move to STL and a year later they have a brand new dome. Meanwhile it will take the Cards almost 20 years to get their promised stadium. What that tells me is that STL just wanted to get rid of the Bidwills. In fact, even the baseball Cardinals got a new park before the Football Cardinals did.

 

[Rivercard]

I hated them leaving St.Louis, I live in Louisville, KY so it's only a 4 hour drive for me lol.

I'm from Louisville and my family used to make the 4 hour drive once a year. Good times. Then I moved to Cali the same year the Cards moved to Phoenix.

 

[Osbern61]

That season I remember listening to the football scores on the radio at work(KYW 1060 in Philadelphia) and being pumped up that they beat the Giants in their first match up that year. Then became unpumped when I saw in the USA Today the next morning that Lomax had taken a serious hip injury.

 

[NeverSayDieFan]

Neil Lomax to Roy Green was virtually...UNSTOPPABLE!!

Mark in SC