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Dan Bickley
The Arizona Republic
Sept. 27, 2006 12:00 AM
The Bidwill family has hit the jackpot once again.
The numbers bring on severe bouts of nausea.
Voter's remorse, anyone?
Wouldn't matter. Suckers like me are born every minute.
Sadly, this is not about the undernourished football team, which is 1-2 and dealing with inner turmoil just three games into the "new era." This is about the Bidwill family business, which celebrated another glorious coup on Tuesday.
They announced a $154.5 million deal to name the stadium for the University of Phoenix, a 20-year partnership that will pay the Cardinals an average of $7.7 million per year.
They did so without prior approval from the Arizona Sports and Tourism Authority, even though the Cardinals were bound to do so under terms of the use agreement.
They did so even though it was sure to infuriate the city of Glendale, which paid $9.9 million toward the cost of the new stadium, banking on a little identity boost in return.
Instead, Glendale partnered with a team that will attempt to stamp Phoenix all over the property.
"The approval of the name will be placed on the agenda of a future board of directors meeting," tourism authority President Ted Ferris said.
Incredible? It gets even better.
Apparently, Ferris has been busy tending to another dispute involving the Cardinals, who seem to think the $455 million stadium is their birthright.
If you haven't noticed, the inside of the new stadium is filled with birds and beaks and giant red logos.
Doesn't exactly look like the multipurpose, shared facility we all voted for, but that's OK. The place needs some personality.
Except the Cardinals are again haggling with the Fiesta Bowl, which requires a significant amount of space to decorate and brand the upcoming BCS Championship Game in January. Given the Fiesta Bowl's seat among the college football elite and its value to the local economy, you would think cooperation would be a given.
Sadly, it is not.
"The BCS is extremely concerned about confusion between team branding of the Cardinals as a NFL team and the sport of college football, its games and the BCS logos," Fiesta Bowl President John Junker said. "They require that we give them a stadium plan that provides absolute clarity for the BCS and the teams of college football."
Alas, if the Cardinals had as much talent as the Bidwills do nerve, the team would have more Super Bowl trophies than the Steelers and 49ers combined. All this new math makes it even worse.
The Cardinals accrued a $145.4 million bill for their piece of the new stadium, a debt that was trimmed down significantly by the NFL's G3 program, a revenue-sharing tool designed to loan/absorb up to 34 percent of the cost of new stadium for small market teams like Arizona.
They also received development rights for more than 120 acres of adjacent land, which has soared in value over the past few years. They have Matt Leinart jerseys flying out of stores, revenue streams are flowing like beer taps on Mill Avenue and, according to Forbes magazine, the new stadium drove the Cardinals' current value to $789 million.
That's an increase of nearly $500 million in the past six years. I'm guessing your 401(k) didn't do as well. But in the dark times, just remember:
Every time a tourist frowns at his rental-car bill and his hotel taxes and our state in general, it was to build a level playing field for the Bidwill family.
So, why are we $10.7 million under the salary cap again? Why was this a playoff team when seats were still available yet suddenly more than "one or two players away" when all the tickets were gone? Why is Michael Bidwill saying that the naming-rights deal was a necessary piece to build a championship team and spend on free agents . . . while his father's franchise is already sitting on gobs of unused money?
Because we're suckers, that's why. But here's the rub:
With all these new customers on the hook, there are a lot more people feeling offended, angry and deceived. Even the Kool-Aid drinkers are waking up.
And if the Bidwill family can't find that one last, elusive rainbow and win lots of football games in the near future, there will be a price to pay for all the fires it has stoked.
Reach Bickley at [email protected] or (602) 444-8253.
The Arizona Republic
Sept. 27, 2006 12:00 AM
The Bidwill family has hit the jackpot once again.
The numbers bring on severe bouts of nausea.
Voter's remorse, anyone?
Wouldn't matter. Suckers like me are born every minute.
Sadly, this is not about the undernourished football team, which is 1-2 and dealing with inner turmoil just three games into the "new era." This is about the Bidwill family business, which celebrated another glorious coup on Tuesday.
They announced a $154.5 million deal to name the stadium for the University of Phoenix, a 20-year partnership that will pay the Cardinals an average of $7.7 million per year.
They did so without prior approval from the Arizona Sports and Tourism Authority, even though the Cardinals were bound to do so under terms of the use agreement.
They did so even though it was sure to infuriate the city of Glendale, which paid $9.9 million toward the cost of the new stadium, banking on a little identity boost in return.
Instead, Glendale partnered with a team that will attempt to stamp Phoenix all over the property.
"The approval of the name will be placed on the agenda of a future board of directors meeting," tourism authority President Ted Ferris said.
Incredible? It gets even better.
Apparently, Ferris has been busy tending to another dispute involving the Cardinals, who seem to think the $455 million stadium is their birthright.
If you haven't noticed, the inside of the new stadium is filled with birds and beaks and giant red logos.
Doesn't exactly look like the multipurpose, shared facility we all voted for, but that's OK. The place needs some personality.
Except the Cardinals are again haggling with the Fiesta Bowl, which requires a significant amount of space to decorate and brand the upcoming BCS Championship Game in January. Given the Fiesta Bowl's seat among the college football elite and its value to the local economy, you would think cooperation would be a given.
Sadly, it is not.
"The BCS is extremely concerned about confusion between team branding of the Cardinals as a NFL team and the sport of college football, its games and the BCS logos," Fiesta Bowl President John Junker said. "They require that we give them a stadium plan that provides absolute clarity for the BCS and the teams of college football."
Alas, if the Cardinals had as much talent as the Bidwills do nerve, the team would have more Super Bowl trophies than the Steelers and 49ers combined. All this new math makes it even worse.
The Cardinals accrued a $145.4 million bill for their piece of the new stadium, a debt that was trimmed down significantly by the NFL's G3 program, a revenue-sharing tool designed to loan/absorb up to 34 percent of the cost of new stadium for small market teams like Arizona.
They also received development rights for more than 120 acres of adjacent land, which has soared in value over the past few years. They have Matt Leinart jerseys flying out of stores, revenue streams are flowing like beer taps on Mill Avenue and, according to Forbes magazine, the new stadium drove the Cardinals' current value to $789 million.
That's an increase of nearly $500 million in the past six years. I'm guessing your 401(k) didn't do as well. But in the dark times, just remember:
Every time a tourist frowns at his rental-car bill and his hotel taxes and our state in general, it was to build a level playing field for the Bidwill family.
So, why are we $10.7 million under the salary cap again? Why was this a playoff team when seats were still available yet suddenly more than "one or two players away" when all the tickets were gone? Why is Michael Bidwill saying that the naming-rights deal was a necessary piece to build a championship team and spend on free agents . . . while his father's franchise is already sitting on gobs of unused money?
Because we're suckers, that's why. But here's the rub:
With all these new customers on the hook, there are a lot more people feeling offended, angry and deceived. Even the Kool-Aid drinkers are waking up.
And if the Bidwill family can't find that one last, elusive rainbow and win lots of football games in the near future, there will be a price to pay for all the fires it has stoked.
Reach Bickley at [email protected] or (602) 444-8253.
