azdad1978
Championship!!!!
Fans recall empty seats, empty promises, good times in Tempe
Jahna Berry
The Arizona Republic
Sept. 19, 2005 12:00 AM
As the Arizona Cardinals spent one more futile Sunday on the field in Tempe, the end of the day did bring them one weekend closer to a new beginning.
After 18 seasons at Sun Devil Stadium, the Cardinals will head to Glendale next year. The team's stay in Tempe has been bittersweet, say Cardinals players, fans and nearby shop owners.
And for some, it's been just plain bitter.
The Cards have savored a few blood-pumping wins, and the team brought fan dollars downtown. But the games were never the cash bonanza that some predicted, merchants say. Those painful seasons with the Cards playing in a half-empty stadium, often with most fans cheering for the opposing team, didn't help. It was the same story Sunday, as the St. Louis Rams edged the Cardinals 17-12.
So who can blame fans for dreaming about Cardinals Stadium's luxury lofts and climate-controlled comfort? Who wants to knock players who crave a pristine field that they don't have to share with ASU?
"You'll miss playing (at Sun Devil Stadium) because you played there for so long, but it's good to get out to a new stadium," starting defensive tackle Russell Davis said. "It's like you still share a room with your little brother, and then you find out you're getting your own room. You're excited about it."
So are the fans. What does Glendale have over Sun Devil? Fans at a Cardinals preseason game said reason No. 1 starts with "A." It ends with "C."
"A professional team needs a professional stadium," said fan Tim Hogun, who like other die-hards baked in triple-digit heat as the Cards got trampled by Denver on Sept. 2 The former season-ticket holder says he plans to walk to Cards games from his new Glendale home.
But some have sweet memories of the Cards' 1988 arrival in Arizona, a time when scarlet fever struck. An NFL presence meant that the Valley was no longer a pro sports backwater, said Jerry Geiger, who was on the negotiating team that wooed the Cards from St. Louis.
"From a community standpoint, this Valley was pretty darn ripe for a professional sports team," said Geiger, a former Cactus League president.
He remembers the delicate negotiations that brought Big Red to Tempe. During one secret session at the Tempe Mission Palms, Valley leaders hired a decoy limo to lure away a pack of reporters so they could hustle Cardinals owner Bill Bidwill out the back door.
The Sunday games brought Tempe priceless exposure, said Don Cassano, who was on the City Council when the Cards began playing in Tempe.
"It brought people to downtown Tempe who had not been to Tempe before," he said.
Yet shop owners say home games never brought the kind of crowds they expected.
McDuffy's fills with "hundreds" of fans during home games, general manager Jeff Flaherty said, but many of those fans often are transplants and visitors rooting for the opposing team.
"We usually get a good pre-game crowd," he said of Cardinals fans. "After the game, people just get in their cars and go home."
It's hard to peg what kind of economic impact the Cardinals have had on Tempe. It depends on what's included and who's counting. Poor attendance, losing seasons and high initial ticket prices are among the reasons for a less-than-expected impact, civic and business leaders say.
In 1988, an accounting firm estimated the Cards would generate $64.8 million annually in business for Tempe and $400,000 in annual sales tax. But in 2004, Tempe city officials estimated that home games have a $550,000 annual economic impact on the city.
The Arizona Sports and Tourism Authority estimates the Cardinals season has a $150 million economic impact on the Valley.
Tempe bars and restaurants did well on game days, but other retailers suffered because game traffic chased away weekend customers.
"The financial impact of the Cards never lived up to expectations," said Rod Keeling, president of the merchants' group Downtown Tempe Community Inc.
Like any jilted lover, Keeling also remembers the good times.
Keeling was in Sun Devil in '88 for the Cards' miraculous win against the Super Bowl champion San Francisco 49ers. He remembers standing with his stepfather, the crowd exploding around them.
"When they came out here I decided that I wanted to be a Cardinals fan," Keeling said. "I wanted to support them."
The losses wore him down, and he has traded Sunday home games for more family time.
Do the Cardinals have fond Sun Devil memories?
When asked the question, Marcel Shipp, a running back who's been with the team since 2001, paused. For a long time.
"My first touchdown, man," he said with a laugh. In 2002, Shipp caught a pass from then-Cardinals quarterback Jake Plummer against the San Diego Chargers. "I was excited, man. That was the only thing that stands out."
Then there are the Smarts, a Chandler couple who said they will reluctantly go to games next season in Glendale.
"It's always been played here, so it's bittersweet," said 29-year-old Robin Smart. She grew up watching the Cards in Tempe and as an adult tailgated with her dad. "He gave me a beer. We hung out as adults. I have fond memories of that."
And Robin's husband, Justin, wants to know, who needs a retractable roof when all of the essentials are at Sun Devil?
"It has a field, two field goals and cold beer," he said. "What else do you need?"
http://www.azcentral.com/sports/cardinals/articles/0919cardsleave19.html
Jahna Berry
The Arizona Republic
Sept. 19, 2005 12:00 AM
As the Arizona Cardinals spent one more futile Sunday on the field in Tempe, the end of the day did bring them one weekend closer to a new beginning.
After 18 seasons at Sun Devil Stadium, the Cardinals will head to Glendale next year. The team's stay in Tempe has been bittersweet, say Cardinals players, fans and nearby shop owners.
And for some, it's been just plain bitter.
The Cards have savored a few blood-pumping wins, and the team brought fan dollars downtown. But the games were never the cash bonanza that some predicted, merchants say. Those painful seasons with the Cards playing in a half-empty stadium, often with most fans cheering for the opposing team, didn't help. It was the same story Sunday, as the St. Louis Rams edged the Cardinals 17-12.
So who can blame fans for dreaming about Cardinals Stadium's luxury lofts and climate-controlled comfort? Who wants to knock players who crave a pristine field that they don't have to share with ASU?
"You'll miss playing (at Sun Devil Stadium) because you played there for so long, but it's good to get out to a new stadium," starting defensive tackle Russell Davis said. "It's like you still share a room with your little brother, and then you find out you're getting your own room. You're excited about it."
So are the fans. What does Glendale have over Sun Devil? Fans at a Cardinals preseason game said reason No. 1 starts with "A." It ends with "C."
"A professional team needs a professional stadium," said fan Tim Hogun, who like other die-hards baked in triple-digit heat as the Cards got trampled by Denver on Sept. 2 The former season-ticket holder says he plans to walk to Cards games from his new Glendale home.
But some have sweet memories of the Cards' 1988 arrival in Arizona, a time when scarlet fever struck. An NFL presence meant that the Valley was no longer a pro sports backwater, said Jerry Geiger, who was on the negotiating team that wooed the Cards from St. Louis.
"From a community standpoint, this Valley was pretty darn ripe for a professional sports team," said Geiger, a former Cactus League president.
He remembers the delicate negotiations that brought Big Red to Tempe. During one secret session at the Tempe Mission Palms, Valley leaders hired a decoy limo to lure away a pack of reporters so they could hustle Cardinals owner Bill Bidwill out the back door.
The Sunday games brought Tempe priceless exposure, said Don Cassano, who was on the City Council when the Cards began playing in Tempe.
"It brought people to downtown Tempe who had not been to Tempe before," he said.
Yet shop owners say home games never brought the kind of crowds they expected.
McDuffy's fills with "hundreds" of fans during home games, general manager Jeff Flaherty said, but many of those fans often are transplants and visitors rooting for the opposing team.
"We usually get a good pre-game crowd," he said of Cardinals fans. "After the game, people just get in their cars and go home."
It's hard to peg what kind of economic impact the Cardinals have had on Tempe. It depends on what's included and who's counting. Poor attendance, losing seasons and high initial ticket prices are among the reasons for a less-than-expected impact, civic and business leaders say.
In 1988, an accounting firm estimated the Cards would generate $64.8 million annually in business for Tempe and $400,000 in annual sales tax. But in 2004, Tempe city officials estimated that home games have a $550,000 annual economic impact on the city.
The Arizona Sports and Tourism Authority estimates the Cardinals season has a $150 million economic impact on the Valley.
Tempe bars and restaurants did well on game days, but other retailers suffered because game traffic chased away weekend customers.
"The financial impact of the Cards never lived up to expectations," said Rod Keeling, president of the merchants' group Downtown Tempe Community Inc.
Like any jilted lover, Keeling also remembers the good times.
Keeling was in Sun Devil in '88 for the Cards' miraculous win against the Super Bowl champion San Francisco 49ers. He remembers standing with his stepfather, the crowd exploding around them.
"When they came out here I decided that I wanted to be a Cardinals fan," Keeling said. "I wanted to support them."
The losses wore him down, and he has traded Sunday home games for more family time.
Do the Cardinals have fond Sun Devil memories?
When asked the question, Marcel Shipp, a running back who's been with the team since 2001, paused. For a long time.
"My first touchdown, man," he said with a laugh. In 2002, Shipp caught a pass from then-Cardinals quarterback Jake Plummer against the San Diego Chargers. "I was excited, man. That was the only thing that stands out."
Then there are the Smarts, a Chandler couple who said they will reluctantly go to games next season in Glendale.
"It's always been played here, so it's bittersweet," said 29-year-old Robin Smart. She grew up watching the Cards in Tempe and as an adult tailgated with her dad. "He gave me a beer. We hung out as adults. I have fond memories of that."
And Robin's husband, Justin, wants to know, who needs a retractable roof when all of the essentials are at Sun Devil?
"It has a field, two field goals and cold beer," he said. "What else do you need?"
http://www.azcentral.com/sports/cardinals/articles/0919cardsleave19.html
