The Real Reason why the Cardinals left St Louis.

[Cards Czar]

IF you ever wondered as to why the Cardinals left St. Louis here it is in print.

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/foot...cle_5a6ee4ed-3f10-5048-926f-5d5189187674.html

 

[Cardsfanstl]

IF you ever wondered as to why the Cardinals left St. Louis here it is in print.

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/foot...cle_5a6ee4ed-3f10-5048-926f-5d5189187674.html

Thanks for the article. I was overseas in the military during this time. Remember reading in the Stars and Stripes they were moving to Phoenix. Called my family and they told me it was because the city would not let the county build a stadium. Basically everything in this article is what they told me.

Thanks for sharing.

 

[Totally_Red]

Cardinals move from St. Louis

The St.Louis PD has a lengthy article about the events preceding the Cardinals move to Arizona in 1988. It is obviously told from a St.Louis perspective and mainly revolves around St.Louis County's attempts to build a domed stadium to keep the Cardinals after the City of St.Louis delayed and refused to do so.


http://www.stltoday.com/sports/foot...cle_5a6ee4ed-3f10-5048-926f-5d5189187674.html

 

[RedRob]

Having grown up in Southern Illinois I still hear older men gripe about the Cards leaving St. Louis, and of course the usual grumblings regarding Bidwill senior ensue.

Not that their complaints aren't totally legitimate, however one thing is certainly clear; once a stadium was built the Cardinal franchise changed dramatically.

Next time I hear someone throw out the same Bidwill tirade I'll forward along this article.

 

[Cards Czar]

Also if you look at the picture of Bidwill in Old Bush Stadium you will see no signage. The Stadium was owned but Gussie Bush and the Baseball Cardinals. Bush was not letting Bidwill have any parking, cosignage, or consessions revenue at all. Bush also charge rent to Bidwill and thats why the Bidwill's where seeking a new stadium. The final straw was that when Gussie Bush found out that the Cardinals were in contact with the city and county for a new stadium he raised the rent. That was the last straw for the Bidwills.

 

[Gee!]

Also if you look at the picture of Bidwill in Old Bush Stadium you will see no signage. The Stadium was owned but Gussie Bush and the Baseball Cardinals. Bush was not letting Bidwill have any parking, cosignage, or consessions revenue at all. Bush also charge rent to Bidwill and thats why the Bidwill's where seeking a new stadium. The final straw was that when Gussie Bush found out that the Cardinals were in contact with the city and county for a new stadium he raised the rent. That was the last straw for the Bidwills.

Sounds almost like what was happening at SDS.. Glad I was one of the people who helped get University of Phoenix Stadium built.. Because there was rumblings if we didn't get it, the Cards may move to LA..

 

[Totally_Red]

Also if you look at the picture of Bidwill in Old Bush Stadium you will see no signage. The Stadium was owned but Gussie Bush and the Baseball Cardinals. Bush was not letting Bidwill have any parking, cosignage, or consessions revenue at all. Bush also charge rent to Bidwill and thats why the Bidwill's where seeking a new stadium. The final straw was that when Gussie Bush found out that the Cardinals were in contact with the city and county for a new stadium he raised the rent. That was the last straw for the Bidwills.

The Big Red were always the red-headed stepchild in St.Louis. It was and is a baseball town. I hated to see them leave, but since Glendale built the new stadium, the franchise is on an upward swing IMO.

 

[denverbirdfan]

anyone here remember that they would play a marching band segment from the Cardinals loyalty song after really great plays/tds at Busch Stadium? And at the end of the song, the trumpets would screech really high? They would play the whole song after touchdowns at Sun Devil Stadium - I think it's called "The Cardinals Are Charging." Do they do that anymore in Glendale - or something like it?

 

[denverbirdfan]

here it is:
http://www.hark.com/clips/ncsbvkzbrm-the-cardinals-are-charging

 

[Duckjake]

The Big Red were always the red-headed stepchild in St.Louis. It was and is a baseball town. I hated to see them leave, but since Glendale built the new stadium, the franchise is on an upward swing IMO.

The baseball Cardinals had just been to the WS for the 3rd time in 6 years. The Gridbirds were constantly having to open on the road because of baseball. 1985 4 of 6 on the road to start. 1987 5 of 7. It had to be a tough sell especially when they were 4-9-1 most of the time*.

Ironic though that the football teams best success in the SB era came during a down period for the baseball team.

*When the NFL went to 16 games and OT that changed to 5-11.

 

[conraddobler]

It was an endless debate at the time in St. Louis about not supporting a team that didn't win, that's all most of the people said.

They hated on Bidwill really bad and the facts are that he had very little money, was in a terrible situation with Busch stadium and all of the time he would of RATHER stayed.

Now also IMO at the time it was one of the more dysfunctional NFL franchises and so I can see why people in St Louis got frustrated but in the end they finally built the stadium he always wanted and they took off from there.

If you build it they will come kinda deal, gotta have faith.

 

[conraddobler]

The baseball Cardinals had just been to the WS for the 3rd time in 6 years. The Gridbirds were constantly having to open on the road because of baseball. 1985 4 of 6 on the road to start. 1987 5 of 7. It had to be a tough sell especially when they were 4-9-1 most of the time*.

Ironic though that the football teams best success in the SB era came during a down period for the baseball team.

*When the NFL went to 16 games and OT that changed to 5-11.

St Louis is always getting pegged as a baseball town, the baseball team there is number one and always will be but that's a silly thing to worry about for one thing it's plenty big enough to support multiple sports.

Putting the stadium in the County would of been the way to go, there's no room down there to tailgate.

That one change would of probably altered things in a major way, football is it's own thing, St Louis fans have rarely had the opportunity to tailgate, here in KC it's an artform.

It's a HUGE part of football, if you don't factor that in you aren't doing it right IMO.

Politics killed the Cardinal football team in St. Louis and a cruddy location keeps it down there now.

They need to build a new one with space to tailgate, football is an event more so than any one baseball game.

 

[Crazy Canuck]

Also if you look at the picture of Bidwill in Old Bush Stadium you will see no signage. The Stadium was owned but Gussie Bush and the Baseball Cardinals. Bush was not letting Bidwill have any parking, cosignage, or consessions revenue at all. Bush also charge rent to Bidwill and thats why the Bidwill's where seeking a new stadium. The final straw was that when Gussie Bush found out that the Cardinals were in contact with the city and county for a new stadium he raised the rent. That was the last straw for the Bidwills.

A billionaire from Toronto tried to step in at that point and buy the team for a move up north. The Bidwill's refused the offer.

 

[wa52lz]

anyone here remember that they would play a marching band segment from the Cardinals loyalty song after really great plays/tds at Busch Stadium? And at the end of the song, the trumpets would screech really high? They would play the whole song after touchdowns at Sun Devil Stadium - I think it's called "The Cardinals Are Charging." Do they do that anymore in Glendale - or something like it?

The stopped playing it when they left SDS, maybe before?? I cant be 100% sure that they played it the last couple years @ SDS, but I do know they did for many seasons there.

 

[Cardinals.Ken]

anyone here remember that they would play a marching band segment from the Cardinals loyalty song after really great plays/tds at Busch Stadium? And at the end of the song, the trumpets would screech really high? They would play the whole song after touchdowns at Sun Devil Stadium - I think it's called "The Cardinals Are Charging." Do they do that anymore in Glendale - or something like it?

Nope. I thought it was kind of goofy during the SDS days, but in all honesty I miss it now.

 

[Reddog]

Mr. Bidwill has been very patient because it took 25+ years to get his dream of a stadium built. Michael has really honored his dad in getting the stadium built.

 

[clif]

I laugh because this story was almost played out exactly here in Arizona from 1988- 1999 (?) I forget the year we voted to pass the stadium. I was one of the %51 that voted for it. It barely passed. It got slapped around from downtown phoenix to Tempe to the Indian reservation to finally Glendale stepping in and mortgaging their future to keep the team here so they could be a major sports town and get out of the shadow of Phoenix. What is ironic is that there was an article in the Arizona republic the other day talking about how this very thing (along with the deal with the coyotes) is basically about to bankrupt Glendale and has cost the entire council and the mayor their jobs. Which they hope will not cost the city it's traditional holiday festivities and other civic services. The city bent over backwards to make the coyotes stay and they still have not got them locked in long term. Meanwhile the cards are about the only thing left that the city makes money off of. The dodgers facility and their plans to have development around it has not panned out (economy sucks). It is such a subjective and volatile mix that no one knows how it would have turned out here had Glendale not stepped up. Phoenix blew it too. Downtown was the way to go, but they fought it only to try and build cityscape project to attract the businesses that they could have had years ago.

 

[Hollywood]

Im glad that this played out like it did. I love the Cardinals and would have missed out had they not moved here. It sucks that they had to wait so long for a home of their own but they/we have it now and look what they are doing with it. Already a division and confrence championship banner. The only thing I might change if I could would be the location. I dont mind the drive too and from Glendale. (I live in east Mesa) But the pitch made by the Gila River Indians was fantastic. Lots of room for tailgating and water taxis between the planned hotel/casino, stadium and golf course. I would have loved to see it.
The Glendale site was actually my 3rd favorite behind the Gila site and the one at the 101/202 intersection. But that one was just because it was the most centerally located with the room for tailgating.

 

[splitsecond]

Downtown would have been terrible. Tempe fell apart because of the FAA, and Mesa BLEW IT big time in not wanting the stadium where Riverview is now.

Can you imagine how awesome it would be to tailgate in Mesa/Tempe/Scottsdale border? How many people would show up just to tailgate and then leave?

I am not complaining, I love the stadium now, but it could have been so much better in a different location.

 

[Fiasco]

Speak

 

[Fiasco]

SpeakIng of stadiums in STL and tailgating... It sucks here. There is a nIce big plot of land in Fenton to build on that would be perfe t

 

[RedViper]

The Cards have been in Arizona now almost as long as they were in St Louis. This story doesn't really have any relevance anymore except as an historical footnote. To me, once the Maricopa voters passed the referendum to build the stadium, this community earned possession of the team, in a way the most communities never had to. They really became the Arizona Cardinals at that point and they don't belong anywhere else. And the promise that the team would be able to pull its crap together in return for the faith shown by the voters has largely come true. Its a pretty good marriage.

That said, I'm sorry StL got such a bad deal for the Rams and may lose that team in spite of making every concession in the world. I do hope the Rams stay in St Louis. No one deserves to get screwed like that, no matter what anyone thinks about how they handled things 25 years ago.

 

[Dr. Jones]

I can't imagine how tailgating could be better than this.....

 

[Buckybird]

I can't imagine how tailgating could be better than this.....

I agree, it's an awesome spectacle to be there on the lawn getting ready for a Cards game!

I'll get back to you after my trip to Green Bay in 4 weeks though

 

[English on tour]

Good read.