The Arizona Cardinals franchise is in the news this week because of Sunday’s game with the Vikings in Glendale. To most Minnesotans the Cardinals connection is likely to be Denny Green or Larry Fitzgerald Jr. Green was the Vikings coach from 1992-2001 and coached the Cardinals from 2004-2006, while Fitzgerald, the Minneapolis native, is in his fifth pro season with Arizona and is the NFL’s third leading receiver with 1,148 yards.
But not nearly so well known is that in 1959 when the Cardinals were based in Chicago, the team played two regular season games in Minnesota at Metropolitan Stadium. Minneapolis leaders had convinced the Cardinals and the NFL to move two of Chicago’s home games here as part of an effort to bring pro football to this area.
A group that included former Minneapolis Lakers owner Max Winter was later given an NFL expansion that started play in 1961. The state can consider itself fortunate that the Cardinals never moved here. The franchise wasn’t successful financially or on the field back in the 1950s and this has been a troubled franchise much of the time since then.
For many years the Cardinals had to share the Chicago market with the more popular Bears. In 1960 the franchise relocated to St. Louis. By 1988 the Cardinals had moved to the Phoenix area where for years they played in Arizona State’s stadium before small crowds. Owned by the Bidwell family, the Cardinals had a reputation for being tight with money and not making good football decisions.
Today’s Cardinals, 8-5 and in first place in the NFC West, aren’t your father’s, or your grandfather’s, Redbirds. Arizona has clinched the division title and hopes for a franchise first, a trip to the Super Bowl. Prior to this season the Cardinals hadn’t won a division title in more than 30 years and the franchise hasn’t been in the playoffs since 1998.
Now you know why local fans should be grateful that the Cardinals never made Minnesota home.