Arizona Cardinals: Forgotten franchise moments you should know
By Larry Brake
Here are some forgotten moments from the Arizona Cardinals franchise that you should know.
The Arizona Cardinals have a rich, storied history dating back to 1920. The Cardinals have played in three different states under four names. They actually played two seasons, 1920-21, in the American Professional Football Association (APFA).
The Chicago Cardinals joined the National Football League (NFL) for the 1922 season. They won the NFL championship in 1925 under head coach Norm Barry. The Cardinals defeated the Hammond Pros 13-0 for their first championship.
Hard times marked the franchise’s struggles after the championship season. The Cardinals were mediocre for the next 21 seasons. Then magic appeared once again.
Since pro football teams want to win, most coaches only get limited opportunities with a franchise. However, Jimmy Conzelman got two chances with the Cardinals. Conzelman’s first stint, from 1940-42, was not fruitful due to winning three games or less in each season.
Because the team went 1-29, Conzelman was named head coach, yet again. The Cardinals roster was probably better since the war was over. They had a good season in 1946 before lightning struck again.
The Cardinals won the NFL Championship the next season. They defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 28-21. In the following season, Philadelphia won in the rematch 7-0. In Chicago, the Cardinals won two NFL Championships.
Next, the Cardinals moved to St. Louis for the 1960 season. They were there for 27 seasons. Three times the Cardinals made the playoffs. Jim Hart quarterbacked the team to back to back playoff appearances in 1974-75. The Cardinals lost in the Wild Card Round of the playoffs in the strike season of 1982.
Arizona became the team’s home after the 1987 season. They became the Phoenix Cardinals. In 1994, the team took the name of the Arizona Cardinals. This became their fourth name in three different states.
Ken Whisenhunt revived the Cardinals playoff run in 2008. They made their fourth championship game appearance. The Cardinals fell short in their only Super Bowl appearance, 27-23, to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
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Arizona have had four playoff seasons since 1994. After finishing 8-8 last season, expectations are high for the new coaching staff. The roster looks promising for another playoff run. Hopefully, 2018 will go down as a magical season for this storied franchise.