1.
Arizona Cardinals
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The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football franchise based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League as a member of the leagues National Football Conference West division, the Cardinals were founded as the Morgan Athletic Club in 1898, and are the oldest continuously run professional football team in the United States. The Cardinals play their games at the University of Phoenix Stadium. The team was established in Chicago in 1898 and was a member of the NFL in 1920. Along with the Chicago Bears, the club is one of two NFL charter member franchises still in operation since the leagues founding, the club then moved to St. Louis in 1960 and played in that city through 1987. Before the 1988 season, the team moved west to Tempe, Arizona, a suburb east of Phoenix. In 2006, the club playing all home games at the newly constructed University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale. The franchise has won two NFL championships, both while it was based in Chicago, the first occurred in 1925, but is the subject of controversy, with supporters of the Pottsville Maroons believing that Pottsville should have won the title. Their second title, and the first to be won in a game, came in 1947. They returned to the game to defend in 1948. In 2012 the Cardinals became the first NFL franchise to lose 700 games since its inception, the franchises all-time win-loss record at the conclusion of the 2016 season is 549–741–40. They have been to the ten times and have won seven playoff games. During that season, they won their only NFC Championship Game since the 1970 AFL–NFL merger, the team has also won five division titles since their 1947–1948 NFL championship game appearances. From 1988 through 2012, the Cardinals conducted their summer training camp at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff. The Cardinals moved their camp to University of Phoenix Stadium in 2013. The stadium was the site of the 2015 Pro Bowl, unlike in past years, the stadium also played host to Super Bowls XLII and XLIX. The franchises inception dates back to 1898, when a group gathered to play in the Chicago South Side. Chicago painting and building contractor Chris OBrien acquired the team, which he relocated to Normal Field on Racine Avenue, the team was known as Racine Normals until 1901, when OBrien bought used jerseys from the University of Chicago
2.
1920 Chicago Cardinals season
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The 1920 Chicago Cardinals season was their inaugural season in the National Football League. The team finished 6–2–1, earning fourth in the league and their final games of the season against the Chicago Stayms Foresters was played after the NFL season was officially over and didnt count towards the standings. The Chicago Cardinals, who were named the Racine Cardinals, finished 4–2–3 in their 1919 season in the Ohio League, at the meeting, they tentatively agreed on a salary cap and pledged not to sign college players or players already under contract with other teams. They also agreed on a name for the circuit, the American Professional Football Conference and they then contacted other major professional teams and invited them to a meeting for September 17. Representatives of the Buffalo All-Americans and Rochester Jeffersons could not attend the meeting, team representatives changed the leagues name slightly to the American Professional Football Association and elected officers, installing Jim Thorpe as president. Under the new structure, teams created their schedules dynamically as the season progressed. After joining the league, owner Chris OBrien signed halfback John Paddy Driscoll for $3,000, one of Driscolls young running backs was Ralph Horween, who previously played under the name of B. Awarded the Brunswick-Balke Collender Cup and named APFA Champions. Note, pigskin, The Early Years of Pro Football. Siwoff, Seymour, Zimmber, Jon, Marini, Matt, the Official NFL Record and Fact Book 2010. When Football Was Football, The Chicago Cardinals and the Birth of the NFL
3.
University of Phoenix Stadium
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University of Phoenix Stadium is a multi-purpose football stadium located in Glendale, Arizona, west of Phoenix. It is the home of the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League and it replaced Tempes Sun Devil Stadium as the Valley of the Suns main outdoor stadium. The stadium is adjacent to the Gila River Arena and it features the first fully retractable natural grass playing surface built in the United States on top of an AirField Systems drainage system. It was one of the stadiums for the Copa América Centenario in 2016 and it hosted the NCAA Final Four in 2017. The University of Phoenix acquired the rights in September 2006. The University of Phoenix name is applied as a sponsor, and not as the home stadium of the university. Since moving to Arizona in 1988, the Cardinals had played at Sun Devil Stadium on the campus of Arizona State University, the Cardinals had only planned to play there until a new stadium could be built in Phoenix. However, the savings and loan crisis derailed funding for a new stadium, over time, the Cardinals expressed frustration at being merely tenants in a college football stadium. Lack of having their own stadium denied them additional revenue streams available to other NFL teams, the Cardinals campaigned several years for a new and more modern facility. The 63, 400-seat stadium opened on August 1,2006 after three years of construction, the stadium was designed by Eisenman Architects and HOK Sport. The ceremonial groundbreaking for the new stadium was held on April 12,2003, LED video and ribbon displays from Daktronics in Brookings, South Dakota were installed in 2006 prior to Arizonas first game of the season. The cost of the project was $455 million and that total included $395.4 million for the stadium, $41.7 million for site improvements, and $17.8 million for the land. Contributors to the stadium included the Arizona Sports and Tourism Authority, the Arizona Cardinals, the stadium has 88 luxury suites — called luxury lofts — with space for 16 future suites as the stadium matures. The 25 acres surrounding the stadium is called Sportsmans Park, included within the Park is an 8-acre landscaped tailgating area called the Great Lawn. There are no obstructed view seats in the stadium, there are visible areas in the upper deck of the end zone where seats could have been put in but were not due to the giant super columns supporting the roof structure. The endzone area on the side of the facility where the field tray rolls in, the roof is made out of translucent Bird-Air fabric and opens in 12 minutes. It is the first retractable roof built on an incline. The first preseason game was played August 12,2006 when the Cardinals defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers
4.
Glendale, Arizona
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Glendale /ˈɡlɛndeɪl/ is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States, located about nine miles northwest from Downtown Phoenix. According to the 2010 census, the population of the city is 226,721, in the late 1800s what is now known as Glendale, Arizona, was all desert. He completed the canal, which would bring water to the desert land, Murphy was deep in debt, since he had agreed to be paid in Arizona Canal Company stock and bonds and land instead of cash. In 1887, Murphy formed the Arizona Improvement Company and his objective was to sell the land and water rights south of the canal. Murphy had to raise capital from out of state sources in order to meet payroll, Murphy decided to refer to this land as Glendale. In 1891, Burgess Hadsell worked with Murphy to bring 70 Brethren, soon settlers, attracted by the towns ban on alcoholic beverages, continued to arrive. In 1895, Murphy platted the town site and amended the plat to include a town park. It was bounded by Lamar Road on the south, 55th Avenue on the east, Myrtle Avenue on the north, the construction of a railroad from Prescott to Phoenix was made possible with an exchange of the right-of-way made by Murphy along Grand Avenue. The railroad allowed Glendale settlers to transport goods to the north, the construction and commercial applications of the Beet Sugar Factory in 1906, also contributed to the growth of Glendale. Though the operations of the factory lasted until 1913, it played an important role in the increase of immigrant and migrant settlers in the city. City Attorney Craig Tindall resigned his city post in 2013 upon request of the mayor, Tindall was subsequently the subject of an ethics complaint regarding his purported conflict of interest between his work for IceArizona and his Glendale post. He was still receiving city severance pay at the time IceArizona hired him, the complaint was filed by former city councilmember Phil Lieberman. After Tindall resigned from the City of Glendale, a press release announced that he had joined the well-known Phoenix law firm Fennemore Craig, Glendale is located at 33°32′19″N 112°11′11″W. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has an area of 55.8 square miles. As of the census of 2000, there were 218,812 people,75,700 households, the population density was 3,929.5 people per square mile. There were 79,667 housing units at a density of 1,430.7 per square mile. The racial makeup of the city was 75. 54% White,4. 70% Black or African American,1. 45% Native American,2. 74% Asian,0. 13% Pacific Islander,11. 97% from other races, and 3. 47% from two or more races. 24. 84% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race,21. 3% of all households were made up of individuals and 5. 8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older
5.
Tempe, Arizona
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Tempe, also known as Haydens Ferry during the territorial times of Arizona, is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States, with the Census Bureau reporting a 2010 population of 161,719. The city is named after the Vale of Tempe in Greece, Tempe is located in the East Valley section of metropolitan Phoenix, it is bordered by Phoenix and Guadalupe on the west, Scottsdale on the north, Chandler on the south, and Mesa on the east. Tempe is also the location of Arizona State University, the Hohokam lived in this area and built canals to support their agriculture. They abandoned their settlements during the 15th century, with a few individuals, fort McDowell was established approximately 25 mi northeast of present downtown Tempe on the upper Salt River in 1865 allowing for new towns to be built farther down the Salt River. The two settlements were Haydens Ferry, named after a service operated by Charles T. Hayden, and San Pablo. The ferry became the key river crossing in the area, the Tempe Irrigating Canal Company was soon established by William Kirkland and James McKinney to provide water for alfalfa, wheat, barley, oats, and cotton. Pioneer Darrell Duppa is credited with suggesting Tempes name, adopted in 1879, after comparing the Salt River valley near a 300-foot -tall butte, to the Vale of Tempe near Mount Olympus in Greece. The Maricopa and Phoenix Railroad, built in 1887, crossed the Salt River at Tempe, the Tempe Land and Improvement Company was formed to sell lots in the booming town. Tempe became a hub for the surrounding agricultural area. The completion of Roosevelt Dam in 1911 guaranteed enough water to meet the needs of Valley farmers. Less than a later, Arizona was admitted as the 48th state. In the 20th and 21st centuries, Tempe has expanded as a suburb of Phoenix, Tempe is the headquarters and executive office of one Fortune 500 company, Insight Enterprises. Limelight Networks, LifeLock, First Solar, the Salt River Project, Circle K, Fulton Homes, cold Stone Creamery was originally headquartered in Tempe and location #0001 is still in operation today at 3330 S McClintock Drive in Tempe. Tempe is also home to the first and largest campus of Arizona State University and it was the longtime host of the Fiesta Bowl, although the BCS game moved to University of Phoenix Stadium, located in Glendale, in 2007. It then began hosting the Insight Bowl which is now known as the Cactus Bowl, edward Jones Investments has a regional headquarters in Tempe. China Airlines operates the Phoenix office in Tempe, Tempe houses several great performance venues including Gammage Auditorium and the Tempe Center for the Arts. On New Years Eve, the city hosts the Fiesta Bowl Block Party, the event typically has a national band heading a concert, along with several other local and national bands. Gammage Auditorium was also the site of one of the three Presidential debates in 2004, and Super Bowl XXX was played at Sun Devil Stadium, additionally, Tempe is the spring training host city of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
6.
National Football League
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The National Football League is a professional American football league consisting of 32 teams, divided equally between the National Football Conference and the American Football Conference. The NFL is one of the four professional sports leagues in North America. The NFLs 17-week regular season runs from the week after Labor Day to the week after Christmas, with each team playing 16 games, the NFL was formed in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association before renaming itself the National Football League for the 1922 season. The NFL agreed to merge with the American Football League in 1966, and the first Super Bowl was held at the end of that season, the merger was completed in 1970. Today, the NFL has the highest average attendance of any sports league in the world and is the most popular sports league in the United States. S. The NFLs executive officer is the commissioner, who has authority in governing the league. The team with the most NFL championships is the Green Bay Packers with thirteen, the current NFL champions are the New England Patriots, who defeated the Atlanta Falcons 34–28 in Super Bowl LI. Another meeting held on September 17,1920 resulted in the renaming of the league to the American Professional Football Association, the league hired Jim Thorpe as its first president, and consisted of 14 teams. Only two of these teams, the Decatur Staleys and the Chicago Cardinals, remain, the first event occurred on September 26,1920 when the Rock Island Independents defeated the non-league St. Paul Ideals 48–0 at Douglas Park. On October 3,1920, the first full week of league play occurred, the following season resulted in the Chicago Staleys controversially winning the title over the Buffalo All-Americans. In 1922, the APFA changed its name to the National Football League, in 1932, the season ended with the Chicago Bears and the Portsmouth Spartans tied for first in the league standings. This method had used since the leagues creation in 1920. The league quickly determined that a game between Chicago and Portsmouth was needed to decide the leagues champion. Playing with altered rules to accommodate the playing field, the Bears won the game 9–0. Fan interest in the de facto championship game led the NFL, beginning in 1933, the 1934 season also marked the first of 12 seasons in which African Americans were absent from the league. The de facto ban was rescinded in 1946, following public pressure, the NFL was always the foremost professional football league in the United States, it nevertheless faced a large number of rival professional leagues through the 1930s and 1940s. Rival leagues included at least three separate American Football Leagues and the All-America Football Conference, on top of regional leagues of varying caliber. Three NFL teams trace their histories to these leagues, including the Los Angeles Rams
7.
1920 APFA season
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The 1920 APFA season was the inaugural season of the American Professional Football Association—renamed the National Football League in 1922. The league was formed on August 20,1920, by independent professional American football teams from Ohio, at the meeting, they first called their new league the American Professional Football Conference. A second organizational meeting was held in Canton on September 17, at the meeting, the name of the league became the American Professional Football Association. Four other teams joined the Association during the year. Meanwhile, Jim Thorpe of the Canton Bulldogs was named the APFAs first president, scheduling was left up to each team. There were wide variations, both in the number of games played and in the number played against other Association members. Thus, no standings were maintained. In addition, football teams in the APFA also faced independent football teams not associated with the league, for instance, the Rochester Jeffersons played a schedule consisting mostly of local teams from their local sandlot circuit and the NYPFL, not the APFA. The Akron Pros ended the season as the undefeated team in the Association. Despite this, two one-loss teams—the Decatur Staleys and Buffalo All-Americans—who both tied Akron that year made cases for a co-championship. At the league meetings in Akron on April 30,1921, the Pros were awarded the Brunswick-Balke Collender Cup for the 1920 season, according to modern NFL tie-breaking rules, the 1920 Buffalo All-Americans would be co-champions. They would be tied with the Akron Pros in win percentage,9.5 wins to 1.5 losses, both teams beating out the Staleys, who would have a season that counted 11 wins to 2 losses. Prior to the APFA, there were several other loose, professional organizations, the representatives then contacted other major professional teams and invited them to a meeting for September 17. Representatives of the Buffalo All-Americans and Rochester Jeffersons could not attend the meeting, under the new league structure, teams created their schedules dynamically as the season progressed, so there were no minimum or maximum number of games needed to be played. Also, representatives of each team voted to determine the winner of the APFA trophy, the regular-season schedule was not fixed but was created dynamically by each team as the season progressed. The following table was formed by NFL History, which used contemporary newspapers, the first game involving an APFA team occurred on September 26, when the Rock Island Independents beat the St. Paul Ideals 48–0. The first official game between APFA members occurred on October 3, when the Dayton Triangles beat the Columbus Panhandles 14-0, the Triangles Lou Partlow scored the leagues first touchdown and George Hobby Kinderline kicked the first extra point. An historic marker placed by the Ohio Historical Society at Triangle Park in Dayton marks the location of that first ever game, the final game of the season was a 14–14 tie between the Racine Cardinals and the Chicago Staleys on December 19,1920
8.
National Football Conference
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The National Football Conference is one of the two conferences of the National Football League, the highest professional level of American football in the United States. This conference and its counterpart, the American Football Conference, currently contain 16 teams each, a series of league expansions and division realignments have occurred since the merger, thus making the current total 16 clubs per each conference. Since the 1970 AFL–NFL merger, the Dallas Cowboys lead the NFC with the most conference titles, the current NFC title holders are the Atlanta Falcons. Since 2002, the NFC has 16 teams that organized into four divisions each with four teams, East, North, South, two of these games are assigned on the basis of a particular teams final divisional standing from the previous season. The remaining 8 games are split between the roster of two other NFL divisions and this assignment shifts each year and will follow a standard cycle. Using the 2012 regular season schedule as an example, each team in the NFC West plays against every team in the AFC East and NFC North. In this way, non-divisional competition will be mostly among common opponents – the exception being the two games assigned based on the teams prior-season divisional standing, at the end of each season, the top six teams in the conference proceeds into the playoff. These teams consist of the four winners and the top two wild card teams. The NFC playoffs culminate in the NFC Championship Game with the receiving the George Halas Trophy. The NFC Champion then plays the AFC Champion in the Super Bowl, both the AFC and NFC were created after the NFL merged with the American Football League in 1970. When the AFL began play in 1960 with eight teams, the NFL consisted of 13 clubs, by 1969, the AFL had expanded to ten teams and NFL to 16 clubs. However, team owners could not agree to a plan on how to align the clubs in the NFC. When the Seattle Seahawks and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers joined the league in 1976, they were placed in the NFC and AFC, respectively. The Seahawks returned to the NFC as a result of the 2002 realignment, the Carolina Panthers joined the NFC in 1995. Parity is generally greater among NFC teams than AFC teams, the only NFC team that has never made a Super Bowl appearance is the Detroit Lions. Since the 2002 realignment, the time that an NFC team made back-to-back Super Bowl appearances was the Seattle Seahawks in 2013 and 2014. Since 1970, only two teams have relocated, in 1988, the St. Louis Cardinals moved to Phoenix, Arizona, while the Los Angeles Rams moved to St. Louis in 1995, and back to Los Angeles again in 2016. The original NFC logo, in use from 1970–2009, depicted a blue N with three stars across it, the three stars represented the three divisions that were used from 1970–2001
9.
Big Red (Cardinals mascot)
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Big Red is the mascot of the Arizona Cardinals of the NFL. According to his biography, he hatched on October 4,1998. Hes also 6 foot 4 inches, has a 7-foot wingspan and he is one of the most recognizable mascots because of his appearance. He is at home game, and became their mascot on October 4,1998. Big Red has also appeared at Super Bowl XLIII, on February 1,2009, when the Cardinals went against the eventual champions, the Pittsburgh Steelers
10.
History of the Chicago Cardinals
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The professional American football team now known as the Arizona Cardinals previously played in Chicago, Illinois. This article chronicles the history during their time as the Chicago Cardinals from 1920 to 1959. In 1898, Chicago painting and building contractor Chris OBrien established an amateur Chicago-based athletic club football team named the Morgan Athletic Club, OBrien later moved them to Chicagos Normal Park and renamed them the Racine Normals, since Normal Park was located on Racine Avenue in Chicago. In 1901, OBrien bought used maroon uniforms from the University of Chicago and it was then that the team changed its name to the Racine Cardinals. The original Racine Cardinals team disbanded in 1906 mostly for lack of local competition, a professional team under the same name formed in 1913, claiming the previous team as part of their history. As was the case for most professional teams in 1918, the team was forced to suspend operations for a second time due to World War I. They resumed operations later in the year, and have operated continuously. At the time of the founding of the modern National Football League, in 1920, the team became a charter member of the American Professional Football Association, for a franchise fee of $100. The person keeping the minutes of the first league meeting, unfamiliar with the nuances of Chicago football, recorded the Cardinals as from Racine, the team was renamed the Chicago Cardinals in 1922 after a team actually from Racine, Wisconsin entered the league. That season the team moved to Comiskey Park, the Staleys and Cardinals played each other twice in 1920 as the Racine Cardinals and the Decatur Staleys, making their rivalry the oldest in the NFL. They split the series, with the team winning in each. In the Cardinals 7-6 victory over the Staleys in their first meeting of the season, each scored a TD on a fumble recovery. The Cardinals defeat of the Staleys proved critical, since George Halass Staleys went on to a 10-1-2 record overall, 5-1-2 in league play. The Akron Pros were the first ever champions, they finished with an 8-0-3 record, 6-0-3 in league play. Since the Pros merely had to tie the game in order to win the title, had the Staleys not lost to the Cardinals, they would have gone into that fateful game with an 11-0-1 record, 6-0-1 in league play. As it was, it all but assured that the Staleys/Bears, in 1922, the Staleys, now renamed the Bears, went 9-3-0, losing to the Cardinals twice. The Bears still edged the Cardinals for 2nd place in the league, in 1923 and 1924, the Bears got the better of the Cardinals all three times the two teams played. But in 1925, the Bears went 0-1-1 against the Cardinals with the tie meaning the Cardinals were only a ½ game in front of the Pottsville Maroons heading into their fateful 1925 showdown
11.
History of the St. Louis Cardinals (NFL)
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The professional American football team now known as the Arizona Cardinals previously played in St. Louis, Missouri from 1960 to 1987. This article chronicles the history during their time as the St. Louis Cardinals. Chicago Cardinals owner Violet Bidwill had married St. Louis businessman Walter Wolfner in 1949, when it became obvious that the Cardinals could no longer hope to compete with the Chicago Bears, a move to St. Louis seemed to make sense. The NFL conducted a survey of St. Louis, and concluded that it was capable of supporting a team, the leagues 12 owners unanimously approved the move, ending their 62-year stay in Chicago. During the Cardinals tenure in St. Louis, they were called the Big Red or the Football Cardinals in order to avoid confusion with the baseball team They shared Sportsmans Park with the baseball team. However, St. Louis had not had a football team since the early days of the NFL. The Cardinals initially held practices in the city park and their first home game was a loss to the Giants on October 2,1960, and they finished the year at 6–5–1. In 1961, they even at 7–7–0 and fell to 4–9–1 in 1962. Improving to 9–5–0 in 1963, the Cardinals almost reached the playoffs, during the Cardinals 28-year stay in St. Louis, they advanced to the playoffs just three times, never hosting or winning in any appearance. The new St. Louis football Cardinals were competitive for much of the 1960s, New stars emerged in Larry Wilson, Charley Johnson, Jim Bakken, Sonny Randle, and Jim Hart. Violet Bidwill Wolfner died in 1962, and her sons, Bill and Charles, although the Cardinals were competitive again in the 60s, they failed to achieve a playoff appearance during the decade. Only four teams qualified during this period, in 1964, the Bidwills, unsatisfied with St. Louis, considered moving the team to Atlanta. They wanted a new stadium, and that city was planning the construction of one, however, St. Louis persuaded them to stay with the promise of a stadium—what would become Busch Memorial Stadium. The Cardinals got off to a start, and tied the Cleveland Browns 33–33 on the road. They finished 9–4–1 and second in the Eastern Conference, but a victory by the Browns over the New York Giants denied them a playoff berth, the team finished the year with a meaningless win over the Packers. A 4–1–0 start to the 1965 season evaporated into a 5–9–0 finish, another middling season followed in 1967, with six wins, seven losses, and one tie. In 1970, the Cardinals were placed in the new NFC East division following the merger with the AFL. They posted three shutouts in November, blanking the Houston Oilers, Boston Patriots, and the Cowboys
12.
1925 NFL Championship controversy
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The 1925 National Football League Championship, claimed by the Chicago Cardinals, has long been the subject of controversy. The controversy centers on the suspension of the Pottsville Maroons by NFL commissioner Joseph Carr, the Maroons were one of the dominant teams of the 1925 season, and after defeating the Chicago Cardinals on December 6, came away with the best record in the league. Further, they argue that the Maroons, who were reinstated the next year, others claim that Chicago were the legitimate champions based on the rules of the time. In 1963, the NFL investigated and rejected Pottsvilles case, both the NFL and the Pro Football Hall of Fame continue to list the Cardinals as the 1925 NFL champion. On December 6, Pottsville defeated Chicago, 21–7, to establish the best record in the league and seemed to all, the game against the Notre Dame All-Stars had been originally devised by Frankford. However, when they were defeated by the Maroons in a second contest. Instead, Pottsville would host the All-Stars at Minersville Park, while Frankford scheduled another league game against the Cleveland Bulldogs, Pottsville was excited to host Notre Dame, hoping it would be a huge financial windfall for the team. However, they felt that Minersville Park, a school field with a low capacity, was too small for such a big event. Instead, they scheduled the game in Philadelphia, in the Yellow Jackets territory, Frankford protested to commissioner Carr, who warned the Maroons in writing that they faced suspension if they played in Philadelphia. However, the Maroons claimed that the league office approved the game during a telephone call. As a result of the suspension, Pottsville was prohibited from playing a game against the Providence Steam Roller or from completing its season. Ironically, Frankford was hurriedly substituted for the game at Providence, meanwhile, Chicago scheduled and won two hastily arranged games against teams that had already disbanded for the season. Hoping for some cash, the Cardinals arranged to play the Milwaukee Badgers. Indeed, the Badgers were unable to bring back their full roster and resorted to substitute four high school players, the NFL heavily sanctioned both Chicago and Milwaukee following their game, going so far as to force the Badgers owner to sell the team. Carr said they would consider the game for removal from the standings, however, Cardinals owner Chris OBrien was later offered- but refused to accept- the Championship title for his team. At the owners meeting after the end of the season, he argued that his team did not deserve to take the title over a team which had beaten them fairly, the NFL said it would revisit the issue later, but never did. It was only after the Bidwill family purchased the team in 1933 that the Cardinals began claiming the championship title, furthermore, Pottsville had beaten Chicago, proving they were definitely a premier team. By 1963, the NFL appointed a commission to examine the case
13.
2008 NFL season
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The 2008 NFL season was the 89th regular season of the National Football League, themed with the slogan Believe in Now. Conversely, the Detroit Lions became the first NFL team with a season since the strike-shortened 1982 NFL season. For the first time since the NFL expanded to the sixteen game season in 1978, previously two teams won two or fewer games in 1979,1981,1985,1992 and 2001. In preseason games, the annual Pro Football Hall of Fame Game was played August 3 between the Indianapolis Colts and Washington Redskins, which aired on NBC. Other preseason highlights included the first game of the Toronto Series, the Bills won that game, 24–21. The games kickoff was ninety minutes earlier than years, at 7 p. m. EDT. Other featured games during the week included the NBC Sunday Night Football game between the Chicago Bears and the Indianapolis Colts, in which the Kyle Orton-led Bears upset the Colts 29–13. Also, New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady suffered a season ending injury against the Kansas City Chiefs, the 2008 season also was the third season of the use of the flexible scheduling for Sunday games starting with Week 11. This was the second season that the league played at least one regular season game outside the United States as part of its International Series. The contest between the San Diego Chargers and the New Orleans Saints was played at Wembley Stadium in London on October 26, the Chargers played at Buffalo the week beforehand on October 19 so they could immediately travel to London afterward in order to get used to the time difference. The league has also approved the Bills’ request to play at least one regular season game at Torontos Rogers Centre over each of the next five seasons. Team owner Ralph Wilson petitioned the league to play at least one game in Canada to strengthen his clubs fan base in Ontario, the game in Toronto was on December 7, after the end of the 2008 CFL season, against the Miami Dolphins, Miami won 16–3. CBS televised both games regionally, the Toronto game was carried across Canada on Rogers Sportsnet and City TV, a third game on NFL Network, featuring the Arizona Cardinals and the Philadelphia Eagles followed at 8,15 PM EST. The NFLs Pro Bowl all-star game at the end of the season was played at Aloha Stadium in the Honolulu, the league had the option under their current contract to hold the game elsewhere, including the possibility of moving it to the host site of the Super Bowl. W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, PCT = Winning Percentage, PF= Points For, PA = Points Against Playoff seeds are marked in parentheses, Giants clinched the NFC #1 seed over Carolina based on a head-to-head victory. B Miami finished ahead of New England in the AFC East based on conference record. C San Diego finished ahead of Denver in the AFC West based on a division record. D Baltimore clinched the AFC #6 seed over New England based on a conference record
14.
2009 NFL season
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The 2009 NFL season was the 90th season in the history of the National Football League. The preseason started with the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game on August 9,2009, and this was the first time in NFL history two teams won their first 13 games or more. The 2009 NFL Draft was held at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 25 and 26,2009, the 2009 season began on September 10,2009. The Tennessee Titans defeated the Buffalo Bills 21–18, and both wore throwback jerseys celebrating the two franchises AFL origins, both teams made their first Hall of Fame Game appearance since the 1980s. The rest of the matchups were announced March 30,2009. Highlights, among others, included a rematch of Super Bowl XLIII between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Arizona Cardinals on ESPN, the opening weekend game on NBC Sunday Night Football featured the Chicago Bears at Green Bay Packers, which the Packers won, 21–15. San Diego defeated Oakland by a score of 24–20 in the nightcap with their own fourth quarter comeback, during the month of October, teams across the league honored National Breast Cancer Awareness Month by wearing gloves, wristbands, patches, towels and shoes accented with pink. Banners were hung around league stadiums to raise awareness, and the NFLs website featured a pink background, Referees and coaches hats also had pink accents. In addition, the NFL Referees Association donated $24,000 to breast cancer charities throughout the month, also used were pink goal post padding, pink coins, and pink ribbon decals on the field and on footballs. This years International Series game was played October 25,2009 at 1,00 pm EDT again at Wembley Stadium in London, the New England Patriots defeated the designated home team, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 35–7. CBS televised this game on a basis as the Patriots were the visiting team. The Thanksgiving Day games were contested on Thursday, November 26,2009, on Fox, Green Bay won over Detroit, 34–12. The Dallas Cowboys defeated the Oakland Raiders, 24–7 on CBS, and in the prime time NFL Network game, earlier reports on a potential Bills-Toronto Argonauts doubleheader and reports of the league favoring other teams were proven inaccurate. No preseason game was played in series for 2009. The league scheduled a rare Friday night game on December 25, the game, held at LP Field in Nashville, saw the San Diego Chargers trounce the Tennessee Titans 42–17. Although both teams are charter AFL franchises and thus celebrated their 50th season in 2009, this game was not part of the organized celebrations. All other games were announced on April 14,2009 on the NFL Network and this season marked the first time ever that the Buffalo Bills and Tampa Bay Buccaneers met at Ralph Wilson Stadium in Buffalo in regular season play. In 2002, when the current scheduling formula was arranged, the fact that Buffalo had never hosted Tampa Bay in the Buccaneers history was one of the quirks cited in creating the formula
15.
2015 NFL season
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The 2015 NFL season was the 96th season in the history of the National Football League, and the 50th of the Super Bowl era. The Panthers became the first team since the 2011 Green Bay Packers to win all but one of their regular season games and not win the Super Bowl. During the 2015 season, the Oakland Raiders, the St. Louis Rams, NFL owners eventually only approved the relocation of the Rams, by a vote of 30–2 on January 12,2016. Thus,2015 ended up being the Rams last season in St. Louis, the 2015 NFL League Year began on Tuesday, March 10,2015 at 4,00 p. m. ET. m. ET and trading period for 2015 began, a total of 453 players were eligible for some form of free agency at the beginning of the free agency period. Four players were assigned the franchise tag by their teams. These players were wide receivers Dez Bryant and Demaryius Thomas, linebacker Justin Houston, the player given the transition tag was Charles Clay. On March 19,2015, Clay signed a five-year, $38M contract with the Buffalo Bills, an unusually large number of big name players switched teams via trade prior to the 2015 season. Eagles coach Chip Kelly used his newly obtained GM powers to make many blockbuster trades, the Philadelphia Eagles traded 2-time All-Pro running back LeSean McCoy to the Buffalo Bills in exchange for linebacker Kiko Alonso. The Eagles also traded Pro Bowl quarterback Nick Foles along with their selection in the round of the 2016 NFL Draft to the St. The Saints also traded away Pro Bowl guard Ben Grubbs and wide receiver Kenny Stills, the Detroit Lions acquired All-Pro defensive tackle Haloti Ngata from the Baltimore Ravens in exchange for draft picks to help make up for the loss of Ndamukong Suh in free agency. The 2015 NFL Draft was held April 30 – May 2,2015, the draft process began with the NFL Scouting Combine, where draft-eligible players were evaluated by team personnel, which was held in Indianapolis on February 17–23. On October 2,2014, Auditorium Theatre in Chicago was announced as the site of the draft. The previous fifty NFL drafts had been held in New York, in the draft, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers made Florida State University quarterback Jameis Winston the first overall selection. Training camps for the 2015 season began July 22 and continued through the end of preseason, the normal training camp window ran from late July to late August or early September. Most of the camps had rookies report first, then veterans, at that point, some teams practiced versus another organization, like the Bills practiced against the Browns this year. Teams started training camp no earlier than fifteen days before the teams first scheduled preseason game, at that point, the rosters for each team were open to 90 players. Those rosters were cut to 75 by Week 3 of preseason, prior to the start of the regular season, each team played at least four exhibition games
16.
Comiskey Park
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Comiskey Park was a ballpark in Chicago, Illinois, the home of the Chicago White Sox from 1910 through 1990. Built by owner Charles Comiskey and designed by Zachary Taylor Davis, it hosted four World Series, the field was also the site of the 1937 heavyweight title match in which Joe Louis defeated then champion James J. Braddock in eight rounds. The Chicago Cardinals of the National Football League also called Comiskey Park home when they werent playing at Normal Park or Soldier Field, the Cardinals won the 1947 NFL Championship Game over the Philadelphia Eagles at Comiskey Park. A new ballpark opened in 1991, across 35th Street and south of its predecessor, originally also called Comiskey Park, it was renamed U. S. Cellular Field in 2003 and Guaranteed Rate Field in 2016, the park was built on a former city dump that Comiskey bought in 1909 to replace the wooden South Side Park. It was originally built as White Sox Park, but within three years was renamed for White Sox founder and owner Charles Comiskey, the original name, White Sox Park, was restored in 1962, but it went back to the Comiskey Park name in 1976. Comiskey Park was very modern for its time and it was the third concrete-and-steel stadium in the major leagues to be built since 1909. As originally built, it seated almost 32,000, a record at the time, briefly, it retained the nickname The Baseball Palace of the World. The parks design was influenced by Sox pitcher Ed Walsh. Later changes were made, but the park remained more or less favorable to defensive teams, for many years this reflected on the White Sox style of play, solid defense, and short, quick hits. The park was unusual in that no player ever hit 100 home runs there, the first game in Comiskey Park was a 2–0 loss to the St. Louis Browns on July 1,1910. The last game at Comiskey was a win, 2–1, over the Seattle Mariners on September 30,1990, the White Sox won their first-ever home night game, over St. Louis on August 14,1939, 5–2. The first no-hitter at Comiskey Park was hurled by Vern Kennedy on August 31,1935, Comiskey Park was the site of four World Series. In 1917, the Chicago White Sox won games 1,2 and 5 at Comiskey Park, in 1918, Comiskey Park hosted the World Series between the Chicago Cubs and Boston Red Sox. The Cubs borrowed Comiskey Park for the series because of its seating capacity. The Red Sox defeated the Cubs four games to two, games one, two and three were played at Comiskey Park. The Red Sox won games one and three, attendance was under capacity in that war year. The best crowd was game 3, with some 27,000 patrons, in 1919, the White Sox lost the infamous Black Sox World Series to the Cincinnati Reds, five games to three in a nine-game series
17.
Wrigley Field
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Wrigley Field /ˈrɪɡli/ is a baseball park located on the North Side of Chicago, Illinois. It is the home of the Chicago Cubs, one of the citys two Major League Baseball franchises and it first opened in 1914 as Weeghman Park for Charles Weeghmans Chicago Whales of the Federal League, which folded after the 1915 baseball season. The Cubs played their first home game at the park on April 20,1916, chewing gum magnate William Wrigley Jr. of the Wrigley Company acquired complete control of the Cubs in 1921. It was named Cubs Park from 1920 to 1926, before being renamed Wrigley Field in 1927, in the North side community area of Lakeview in the Wrigleyville neighborhood, Wrigley Field is on an irregular block bounded by Clark and Addison Streets and Waveland and Sheffield Avenues. Wrigley Field is nicknamed The Friendly Confines, a phrase popularized by Mr. Cub, Hall of Fame shortstop and first baseman Ernie Banks. The oldest park in the National League, the current seating capacity is 41,268, it is the second-oldest in the majors after Fenway Park, between 1921 and 1970, it was also the home of the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. The elevation of its field is 600 feet above sea level. Baseball executive Charles Weeghman hired his architect Zachary Taylor Davis to design the park, the original tenants, the Chicago Whales came in second in the Federal League rankings in 1914 and won the league championship in 1915. In late 1915, Weeghmans Federal League folded, the resourceful Weeghman formed a syndicate including the chewing gum manufacturer William Wrigley Jr. to buy the Chicago Cubs from Charles P. Taft for about $500,000. Weeghman immediately moved the Cubs from the dilapidated West Side Grounds to his two-year-old park, in 1918, Wrigley acquired the controlling interest in the club. In November 1926, he renamed the park Wrigley Field, in 1927, an upper deck was added, and in 1937, Bill Veeck, the son of the club president, planted ivy vines against the outfield walls. The Ricketts family has been pursuing a Wrigley Field renovation since buying the team. Their current plan, revealed during the annual Cubs Convention in January 2013, calls for a $575-million, the team could not come to terms with the rooftop owners who have a lease with the team until 2023 in exchange for paying 17% of the gross revenues. In May 2014 the Cubs announced they would pursue the original 2013 plan to modify the park, the 1060 Project – Phase One started Monday, September 29,2014. During the off-season, the bleachers in both outfields were expanded and the footprint was extended further onto both Waveland and Sheffield Avenues. A3,990 sq ft Jumbotron scoreboard was added to the left field bleachers and it is topped with a sign advertising Wintrust Financial, a Rosemont-based bank and a Cubs Legacy Partner, the W in Wintrust flashes after every Cubs win. A2,400 sq ft video scoreboard was added in the right field bleachers. After the close of the extended 2015 season, work began on Phase Two of the project, the previous clubhouse space was utilized to enlarge the dugout and add two underground batting cages, an auditorium, and more team office space
18.
Soldier Field
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Soldier Field is an American football stadium located in the Near South Side of Chicago, Illinois. It opened in 1924 and is the field of the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. With a football capacity of 61,500, it is the third-smallest stadium in the NFL, Soldier Field was designed in 1919 and opened on October 9,1924, as Municipal Grant Park Stadium. The name was changed to Soldier Field on November 11,1925 and its formal dedication as Soldier Field was on Saturday, November 27,1926, during the 29th annual playing of the Army–Navy Game. Its design is in the Neoclassical style, with Doric columns rising above the East and West entrances, the stadium cost $13 million to construct, a very large sum for a sporting venue at that time. In its earliest configuration, Soldier Field was capable of seating 74,280 spectators and was in the shape of a U. Additional seating could be added along the field, upper promenades and on the large, open field and terrace beyond the north endzone. Soldier Field was used as a site for many sporting events, the Chicago Cardinals used it as their home field for their final season in Chicago in 1959. A dozen years later in September 1971, the Chicago Bears moved in and they had intended to build a stadium in Arlington Heights. In 1978, the Bears and the Chicago Park District agreed to a 20-year lease, both parties pooled their resources for the renovation. The playing surface was AstroTurf from 1971 through 1987, replaced with grass in 1988. In 1989, Soldier Fields future was in jeopardy after a proposal was created for a McDome, which was intended to be a stadium for the Bears. Because of this, Bears president Michael McCaskey considered relocation as a factor for a new stadium. The Bears had also purchased options in Hoffman Estates and Aurora, in 1995, McCaskey announced that he and Northwest Indiana developers agreed to construction of an entertainment complex called Planet Park, which would also include a new stadium. However, the plan was rejected by the Lake County Council, beginning in 1978, the plank seating was replaced by individual seats with backs and armrests. In 1982, a new press box as well as 60 skyboxes were added to the stadium, in 1988,56 more skyboxes were added increasing capacity to 66,946. Capacity was slightly increased to 66,950 in 1992, by 1994, capacity was slightly reduced to 66,944. During the renovation, seating capacity was reduced to 55,701 by building a grandstand in the end of the U shape
19.
Metropolitan Stadium
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Metropolitan Stadium was a sports stadium that once stood in Bloomington, Minnesota, just outside Minneapolis. The Minneapolis Millers minor league team played at Met Stadium from 1956 to 1960. The Minnesota Twins and the Minnesota Vikings then played at the Met from 1961 to 1981, the North American Soccer League soccer team Minnesota Kicks also played there from 1976 to 1981. The area where the stadium once stood is now the site of the Mall of America, after the rejection of numerous sites, a stadium committee appointed by Moore approved a 160-acre plot of farmland in Bloomington. The stadium would replace Nicollet Park as the home of the American Associations Minneapolis Millers, as the site in Bloomington was approximately equidistant from the downtowns of Minneapolis and St. Paul, it was thought this would be the best location for a prospective Major League team. After a plan by architects Thorshov & Cerny won approval, groundbreaking was scheduled to begin on June 20,1955. The construction was almost delayed, however, when the owners of the property on which the stadium would be built on began a protest, one of these owners created a barricade of farm equipment along his property line that ran directly through where the stadiums infield would be. The dispute was settled in time for the groundbreaking to move forward as planned, many spectators and dignitaries attended the groundbreaking, including Minneapolis mayor Eric G. Hoyer and several members of the Minneapolis Millers. On February 7,1956, an accident occurred on the site when a portable heater used to cure concrete exploded in the stadiums basement. The Millers were then the top team of Stonehams New York Giants. Under major league rules of the time, the Giants owned the major league rights to the Minneapolis area, negotiations were also held with the Cincinnati Reds, Cleveland Indians, Philadelphia Athletics and Washington Senators. However, the Giants chose to follow the Brooklyn Dodgers to the west coast at the urging of Dodgers owner Walter OMalley, who owned the Millers crosstown rivals, the St. Paul Saints. San Francisco had long been home to the Pacific Coast Leagues San Francisco Seals, as part of the deal, the Millers parent team then became the Red Sox, who had no plans to move anywhere. The latter game brought 15,990 fans to the stadium, including Calvin Griffith, in October 1960, Calvin Griffith announced that his Washington Senators would move to Metropolitan Stadium and later became the Minnesota Twins. The Twins played their first home game on April 21,1961 with a loss to the new Washington Senators, the Millers and their perennial crosstown rival St. Paul Saints were then promptly folded by Major League Baseball. To ready the stadium for the Twins, a $9 million renovation increased the capacity from about 22,000 to over 30,000 by the completion of the Twins inaugural season. During the Twins first 10 seasons at the Met, they outdrew the average American League team each year, the National Football League was also interested in placing a team at the Met. Conversations were had with Violet Bidwill Wolfner, owner of the Chicago Cardinals, the Cardinals moved two of their regular season home games against the Philadelphia Eagles and New York Giants to Bloomington for the 1959 NFL season
20.
Sportsman's Park
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Sportsmans Park was the name of several former Major League Baseball ballpark structures in the central United States, in St. Louis, Missouri. All but one of these were located on the piece of land, at the northwest corner of Grand Boulevard and Dodier Street. The physical street address was 2911 North Grand Boulevard, in 1923, the stadium hosted St. Louiss first NFL team, the St. Louis All-Stars. Baseball was played on the Sportsmans Park site as early as 1867, the tract was acquired in 1866 by August Solari, who began staging games there the following year. It was the home of the St. Louis Brown Stockings in the National Association, originally called the Grand Avenue Ball Grounds. Some sources say the field was renamed Sportsmans Park in 1876, the local papers also still used the alternate name Grand Avenue Park until at least 1885. The first grandstand—one of three on the built in 1881. At that time, the diamond and the grandstands were on the southeast corner of the block, the park was leased by the then-major American Association entry, the St. Louis Brown Stockings, or Browns. The Browns were a strong team in the mid-1880s. When the National League absorbed the strongest of the old Association teams in 1892, soon they went looking for a new ballpark, finding a site just a few blocks northwest of the old one, and calling it New Sportsmans Park, which was later renamed Robison Field. They also changed colors from Brown to Cardinal Red, thus acquiring a new nickname. When the American League Browns moved from Milwaukee in 1902, they built a new version of Sportsmans Park and they initially placed the diamond and the main stand at the northwest corner of the block. This Sportsmans Park saw football history made and it became both the practice field and home field for Saint Louis University football teams, coached by the visionary Eddie Cochems, father of the forward pass. These included a 39–0 thrashing of Iowa before a crowd of 12,000, robinson launched an amazingly long pass in the game against the Jayhawks, which was variously reported to have traveled 67 or 87 yards in the air. College Football Hall of Fame coach David M. Nelson called the extraordinary, considering the size, shape and weight of the fat. Sports historian John Sayle Watterson agreed, in his book, College Football, History, Spectacle, Controversy, Watterson described Robinsons long pass as truly a breathtaking achievement. St. Louis finished with an 11–0 record in 1906, outscoring its opponents 407–11, the previous wooden grandstand was retained as left-field bleachers for a while, but was soon replaced with permanent bleachers. The Cardinals came back to their home in mid-1920, as tenants of the Browns, after abandoning the outdated
21.
Busch Memorial Stadium
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Busch Memorial Stadium, also known as Busch Stadium II, was a multi-purpose sports facility in St. Louis, Missouri, that operated for 40 years, from 1966 through 2005. It opened four days after the last baseball game was played at Sportsmans Park, the stadium was designed by Sverdrup & Parcel and built by Grün & Bilfinger. Edward Durell Stone designed the roof, a 96-arch Crown of Arches, the Crown echoed the Gateway Arch, which had been completed only a year before Busch Stadium opened. It was one of the first multipurpose cookie-cutter facilities built in the United States and its final event was the sixth game of the 2005 NLCS on October 19. The stadium was demolished by wrecking ball in late 2005 and part of its footprint is occupied by its replacement stadium—the new Busch Stadium. The baseball Cardinals had played at Sportsmans Park since 1920 and they originally were tenants of the St. Louis Browns of the American League. Although the Cardinals had long passed the Browns as St. Louis favorite team. In 1958, Charles Farris, the head of development. Groundbreaking occurred on May 25,1964, and construction took just under two years, the plan also included parking garages, a hotel, and office buildings. A few years later, it became the new home of the Spanish Pavilion from the 1964 New York Worlds Fair. The stadium opened on May 12,1966, one month into the baseball season, however, the Civic Center part was almost never used, and most people called it simply Busch Memorial Stadium. The stadiums grass was replaced with AstroTurf in 1970, in part because St. Louis notoriously hot summers made it difficult to keep the grass alive. The Cardinals retained the traditional dirt skin infield for eight seasons, with artificial turf, the playing conditions at Busch Stadium were among the hottest in baseball, with temperatures well above the local official readings. Anheuser-Busch bought the stadium in 1981 for $53 million and renamed it simply Busch Stadium, following Buschs last 1995 event—the Rams October 22 game prior to the opening of the now-Dome at Americas Center—the Cardinals retrofitted it into a baseball-only stadium. A large section of the upper deck outfield seats was closed, replaced with a scoreboard and flags commemorating the Cardinals retired numbers. The stadiums original natural grass field was restored, and the walls were repainted green from their original blue. Busch Memorial Stadium was originally slated to be imploded like most modern-day stadium demolitions to be able to finish construction on the new stadium in time for the 2006 season. Due to fear of damaging the nearby Metro subway and stadium station, it was decided to tear down the stadium with a ball, piece-by-piece
22.
Sun Devil Stadium
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Sun Devil Stadium is an outdoor football stadium on the campus of Arizona State University, in Tempe, Arizona, United States. It is home to the Arizona State Sun Devils football team of the Pac-12 Conference, the stadiums current seating capacity is 56,232 and the playing surface is natural grass. The gridiron within the stadium was named Frank Kush Field in honor of the coach of the ASU football team in 1996. Sun Devil Stadium is undergoing a $256 million renovation that is scheduled to be completed before the 2018 season, the stadium has hosted two annual college football bowl games, the Fiesta Bowl from 1971 to 2006, and the Cactus Bowl from 2006 to 2015. Sun Devil Stadium was the home stadium of the NFLs Arizona Cardinals after the teams arrival to the Phoenix metropolitan area in 1988. The Cardinals moved across the Valley to University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale following the 2005 season, built in 1958, the stadiums original capacity was 30,000. The first addition in 1976 substantially raised the capacity to 57,722, seating was added to the south end zone, along with press and sky boxes. A year later, in 1977, the tier was completed to bring seating to 70,311. In 1988,1,700 more seats were added to bring the facility, during that time the Carson Student Athlete Center was added to the south end. The building is the home of the ASU Athletic Department, in 2007, engineers realized the stadiums concrete base of the stadium was buckling due to the rusting of structural steel supporting the foundation. Stadium designers had neglected to waterproof the structure when it was built, engineers estimated $45 million in repairs would be needed to maintain the stadium beyond 2010. A new Arizona bill allows the Arizona Board of Regents to set up a district on ASU property to collect revenue from local businesses, money from the fee will go toward the funding of renovation projects of ASUs athletic facilities, including the stadium. It was estimated the fund would accumulate enough money to begin planning renovations within 2–5 years, in April 2012, Sun Devil Athletics unveiled an estimated $300 million plan for renovated Sun Devil Stadium that entails reduced stadium capacity, field turf and fabric roof shading. The plan to cover the stadium with fabric was later scrapped, in October 2013, Sun Devil Athletics announced the removal of approximately 5,700 north end zone upper deck seats that reduced the stadium capacity to 65,870 for the 2014 season. The 2016 and 2017 Cactus Bowls, which are played in Sun Devil Stadium. Phase 1, Sections of the deck were removed. The bleachers behind the end zone were replaced with a steel. Phase 2, The west side of the bowl was demolished
23.
American football
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The offense must advance at least ten yards in four downs, or plays, or else they turn over the football to the opposing team, if they succeed, they are given a new set of four downs. Points are primarily scored by advancing the ball into the teams end zone for a touchdown or kicking the ball through the opponents goalposts for a field goal. The team with the most points at the end of a game wins, American football evolved in the United States, originating from the sports of association football and rugby football. The first game of American football was played on November 6,1869, during the latter half of the 1870s, colleges playing association football switched to the Rugby Union code, which allowed carrying the ball. American football as a whole is the most popular sport in the United States, Professional football and college football are the most popular forms of the game, with the other major levels being high school and youth football. As of 2012, nearly 1.1 million high school athletes and 70,000 college athletes play the sport in the United States annually, almost all of them men, in the United States, American football is referred to as football. The term football was established in the rulebook for the 1876 college football season. The terms gridiron or American football are favored in English-speaking countries where other codes of football are popular, such as the United Kingdom, Ireland, New Zealand, American football evolved from the sports of association football and rugby football. What is considered to be the first American football game was played on November 6,1869 between Rutgers and Princeton, two college teams, the game was played between two teams of 25 players each and used a round ball that could not be picked up or carried. It could, however, be kicked or batted with the feet, hands, head or sides, Rutgers won the game 6 goals to 4. Collegiate play continued for years in which matches were played using the rules of the host school. Representatives of Yale, Columbia, Princeton and Rutgers met on October 19,1873 to create a set of rules for all schools to adhere to. Teams were set at 20 players each, and fields of 400 by 250 feet were specified, Harvard abstained from the conference, as they favored a rugby-style game that allowed running with the ball. An 1875 Harvard-Yale game played under rugby-style rules was observed by two impressed Princeton athletes and these players introduced the sport to Princeton, a feat the Professional Football Researchers Association compared to selling refrigerators to Eskimos. Princeton, Harvard, Yale and Columbia then agreed to play using a form of rugby union rules with a modified scoring system. These schools formed the Intercollegiate Football Association, although Yale did not join until 1879, the introduction of the snap resulted in unexpected consequences. Prior to the snap, the strategy had been to punt if a scrum resulted in bad field position, however, a group of Princeton players realized that, as the snap was uncontested, they now could hold the ball indefinitely to prevent their opponent from scoring. In 1881, both teams in a game between Yale-Princeton used this strategy to maintain their undefeated records, each team held the ball, gaining no ground, for an entire half, resulting in a 0-0 tie
24.
Phoenix metropolitan area
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The United States Census Bureau designates the area as the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler Metropolitan Statistical Area, defining it as Maricopa and Pinal counties. As of the Census Bureaus 2015 population estimates, the Valley had 4,574,351 residents, the gross domestic product of the Phoenix Metropolitan Area was $215 billion in 2014, 15th largest amongst metro areas in the United States. It is also one of the fastest growing metropolitan areas, gaining nearly 400,000 residents from 2010 to 2015. The 2000 Census reported the population of the area to be 3,251,876. As for the 2010 Census, the two-county metropolitan area was reported to have a population of 4,192,887, Metro Phoenix grew by 941,011 people from April 2000 to April 2010, making it one of the fastest growing metro areas in the country. This also contributed to the entire states exceptional growth, as the area is home to just over two-thirds of Arizonas population. As of the 2010 census, there were 4,192,887 people,1,537,137 households, and 1,024,971 families residing within the MSA. The racial makeup of the MSA was 73. 0% White,5. 0% Black,3. 3% Asian,2. 4% Native American or Alaska Native and 16. 2% of other or mixed race,29. 5% were Hispanic of any race. In 2010 the median income for a household in the MSA was $50,385, the per capita income was $24,809. What follows is a list of places in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area, the Office of Management and Budget defines a metropolitan area as the core city plus its county and any nearby counties that are economically dependent on the core city. However, Arizona has relatively large counties and a harsh, rugged desert landscape, for these reasons, much of the land that is part of the Metropolitan Statistical Area is rural or completely uninhabited. The core part of the Phoenix Metropolitan Area is the Phoenix–Mesa, Arizona Urban Area, Places that fall completely or partially within the boundaries of the Phoenix-Mesa, AZ UA are in bold below. 1,537,058 Places with 250, 000+ inhabitants Mesa pop,254,276 Places with 150, 000–249,999 inhabitants Gilbert pop. 166,934 Places with 75,000 to 149,999 inhabitants Surprise pop,75,664 Places with 30,000 to 74,999 inhabitants Buckeye pop. 32,236 Places with 10, 000–29,999 inhabitants Coolidge pop, the average elevation is about 2,000 feet, with the highest point being 2,704 feet. The Phoenix Metropolitan area is notable for its warm, desert climate, on average, the area receives about 9 inches of rain annually, with less than 1 inch of snow every decade. In total, the region will see about 32 days of precipitation each year. The MSA is one of the sunniest major metropolitan areas, receiving 295 days of sunshine, the average July high is about 104 °F, with the average January low being about 37 °F, still above freezing
25.
Chicago Bears
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The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. The Bears compete in the National Football League as a club of the leagues National Football Conference North division. The Bears have won nine NFL Championships and one Super Bowl and hold the NFL record for the most enshrinees in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, the Bears have also recorded more victories than any other NFL franchise. The franchise was founded in Decatur, Illinois, in 1919 and it is one of only two remaining franchises from the NFLs founding. The team played games at Wrigley Field on Chicagos North Side through the 1970 season, they now play at Soldier Field on the Near South Side. The Bears have a rivalry with the Green Bay Packers. The team headquarters, Halas Hall, is in the Chicago suburb of Lake Forest, the Bears practice at adjoining facilities there during the season. They hold their training camp from late July to mid-August at Ward Field on the campus of Olivet Nazarene University in Bourbonnais, Illinois. Originally named the Decatur Staleys, the club was established by the A. E. Staley food starch company of Decatur and this was the typical start for several early professional football franchises. The company hired George Halas and Edward Dutch Sternaman in 1920 to run the team, the 1920 Decatur Staleys season was their inaugural regular season completed in the newly formed American Professional Football Association. Full control of the team was turned over to Halas and Sternaman in 1921, official team and league records cite Halas as the founder as he took over the team in 1920 when it became a charter member of the NFL. The team relocated to Chicago in 1921, where the club was renamed the Chicago Staleys, under an agreement reached by Halas and Sternaman with Staley, Halas purchased the rights to the club from Staley for US$100. In 1922, Halas changed the name from the Staleys to the Bears. The team moved into Wrigley Field, which was home to the Chicago Cubs baseball franchise, as with several early NFL franchises, the Bears derived their nickname from their citys baseball team. Halas liked the bright colors of his alma mater, the University of Illinois. The Staleys/Bears dominated the league in the early years and their rivalry with the Chicago Cardinals, the oldest in the NFL, was key in four out of the first six league titles. During that span, the Bears posted 34 shutouts, the Bears rivalry with the Green Bay Packers is one of the oldest and most storied in American professional sports, dating back to 1921. The franchise was a success under Halas, capturing the NFL Championship in 1921
26.
Green Bay Packers
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The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League as a club of the leagues National Football Conference North division. They are also the third-oldest franchise in the NFL, organized and it is the only non-profit, community-owned major league professional sports team based in the United States. Home games are played at Lambeau Field, the Packers are the last vestige of small town teams common in the NFL during the 1920s and 1930s. Founded in 1919 by Earl Curly Lambeau and George Whitney Calhoun, between 1919 and 1920, the Packers competed against other semi-pro clubs from around Wisconsin and the Midwest. They joined the American Professional Football Association, the forerunner of todays NFL, the Packers have won 13 league championships, the most in NFL history, with nine NFL titles before the Super Bowl era and four Super Bowl victories. They won the first two Super Bowls in 1967 and 1968 and were the only NFL team to defeat the American Football League prior to the AFL–NFL merger. The Vince Lombardi Trophy is named after the Packers head coach of the same name and their two further Super Bowl wins came in 1997 and 2011. The Packers are long-standing adversaries of the Chicago Bears, Minnesota Vikings, and Detroit Lions, the Bears–Packers rivalry is one of the oldest in NFL history, dating back to 1921. The Green Bay Packers were founded on August 11,1919 by former high-school football rivals Earl Curly Lambeau, Lambeau solicited funds for uniforms from his employer, the Indian Packing Company. He was given $500 for uniforms and equipment, on the condition that the team be named for its sponsor, the Green Bay Packers have played in their original city longer than any other team in the NFL. On August 27,1921, the Packers were granted a franchise in the new pro football league that had been formed the previous year. Financial troubles plagued the team and the franchise was forfeited within the year, before Lambeau found new financial backers and these backers, known as the Hungry Five, formed the Green Bay Football Corporation. After a near-miss in 1927, Lambeaus squad claimed the Packers first NFL title in 1929 with an undefeated 12–0–1 campaign, among the many impressive accomplishments of these years was the Packers streak of 29 consecutive home games without defeat, an NFL record which still stands. The arrival of end Don Hutson from Alabama in 1935 gave Lambeau, credited with inventing pass patterns, Hutson would lead the league in receptions eight seasons and spur the Packers to NFL championships in 1936,1939 and 1944. An iron man, Hutson played both ways, leading the league in interceptions as a safety in 1940, Hutson claimed 18 NFL records when he retired in 1945, many of which still stand. In 1951, his number 14 was the first to be retired by the Packers, after Hutsons retirement, Lambeau could not stop the Packers slide. He purchased a large lodge near Green Bay for team members, rockwood Lodge was the home of the 1946-1949 Packers, though the 1947 and 1948 seasons produced a record of 12-10-1, and 1949 was even worse at 3-9
Current season
